The Gospel According to Broadway – Act II
Following rave reviews from last year, we are pleased to announce the second annual Summer Series, “The Gospel According to Broadway.” Last season’s resounding success set the stage for a second run of this much-anticipated series that promises to uplift hearts and open minds with a blend of spirituality and artistic expression.
Just as Jesus often taught using parables or stories to help people understand God’s grace and love in ways relevant to them. Modern day musical theater can convey important messages in much the same way. Last year’s inaugural series exceeded our expectations, engaging members and friends, inviting them to dig deeper into some serious and thought-provoking themes as well as be uplifted by beautiful music. This year, we are excited to build on that success to create more memorable and meaningful experiences.
This summer, we are engaging in our second summer worship series that will take us on a journey to Broadway! We will be highlighting musicals that:
- come from a variety of eras and historical perspectives;
- are culturally and geographically distinct;
- attempt to break taboos and norms;
- teach us about the importance of relationships and community.
Join us for an important summer series that will take on deep and significant topics with levity and love!
June 16 – Dream Girls
In the face of loss and struggle, how do we hold on to our dreams?
June 23 – Les Misérables is a love story. Not an “eros” kind of love, but rather an “agape” kind of love. In fact: To love another person is to see the face of God.
June 30 – Pride Sunday – Rent mirrors the early church in so many beautiful and utterly human ways.
July 7 – Miss Saigon calls into question so many hard truths about war: its cruelty, the way it shatters lives and scatters loved ones, the unspeakable sacrifices that are made, and the way we treat veterans returning from the horrors of battle.
July 14 – The Wiz
How does changing the setting of a beloved children’s story reveal more about the original themes and lessons? And how does it push us to keep analyzing our world?
July 21 – Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (later known as Glinda the Good). The paradox is, what is deemed good is often not good at all and what is bad is often not bad all.
July 28 – Evita is a feminine name of Latin origin that serves as a nickname for Eva. Coming from the Hebrew name Eve, it translates to “life” or “living one.” From the beginning of time, it has been both beautiful and challenging to be a woman with power.
August 4 – Fiddler on the Roof
“But, this is the way we’ve always done it!” – words that can hold sacred traditions, but hinder new ones. The struggle with drastically changing times and mores of tradition, increasingly encroached upon by new ways of doing things, mirrors what we still struggle with today.
August 11 – The Music Man explores the themes of curiosity, imagination, expectation, and transformation. All are stirred up with the arrival of a stranger to the small town of River City.
August 18 – Dear Evan Hansen
Our mental health matters to God. How do we reconcile our struggles, the ways we want the world to see us, and ultimately, the way God sees us?
August 25 – In the Heights
Where do we belong? How can we find and foster communities that believe in us no matter what?
September 1 – Newsies
On this Labor Day Weekend, let us take a look at the musical adaptation of the 1899 newsboys’ strike that changed the world and labor rights for all.
September 8 – The Greatest Showman
BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOURSELF! Never be ashamed of your perceived flaws or imperfections. You have worth and value, even if others are unable to see it.