By Father Richard Ho Lung, Contributor IT IS not to be attributed to man but "to God whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine -- to Him be glory in Christ Jesus" (Eph 3:20). The working of God's power in this production has made it what it is. Hundreds and even thousands have said, "it is a must for Broadway." Just about everyone who has seen it says, "It is the best ever in the history of Jamaican theatre."
I must repeat my confession: I play no musical instrument, know no musical theory and can hardly sing a note. But my many experiences of the scripture amongst our Jamaican people have given rise to melodies in my dreams and constantly in my heart and mind. That's purely the work of the Holy Spirit. When I adapt the script from the Bible, the understanding comes quickly as what must be done dramatically because of the impulse of the Lord calling me to witness the life of God to build up our people.
No one knew what the Lord had in store. We simply sought the best singers and dancers who wanted to perform Jesus 2000. We wanted a big space so that Jesus's birthday could be celebrated grandly. We thought of the impossible -- bringing in a philharmonic orchestra free of cost. We sought the best sound equipment: Wayne Ho Lung's at a seriously reduced charity price to make the impossible become real -- the arena to sound crisp and beautiful. We wanted intelligent lighting, the newest in theatre technology: all of this at a minimum budget. Then to pack the arena for four shows!
Alwin Bully, Paula Shaw, Greg Thames and Arlene Richards were all part of the technical team. Jon Williams, the master musician, and myself, had no idea what level of production we were in for. But on the night of the show our breath was taken away and the same happened to the audience.
God worked on the production. He was in it and masterminded it. We worked terribly hard, but it was the Lord's blessings and His handiwork.
The tremendous music and colour, the dance and acting and set designs made people laugh and cry! What a marvellous production! It was a once in a lifetime experience for all who attended and for all of us who worked on Jesus 2000.
