news-record.com

Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro will present the musical dramatization “Children of Eden,” at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Composed by Stephen Schwartz, composer of “Godspell” and “Wicked,” the production dramatizes the first nine chapters of Genesis, with act one telling the story of Adam and Eve, and act two bringing Noah’s story to life.

“The show also deals with the themes of parenthood, love and forgiveness,” said Cathy West, coordinator of music and arts. “This show is appropriate for all ages, and there is definitely something for everyone.”

The cast includes 35 church members, six of whom are more than 70 years old, and two friends from the community.

“As we have become a larger church with four separate worship services, it becomes harder for our members to feel part of our larger faith community, and these productions always bring together people from many generations, worship services and Sunday school classes,” West said. “We believe in offering people abundant opportunities to share their gifts through the church, whether they be acting, singing and dancing, or building sets and sewing costumes.”

The cast will be accompanied by full instrumentation.

“The music is absolutely incredible — full of luscious melodies and vibrant rhythms,” West said.

West said Christ United does a large-scale production every few years. Their last big productions were “Noye’s Fludde” in 2007 and “The Sound of Music” in 2003.

“Christ Church has a long history of a strong music and arts presence in the community, and we believe that these productions are a great means of outreach, especially a show with a strong biblical basis such as ‘Children of Eden,’ ” she said.

Leading up to the production, Christ United’s senior pastor, Jan Brittain, has been holding a two-week Bible study of the scriptures used in the show and discussions about how they are interpreted in the play.

Tickets are $12 for adults, and $10 for students 18 and under, seniors and groups of 10 or more. There is no charge for children under 6. The production is dedicated to Anna Lea Johnson, who was to be the director.

Johnson died in December after many years of fighting breast cancer, West said.

“The stories in this production, although biblically based, are full of present-day situations — the love of a parent for a child, the disappointment and sometimes anger that such love can bring, the hope in being able to start fresh and the trust in God’s love for us, no matter what,” West said. “Audience members should definitely bring some Kleenex.”

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer. brown@news-record.com.