Hill Cumorah Pageant

The pageant traces its roots to the early 1920s and the "Cumorah Conference" of the Eastern States Mission, Osmond played the role of the prophet Samuel the Lamanite. During the 2012 season, the pageant held festivities and reunions in commemoration of its 75th anniversary. Brent Hanson, a faculty member at Southern Virginia University, served as the pageant's artistic director from 2005 until 2018. Starting at the end of the 2018 season, Utah educator Shawnda Moss replaced Hanson as artistic director. The New York Times contrasted the pageant's sincerity with the raucous tone of another major production, the satirical Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was initially delayed to 2021. However in March 2021, the Church announced that the pageant had been cancelled and would not be rescheduled, thus ending its 82-year run. Commemorations (including an online stream of the 2019 edition) will be held to celebrate the history of the event. == Scenes ==

's vision of the Tree of Life The pageant was 70 minutes in duration and depicted the overarching story of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe Joseph Smith translated from golden plates he received from an angel on the Hill Cumorah itself. The pageant also included the story of Smith's encounter with the angel Moroni. The script for the pageant was taken from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, including ten short story scenes: • The Prophet Lehi • The Visions of Christ • The Building of a Ship • The Voyage to Ancient America • The Burning of Abinadi • The Ministry of Alma • The Prophecy: A Day, A Night and a Day • The Resurrected Christ Appears to Ancient Americans • The Written Word: A Golden Message • The Restoration of Christ's Kingdom == Cast, setting, and special effects ==

of the pageant on the Hill Cumorah The pageant's cast included approximately 700 people. Prospective cast members, many from outside New York State, Over 1,300 costumes were utilized for the pageant, which played out on a 10-level stage. Special effects included earthquakes, floods, and fireballs. There were 8,000 chairs available for audience seating in a large outdoor "bowl" at the foot of the stage, which was built on many levels up the side of the hill. Audience members could also bring their own chairs and blankets. Parking was available for 3,000 cars. The pageant attracted approximately 35,000 visitors annually. == References ==