The Prince of Egypt: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Musical

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

The Prince of Egypt is a story that resonates across cultures and faiths, a narrative of deliverance that speaks to the human condition. The theatrical production of "The Prince of Egypt" seeks to honor each person’s individual connection to this story, while also highlighting our shared human experience.

From the mournful opening trumpet solo to the piercing downbeat of Stephen Schwartz’s epic Deliver Us, I was incurably awe struck by the artistry of the animation, the dazzling score, and most impacting, the clarity of the storytelling. Even though it was animation, it was so human.

The global significance and historic scope of Moses for those of other faiths, cultures and experiences is humbling. This story belongs to billions and billions of people worldwide and has for 3500 years. It is virtually universal and yet its impact remains deeply personal.

While studying this script and researching the history from as many possible sources as I could find in preparation for this production, I quickly discovered that the more I researched the less I knew. Every time I looked for more answers I found fascinating new variations, conflicting details, and things I will never have context or years on the planet to understand.

Read also: The Prince of Egypt Musical: Full Plot Breakdown.

There is one theme that remains consistent through every account: the cry for deliverance. Perhaps that is the enduring power of this story.

In The Prince of Egypt, the character Jethro sings:

So how can you see what your life is worthOr where your value lies?You can never see through the eyes of manYou must look at your life through heaven's eyes

As we share The Prince of Egypt, our hope is that we can honor each other’s personal relationship to this story while embracing our common connection to it. More than anything we hope what we will experience together will inspire us to look at our life and the lives of everyone around us through Heaven’s eyes.

Thank you to my production team, Jess, Lindsey and Alex.

Read also: Exploring The Prince of Egypt's Impact

Thank you to the amazing HCT design team and the hundreds of artisans it took to create this beautiful show.

And finally, to this glorious cast that has infinitely impacted my life. Thank you for being willing to share this story from the deepest parts of your hearts and souls.

A Universal Story with a Diverse Cast

One of the most compelling aspects of "The Prince of Egypt" is its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“From the very beginning of working on The Prince of Egypt theatrical musical, we wanted to tell a universal story that spans all racial and ethnic divides, and so we always felt it was important to have a diverse cast whenever possible.

In the various productions up to date, we have had a Sri Lankan Moses, a Filipino Tzipporah, a Palestinian Tzipporah, a black Ramses, a Chinese Keturah, and countless other permutations. The point is that anyone, no matter what their background, can play any role.

Read also: "When You Believe" analysis

In many productions, our diverse casts have tripled as Egyptians, Hebrews and Midianites. And in all our productions, we have found that audiences have wholeheartedly embraced and enjoyed this idea of inclusion. That’s a central message of The Prince of Egypt: in the end, when we strip away the circumstances of our birth and upbringing, we are all the same as members of the human race.

The creative team behind the Hale Centre Theatre production includes:

  • Producer: Sally Dietlein
  • Director: Dave Tinney
  • Music Director: Alex Marshall
  • Choreographer: Lindsey D. Smith
  • Production Stage Manager: Jess Edling
  • Scenic Design: Nate Bertone
  • Costume Design: Candice Nielsen
  • Lighting Design: Jaron Kent Hermansen
  • Associate Lighting Design: Collin Schmierer
  • Sound Design: Michelle Ohumukini
  • Hair & Make-up Design: Candice Cronin
  • Video/Projection Design: Jaron Kent Hermansen
  • Automation Design: Nick Herring
  • Properties: Ryan Simmons
  • Fight Choreographer: Spencer Hohl

The stage management team includes:

  • Stage Manager: Ashna Horman, Riya Sahasrabudhe
  • Assistant Stage Manager: Kirsten Busse, Rosalynn Eardley, Sydnie Evans, Ellie Kuoppala, Daniel Niewoehner

The automation team includes:

  • Automation: Nathan Gallegos, Nate Jennings, Anton Moss, Alena Rodriguez, Grace Saathoff, Daelyn Vaughan

The lighting and sound team includes:

  • LX Board OP: Michelle Ludlow, Lucas Russell, Katelyn Westergard
  • Sound Engineer: Griffin McMullin, Evan Saunders, Kristin Tenney
  • A2/Zack Tracks: Devon Barney, Rachel Holding, Lauren Moss

The stage technician team includes:

  • Stage Technician: Keturah Barnhill, Olivia Evans, MaKayla Finlinson, Jackson Fisher, McKenzie Gallegos, Lexi Hyer, Nic Leonard, Zachary Mittleman, Samantha Nielsen, Jeremy Sattler, Trivett, Patch Wendel, Tucker Williams
  • Followspot Operator: James Beltran, Mickey Beyer, Leah Curzon, Addie Harmon, Mckinley Jo, Ayden Krstich, Carmilla Lovell, Kennedy Nash, J.

Cast Spotlights

The cast of "The Prince of Egypt" at Hale Centre Theatre is comprised of talented performers, each bringing their unique experiences and perspectives to their roles.

