Just as Milwaukee prepares for a week of no less than five shows opening in as many days, the Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson opens a brand new musical. The Witnesses is the second part of a three part Christian musical trilogy. It doubtlessly will attract a completely different demographic than much of what’s opening closer to home, but it’s interesting to cast a glance West at a new show opening in an upscale dinner theatre somewhere between here and Madison.
The show in question follows the exploits of the earliest Christians long before the creation of the King James Biblea time when Christianity would’ve been construed by mainstream society as a cult of some sort. Through song and storytelling, The Witness attempts to show the birth of Christianity through the eyes of two of its strongest promotersPeter and Paul.
Judging from the press release and information available on the Fireside’s website, The Witness has a very contemporary feel to itthe overall tone of the advertising copy differs little from that of most contemporary Christian entertainment, so don’t expect anything terribly historical or controversial here. Though the production does claim to illustrate some of the harshness of life in the first century C.E., it’s not likely to illustrate all that much insight into the early years of one of the most powerful cultural forces in the past two millennia. That being said, it’s only an hour long, so it should be really convenient for Christian families looking for a little live, uplifting entertainment this summer. It’s nice to see the Fireside doing something that isn’t glossy and commercial (they just closed a production of High School Musical . . .) but this one isn’t likely to draw-in people altogether dissimilar to the Fireside's typical, family-based demographic.
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The Witness runs July 9 – August 23rd at the Fireside Dinner Theatre In Fort Atkinson.