By Valerie Housley
Visitors will travel thousands of miles to Nauvoo, Ill., this summer to enjoy the second year of the Nauvoo Pageant, which depicts the lives of Mormon settlers in the 1840s as portrayed by hundreds of volunteers.
More than 750 people, including some BYU students and alumni, are giving of their time and talents to participate in the pageant, portraying the lives members lived in the early stages of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'What our family loved about being a part of the pageant was that the pageant gave us a connection to our ancestors, it truly made their lives very real to us,' said MaryAnn McConkie, a past cast member. 'And when we weren''t rehearsing or performing, we were able to go around Nauvoo and take in the history of the sites and go to the Nauvoo Temple.'
While families and groups come for a two-week period, the pageant has a 20-member core cast who stay for the duration of the pageant and perform all spoken dialogue live at each pageant.
BYU musical dance theatre graduate Ben Cummins is a member of the core cast, and said being able to perform where the saints rejoiced and suffered is an indescribable experience.
'This opportunity is more like a spiritual reawakening,' Cummins said. 'To play the part of a saint that could have very well had to pack up their belongings and walk down the street that you''re looking at right now, is an amazing feeling.'
With an estimated viewing audience of 12,500 per week, the pageant tells the story of a Scottish couple, Robert and Becky Laird, who come to Nauvoo as immigrants. Becky Laird has heard the gospel message in England through the preaching of the apostles and has been baptized with the permission of her husband, Robert. The couple travels to Nauvoo to join the saints, even though Robert is not a member.
'As the pageant tells the story of the lives of Mormon settlers in the 1840s, who struggled to build a city and find peace in Nauvoo, we get to see Robert Laird in several different scenes as he learns about the gospel and what the gospel can mean in his life,' said Bonnie Ashby, production office manager for the pageant.
The Nauvoo Pageant focuses on delivering the gospel message by showing people come together, even in the most challenging circumstances, to build a community. Two years ago, the pageant replaced 'The City of Joseph,' which ran for 29 years, as directed by LDS Church leaders.
'''The City of Joseph'' was a beautiful introduction to why the saints built Nauvoo and it was meant to be very fun, open and inviting for all involved,' Ashby said. 'The Nauvoo Pageant is more directly focused on the message of the gospel.'
Cast members are encouraged to visit with audience members before and after the pageant to answer any questions visitors may have.
'The Nauvoo Pageant is a pageant, but it''s more so about missionary work,' Cummins said. 'The spirit is so strong - especially being in Nauvoo, a land that holds so much history - that the pageant really opens the door for missionary work.'
-What: Nauvoo Pageant
-Where: Site down the hill from the Nauvoo Temple at the corner of Partridge and Main Street in Nauvoo, Ill.
-When: July 7-August 4; Performances Tuesday through Saturday nights at 8:45 p.m.
-Admission: Free