The New Jerusalem Theater is one of the most interesting tourist
destinations in Brazil. Since it was established, it has become a
favorite destination of both local and foreign visitors in the country.
Location
The theater can be found in the city of Brejo da Madre de Deus. This
is at the Fazenda Nova district. It is situated about 180 km from
Recife.
What to See
The biggest attraction here is the performance of the Passion of
Christ held every Easter. Every night beginning at 6:00 pm, crowds would
retrace Jesus footsteps. There are over 60 major actors as well as over
500 back actors.
The performance is complemented by high technical infrastructure.
There are elaborate costumes, lights, special effects, pyrotechnics and
digital sound.
The scenes enacted include the temptation in the desert and Sermon on
the Mount. The scenes at the Jerusalem Temple and the Last Supper are
part of stage / scene 3. Stage 4 features the agony in the garden and
Jesus arrest.
Stage 5 depicts the scourging of Christ. Stage 7 is the meeting with
Mary, while stage 8 is the Cavalry. Stge 9 of the New Jerusalem Theater
play is the burial and the resurrection.
History
It was in 1951 when Epaminondas Mendonca came up with the idea of
depicting the scenes from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in
the Fazenda Nova parish. In 1958, Plinio Pacheco, Epaminodas’ son in
law, became the director of the local theater. It was his idea to build
the present day theater. The theater was to be a mini replica of
Jerusalem. Building was finished in 1965.
Since the performances began, the number of people watching have
increased. A record of 72,000 people went to the site in 2008. The play
uses 860 lights throughout the show.
Cost
A trip to Brazil will cost at least 1200 USD, but in some cases it
may be up to 3,000 USD. If you plan to stay in Brazil for a while, cost
will be higher. The costs for the tours, hotel, food etc will probably
come up to 10,000 USD more or less.
Other Info
Many theaters present the Passion of the Christ, but this is the
biggest open theater on the planet. The performance takes place in an
area 100000 m2 (1.1 million ft2). The site is surrounded by 70 towers
and 3,500 walls.
Aside from the performance in the New Jerusalem Theater, there are
several fascinating structures. Some of them are the Statue of Pinio
Pacheco and the Roman Forum.
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