2019 Passion Play brings more music
By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor
Photo Courtesy of the Canadian Badlands Passion Play
The Passion Play is performed on “Canada’s largest outdoor stage” in the Badlands Amphitheatre in Drumheller. Guests will see a few new buildings on stage this year. They’ll also hear much more music.
“What’s new is definitely the music,” said Tim Hildebrand, who’s playing the role of Simon Peter for the second time. “The production went in a musical direction last year, and they’re going even further into that territory this year. The majority of my text is sung this year.”
Most of the hundreds of cast members are volunteers, and many of them come back year after year, spending their spring and summer weekends rehearsing and performing the Passion Play.
Hildebrand, a Canadian who works in Los Angeles performing in films and commercials, is one of the few professional actors. He first became involved in the Passion Play in 2006.
“In 2006, the play was about to be shut down,” he said. “Randall Wiebe had been given a one-time chance to try to salvage the show.”
Royal Sproule of Rosebud came on to direct and Bill Hamm of Rosebud School of the Arts wrote new music. Hildebrand joined the cast along with Rosebud Theatre resident Nathan Schmidt.
“Ticket sales went up that year (and) continued to climb the next several years, and the play was successfully re-established,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand played the character of Matthew from 2006 to 2010 during the five-year cycle of the
script based on the gospel of Matthew.
In 2018, when the play was again being transformed, Hildebrand was invited back to play the role of Simon Peter. He was invited back again this year.
“The Passion Play for me is unique in its meaningfulness,” he said, explaining why he keeps coming back to Canada to perform in it. “It’s rare that I get to work on projects that so directly speak to my faith and core values. There are a lot of challenges with this production, but this chance to use my skill set for God’s glory is rare and valuable.”
Although a new script is introduced every five years, and the set changes a little every year, for Hildebrand the most important thing remains the same.
“The most important message for me is that God is always there,” he said, “always making a way, never giving up on us, always searching for us.”
For Hildebrand, that’s a certainty that he hopes guests will take away.
“One of my favorite things about the production is the community of actors and crew that gathers to create this show every year, so many wonderful people living and working together with common purpose,” he said. “It’s worth the investment of time. The sense of purpose is very real. What higher calling can there be for an artist?”
The Canadian Badlands Passion Play is giving nine performances on the weekends from July 5 to 21. You can get tickets at badlandsamp.com or 1-403-823-2001.