Brandon Talley ’04 has been performing at Sight and Sound Theatres since 2004, and he has never looked back.
The day after Brandon Talley ’04 graduated from Elon with a BFA in Music Theatre, he packed his bags and moved to Pennsylvania to work as a performer at Sight and Sound Theatres.
Growing up, Brandon had visited Sight and Sound Theatres with his family, and he had always been in awe of the size of their productions. This job was a dream come true for Brandon, so it is not surprising that he remains working at Sight and Sound to this day, starring as the titular role in their newest production, “Jesus.”
Established in 1976 and based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Sight and Sound produces musicals that tell Biblical stories on a massive panoramic stage, featuring state of the art technical elements (and even live animals). Sight and Sound later added a second location in Missouri.
But Sight and Sound is more than just a spectacle, Talley says. “[‘Jesus’] isn’t so much a story about Jesus’ life, but about his love, which extends to absolutely everyone, no matter who you are or what life has dealt you,” Talley says. “It is humbling to be a part of something that has such an enormous positive impact on the lives of so many people.”
By the time the show closes in January 2019, more than 800,000 people will have seen Jesus during its 10-month run.
It is not just the audience members who experience Sight and Sound’s positive impact – the performers feel it too. “My time here has been incredible, giving me opportunities to grow as an actor, singer and dancer, and working along some of the most diverse and wonderfully talented people I could imagine,” Talley says.
Talley’s career as a performer has flourished during the past 15 years, and so has his personal life. He met his wife Leslie while working at Sight and Sound, and now they have two young daughters. “Balancing a career in the arts and maintaining a healthy family life has actually been fairly easy and rewarding, mostly because my wife and I have been able to work together for many of the years, but also because we’ve remained settled in one location,” Talley says.
When asked how an Elon education has helped prepare him for his career, Talley says that “Elon gave me the tools and an incredible foundation to enter into the working world and grow as an actor and maintain a successful career. I often think about some of the priceless advice, tips, and keys to success that so many of my professors instilled in me, and I credit them with the strong work ethic I try to uphold. I’m always very proud to tell people of my education at Elon, and it’s clear that the Music Theatre department’s reputation has continued to blossom exponentially since my time there.”
To learn more about Sight and Sound Theatres and to purchase tickets for “Jesus,” visit their website at https://www.sight-sound.com/. 