Danté J.L.: Making his HCT debut! Notable stage credits include: Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tom Collins in RENT, Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime, and Mister in The Color Purple. He has performed with esteemed companies such as Porthouse Theater, American Stage, Slow Burn Theatre, and the Adrienne Arsht Center, showcasing his depth and adaptability in both classic and contemporary musicals. Danté’s training includes studies at Indiana State University in Musical Theater and Music Education, as well as Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance. Beyond the stage, Danté is a skilled voice-over artist, improv performer, and stage manager. He is also a dedicated community advocate, serving as a motivational speaker, caregiver, and founder of Ophelia’s Kitchen. His passion for storytelling, both through performance and community engagement, continues to inspire audiences and collaborators alike. Danté would like to thank Mark, Sally, Dave, Alex, Lindsey, Tammy, Jess, and The Hale Centre Theatre Family for this unforgettable experience, and Michael Hadley for being a dedicated Company Manager and making me feel at home. To the entire Prince of Egypt cast-thank you!

Zack: Returning to the HCT Stage, Zack was previously seen in Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Singin’ in the Rain, Tarzan, AIDA, and Joseph...Dreamcoat. Other favorite stage credits include: 1820: The Musical West Side Story, and All Shook Up; TV/Film credits: “ABC’s Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann'' and “High School Musical 3” (featured dancer and Zac Efron’s stand-in for choreography). “All my love to my beautiful wife and children!” “Come what may and love it.”

Ethan: Making his HCT debut! Ethan’s favorite credits include: The Principle Wife (Benjamin) with The Covey Center and Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik) with SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. Ethan graduated from Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts and was the Jimmy Award winner for Best Actor in 2019. “Fear will always lie in the middle of the road on the way to your destiny.

Ren: Some of Ren’s favorite stage credits include: The Magician’s Elephant, A Christmas Carol (Eben), The Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio), and A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Darney) with Hale Centre Theatre; The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson), West Side Story (Riff), Into The Woods (Jack), and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour) with West Valley Performing Arts; and Pride and Prejudice (Wickham), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo Understudy), Jane Austen’s Emma (Frank Churchill) with The Parker Theatre. Ren earned his BFA in Musical Theatre from BYU.

Malia: Malia is honored to play on the Centre Stage once again! Recently, she was seen in our production of The Magician’s Elephant as the Narrator. Her other HCT credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Fruma Sarah) and A Christmas Carol (Fred’s Wife). She graduated from Harvard University with a Master's in Dramatic Arts.

Rebecca: Rebecca is excited to return to Hale Centre Theatre! She was last seen here as Eponine in our production of Les Misérables. Her favorite credits include Bright Star (Edna/Lucy Understudy), The Addams Family (Wednesday), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Esmeralda), AIDA (Nehebkah), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Ruth/Swing), Matilda The Musical (Acrobat), Sister Act (Michelle), and Mary Poppins with HCT; In the Heights (Vanessa) and South Pacific (Liat) with HCTO; and West Side Story (Shark Girl/Anita Understudy) with West Valley Performing Arts. She has a degree in Integrated Studies: Humanities/Art History and works part-time as a tattoo artist.

Rachel: Rachel is excited to be back on the HCT stage! Her favorite credits include: HCT - Hello, Dolly! (Irene Malloy), The Light in the Piazza (Franca Naccarelli), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown), The Music Man (Marian Paroo), She Loves Me (Amalia), and Les Misérables (Cosette); Sundance Summer Theatre - The Music Man (Marian Paroo); HCTO - The Secret Garden (Lily) and The Addams Family (Wednesday Addams). She studied English at UVU, and when not on stage, she is a pilates instructor at Studio Core Pilates.

Jaden: Making her HCT debut! Her favorite credits include Sweeney Todd, Matchstick Girl, Jane Eyre with Weber State University and Claybourne Elder’s Cabaret Show with Salt Lake Acting Company. She has performed the National Anthem for the Utah Jazz, US Air Force, and Salt Lake Bees and been a Lead Vocalist at the Caleb Chapman Soundhouse. Jaden began classical vocal training at 6 years old and has been singing her whole life. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing & Bachelor of Art in Musical Theatre both from Weber State University and is currently working towards her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. She works as an RN at Holy Cross Davis Emergency Department.

Mack: Mack’s thrilled to be on the Centre Stage once again! Some of her favorite credits include: Narrator (The Magician’s Elephant), Mrs. White (Clue On Stage), Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Marie/Fairy Godmother (Cinderella), Medda Larkin (Newsies), Deloris Van Cartier (Sister Act), and Oda Mae Brown (GHOST: The Musical) with Hale Centre Theatre; Mother U/S (Passing Strange) with Salt Lake Acting Company; and MotorMouth Maybelle (Hairspray) with HCTO.

