Review: “The Prince of Egypt: The Musical” at CASA 101 Theater
- Dondre Tuck
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
CASA 101 Theater’s production of DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt: The Musical” excels especially in production design and choreography, delivering a fantastic experience of a biblical tale.
The musical tells of Moses (Diego Huerta-Gutierrez), born to a Hebrew enslaved family in ancient Egypt who is sent away as a baby in a basket on a river by his mother and sister in hopes he might escape the Pharaoh’s genocide. However, the baby is discovered by Egyptian royalty and raised as the brother of Ramses II (Christopher J. Thumé).
Once Moses reaches adulthood, though, he learns the truth about his heritage and sets out on a journey of self-discovery that ultimately leads him back to Egypt. Themes of brotherhood, identity, power and pride sit at the heart of the story.
Director Rigo Tejeda’s vision for the musical — with its book by Philip LaZebnik and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, based on the 1998 animated film, itself based on the 1956 film “The Ten Commandments” — is efficiently executed and brought to life. Tejeda combines production elements in a way that enriches the story while keeping the pacing tight.
At times, though, it feels like more energy has been poured into the technical side, because a few of the scenes fall flat in terms of acting. But key performances are honest and convincing. Thumé and Huerta-Gutierrez in the lead roles feel natural together, and that connection carries a lot of the emotional weight. The 21-member ensemble as a whole stays engaged and committed, and the chemistry among them is palpable across the board.
My favorite moment comes in the first act during a slow-motion segment where the brothers race chariots through Egypt. It’s simple, but it lands. And Joslynn Cortes is a real pleasure to watch on stage, tastefully portraying Moses’ future wife Tzipporah.
The production overall is also tastefully done. Tania Possick’s choreography deserves real credit here. Blocking is tight, transitions are clean and the dance sequences stay engaging and entertaining.
Set design, led by Anthony Storniolo and César Retana-Holguin, also truly lifts the show. Storniolo’s ability to build worlds on stage using both analog and digital tools gives the production its scale. Physical set pieces stay minimal, featuring two rolling staircases with six steps each, plus cement blocks marked with hieroglyphics. What really elevates the set are projections against the backdrop, establishing location, setting mood and heightening dramatic moments.
And Alejandro Parra’s lighting design is incredible. Dense red, blue, purple, and orange hues shape atmosphere, and also help create smooth transitions between scenes. Tony Iniguez’s costume design is similarly magnificent and deserves massive praise. Costumes feel appropriate and fully support the world of the show, not just for the leads but the ensemble, too, especially with all the changes throughout. Costuming takes an already strong production and pushes it to another level.
Sound design by Angelica Ornelas with music directed by Gabrielle Maldonado are also strong overall. Ornelas does an incredible job setting the tone with music, allowing the singing performances to support the production the way they need to. There are a few moments where the vocalists get drowned out by the music, but I still walked away satisfied with the overall sound experience.
Brotherhood is the primary theme of “The Prince of Egypt,” but the message I left with is that it’s okay to question tradition, especially when you’re in a position of power. That idea lands clearly, and sticks. The audience stayed engaged during the show’s final performance, and it held my attention from start to finish while still leaving space to reflect. Though its run has ended, I’d still recommend this fantastic production should it be restaged.
“The Prince of Egypt: The Musical” performed at CASA 101 Theater, 2102 E. First Street, Los Angeles, from Nov. 22 to Dec. 21. For more information, visit Casa0101.org. Run time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission.
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