Mesa Easter Pageant Now on Stage
Contributed By Heather Wrigley, Church News and Events
The Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant will present nine performances of the Easter story, Jesus the Christ, in the days leading up to the holiday.
Article Highlights
- April 13 and 14: English and ASL performances of Jesus the Christ at the Mesa Easter Pageant
- April 15 and 16: Spanish and ASL performances
- April 19–23: English performances
“Our desire is that people attending the pageant leave knowing that Jesus Christ lives today and that He loves them.” —Nanci Wudel, pageant director
One of the world’s largest annual outdoor Easter pageants begins performances at the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center tonight, Wednesday, April 13, 2011, and runs daily (except Sunday and Monday) through Easter.
Jesus the Christ follows the story of the Savior’s birth, ministry, death, and Resurrection through speech, music, dance, and drama. The text is taken directly from the King James Version of the Bible and is written and presented for all religions, cultures, and ages.
From its beginnings as a sunrise performance on the back of a wooden cotton wagon in 1928, the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant has grown into a full-scale theatrical production involving nearly 1,000 cast and crew and a 9,600-square-foot (890 square meter) stage.
“We are so blessed to have this wonderful opportunity to present the life and mission of Jesus Christ in such a magnificent way,” said Nanci Wudel, pageant director. “Our message is one of hope, healing, and peace. Our desire is that people attending the pageant leave knowing that Jesus Christ lives today and that He loves them.
“Because of Him, each of us can live again. If we follow Him, we can have joy and peace in this life and be with Him in the next. At this time there is no greater gift we can give the world than this beautiful Easter message.”
The pageant is free. No tickets or reservations are necessary, but space fills up quickly, with more than 100,000 people attending over the nine days.
Performances are April 13 and 14 in English and ASL, April 15 and 16 in Spanish and ASL, and April 19 through 23 in English. All performances begin at 8:00 p.m. and run for 65 minutes.
Free tours of the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center are offered before and after the pageant.
Find more information about the Mesa Easter Pageant or other Church pageants.
If you have questions about the pageant, please call (480) 654-1077.