Chris: Making his HCT debut! Chris’ favorite credits include Once on This Island (Papa Ge) with Paliku Theatre; To Kill A Mockingbird (Tom) and Kiss Me, Kate (Gremio) with BYU Hawaii; Barber of Seville (Figaro) with Hawaii OperaTheater; and Dido and Aeneas (Aeneas) with BYU Hawaii. Chris graduated from BYU Hawaii with a Bachelor's degree in International Cultural Studies and is currently pursuing his Masters in Music and working at John Hancock Charter School as a Music Teacher. Special thanks to my wife, Fai, and kids for their support and to the original Jethro - Brian Stokes Mitchell for mentoring me.

Jared: Jared is thrilled to be back on the HCT stage.

Aitana: Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Aitana’s favorite credits include: The Magician’s Elephant, The Little Mermaid, The Secret Garden, A Tale of Two Cities, and AIDA with HCT; In The Heights with West Valley Arts; Little Shop of Horrors and Guys & Dolls with Utah Festival Opera; 1820: The Musical at the Covey Center as well as the Jimmy Awards in 2014 for AIDA. “I am excited to share the stage again with my sister, Brookelynn, after ten years!

Sophia: Making her HCT debut! Sophia’s favorite credits include Evita (Evita) with The Empress Theatre; West Side Story (Anita) with West Valley Performing Arts; In the Heights (Vanessa) with The Grand Theatre; and Into the Woods (The Witch) with Hopebox Theatre. She graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Musical Theatre and NYU College of Arts and Sciences with a BS in Broadcast Journalism and works for I Heart Reps.

Nathan: Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Nathan’s credits include One For the Pot (Body Double) with HCT; Seussical The Musical (Mr. Mayor) and Once (Svec) with HCTO; Pump Boys and Dinettes (Jim) with Buffalo Theatre Company; and As You Like It (Orlando) with Grassroots Shakespeare Company. Playwriting credits include: Archipelago, True Bugs, The Star's, The Trail, All's Inbetween, and Cod. He has previously studied Musical Theatre at SUU and is currently attending BYU to obtain a degree in Playwriting.

Rob: Thrilled to be back on the HCT Centre Stage! Rob’s favorite acting credits include Titanic The Musical (Edgar Beane) and Treasure Island (Billy Bones) with HCT and In the Heights (Piragua Guy) with West Valley Performing Arts and his favorite Directing credits include Puffs with West Valley Performing Arts and Evita with The Empress Theatre. “Thank you to everyone who supports my endeavors.

Koryn: Thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Koryn’s favorite credits include A Christmas Carol (2023 & 2024) and Hans Christian Andersen in New York with HCT; Sister Act with Studio Reds; and Seussical The Musical with Kayenta Center for the Arts. She is certified in personal training, nutrition coaching, and corrective exercise specialization from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and works as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. “I have always loved the Prince of Egypt. Getting to be a part of something like this is a dream come true!

Annakaitlyn: Making her HCT debut! Annakaitlyn’s credits include West Side Story (Anita) with Hopebox Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon) with West Valley Performing Arts; and In the Heights with The Grand Theater. She is currently a Sophomore at The University of Oklahoma where she is double majoring in Political Science and Journalism and is on track for pre-med. She comes from a massive family of 30 kids. Everything she knows and everything she is because of them.

Bryce: Making his HCT debut! Bryce is thrilled to join the company of our production of The Prince of Egypt. By day, Bryce works as a Stockbroker and Film actor, and is a member of our military. “I’m humbled and excited to be part of such a great story.

Spencer: Thrilled to be back at Hale Centre! Spencer’s stage credits include: Titanic The Musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, A Tale of Two Cities and Freaky Friday with HCT as well as Anything Goes with HCTO. He has a B.S.

Julia: Julia is thrilled to be back on the HCT stage! Favorite performing credits include: The Magician’s Elephant with HCT; Character Performer at Walt Disney W...

The Original Production

The new musical, based on the 1998 animated DreamWorks film, runs through November 5 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in California. The show features a score by Stephen Schwartz (who won an Oscar for the film’s song “When You Believe”) and a book by Philip LaZebnik.

Danish native Diluckshan Jeyaratnam stars as Moses in the TheatreWorks Silicon Valley production. Rounding out the cast are Motyka as Miriam, Will Mann as High Priest Hotep, David Crane as Aaron, Ayelet Firstenberg as Youcheved, Jamila Sabares-Klemm as Nefertari, Paul-Jordan Jansen as Jethro, and Natalie Schroeder and Alexandra Van De Poel alternating in the role of Young Miriam.

The ensemble includes C.J.

Cast Members
Character Actor
Moses Diluckshan Jeyaratnam
Miriam Motyka
High Priest Hotep Will Mann
Aaron David Crane
Youcheved Ayelet Firstenberg
Nefertari Jamila Sabares-Klemm
Jethro Paul-Jordan Jansen

The Prince of Egypt is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Take a look above at footage of the world premiere of The Prince of Egypt.

Watch the Screen to Stage Journey of The Prince of Egypt

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