By Jeanni Ritchie
I had heard how fabulous DAVID was before I ever stepped inside Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson.
My parents had already seen it and loved it enough to want to see it again. Friends had talked about the production. Reviews praised the elaborate sets, live animals, music, costumes, and special effects.
I expected it to be good.
I still wasn’t prepared for how amazing it would be.
Before the show began, I prayed that I would experience it first as a child of God rather than a journalist. I didn’t want to think about recaps, articles, or content creation. I simply wanted to sit beside Mom and Dad and watch the familiar story of David come to life.
I once prayed that I, too, would be a person after God’s own heart.
For the next two-plus hours, the production took me through a story I had known for most of my life in a way I had never experienced before.
Sight & Sound’s DAVID follows the young shepherd from the fields to the throne, through his victory over Goliath, his rise as a warrior and king, and the failures and internal battles that followed. The production pairs the biblical account with original music inspired by the Psalms, massive sets, live animals, and special effects that transform the theater into the world of ancient Israel.
Calling it a stage production almost feels inadequate.
Sight & Sound is known for immersive biblical storytelling, with panoramic staging that extends beyond a traditional theater setup. Sets tower several stories, animals move through the theater, and action can unfold around the audience rather than remaining confined to one stage.
The result is larger than life.
I have seen hundreds of theatrical productions over the years, but I had never experienced anything quite like DAVID. The sheer scale was breathtaking, but spectacle alone was not what stayed with me.
It was the humanity of the story.
David is remembered as the boy who defeated Goliath and the king who became a man after God’s own heart, but his story also includes fear, failure, temptation, grief, consequences, and redemption.
Seeing those familiar passages unfold through music, dialogue, movement, and visual storytelling made them feel immediate again.
I knew what was coming.
I was still mesmerized.
DAVID first debuted at Sight & Sound’s Branson theater in 2025 and proved popular enough to return for a second season in 2026. Its final Branson performances run through Oct. 8. After that, the theatre transitions into its Christmas season with a spectacular holiday production.
In 2027, DANIEL will make its Branson debut, continuing Sight & Sound’s tradition of bringing familiar stories from the Bible to the stage on an extraordinary scale.
I already know I’ll be back.
And someday, when JOSHUA makes its way to Branson, I plan to return for that one, too.
But DAVID will always hold a special place for me.
Because I went expecting an impressive show, and I left transformed.
DAVID is currently playing at Sight & Sound Theatres, 1001 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in Branson, Missouri, through Oct. 8. Tickets and additional information are available at Sight & Sound Theatres.
