By Heather Collins
The Detroit-based international and critically-acclaimed musical experience “The Cross and the Light” will be performed March 10-14 at the Carmel High School auditorium.
“The Cross and the Light” depicts the story of the Passion, Resurrection and Pentecost of Jesus Christ. According to critics, “The Cross and the Light” adheres to the Biblical version. The play has been performed before more than 70,000 people across the world, including a soldout performance in Detroit with more than 22,000 in attendance.
Kelly Nieto, creator and executive producer of “The Cross and the Light” and former Miss Michigan winner and Miss America runner-up, said the writers were not afraid to tell the story of Jesus in contemporary terms, while adhering to the authentic story.
“We really speak the language of the 21st century, but we tell the greatest love story of all time in a really powerful, life-changing way,” Nieto said. “We like to say it’s a baptism of the imagination. It literally immerses people in a beautiful cinematic image.”
The performance features high-powered projectors that create 150-feet wide by 30-feet high images to transform the walls of the Carmel High School auditorium.
According to Nieto, “The Cross and the Light” is for all Christians, music-lovers and theater buffs. Critics have compared the show to “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Godspell.”
“It’s important in this post-Christian world that we start proclaiming (Jesus’s) story with passion and the best production value possible,” Nieto said.
Shalom World TV will be on-site to film the Carmel performance and will be broadcasting it to more than 100 countries.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. March 10, 11 and 12, and 2 p.m. March 11 and 12 at the Carmel High School auditorium.
Tickets are available online at crossandlight.com/tickets. Seventy-five percent of proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit the Carmel Deanery, consisting of 12 local Catholic churches, including Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Online buyers can select which church they’d like to support. Tickets are also available at the following participating Hamilton County churches: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St Elizabeth Ann Seton, Holy Spirit Parish at Geist, St. John Vianney Catholic Church, St. Louis De Montfort Catholic School, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church. For more, visit youarecurrent.com.
