Pioneer Legacy Celebration: Free Cedar City show to be held under ‘canopy of stars and fireworks’

Written by Alysha Lundgren
July 10, 2024

CEDAR CITY — A free musical showcasing local history is coming to Cedar City this Pioneer Day, featuring over 100 young actors and fireworks under a “canopy of stars.”

An actor does a back flip at the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, St. George News

The Pioneer Legacy Celebration will open in Cedar City on Wednesday, July 24. The free event is a musical written by the production’s founder Merrill Osmond, along with Sam Cardon, Cliff Maag and Sam Payne. The script was rewritten for Iron County with the help of Merrill Osmond’s son and executive producer Justin Osmond.

The musical will be staged at Southern Utah University’s Eccles Coliseum Stadium, which can reportedly hold over 8,500 people. The gates will open at 7 p.m., with preshow entertainment beginning at 8:15 p.m. and the main event starting at 9:30 p.m.

Justin Osmond said the group is “so excited” to bring “one of Utah’s largest celebrations” to Cedar City.

“If you’ve ever seen the Bellagio water show down in Las Vegas — it’s just like that, but with fireworks,” he said.

Actors performs at the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, St. George News

But it’s not a typical event, Justin Osmond added. Fireworks will fill the sky above the coliseum throughout the production.

“You’ll see 100-plus young children, all dressed up in raccoon hats and pioneer outfits, singing and dancing under a canopy of stars and fireworks, telling the story of our beloved, amazing pioneers, who have sacrificed so much so that we can have the modern-day conveniences of today,” he said.

The story will feature Iron County and SUU history. Justin Osmond said the production is nondenominational and will showcase the stories of the Utah Paiutes and the Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Jewish, Greek, Italian and Chinese settlers and missionaries.

“This is a community event where we invite and welcome everybody of all different faiths to come and learn about their ancestors,” he said.

The Osmonds have been producing similar shows in northern Utah for years, but when the family migrated to Southern Utah, the production did as well, Justin Osmond said. They partnered with Utah Tech University, where the musical was held for two years.

Last year, the family worked with SUU, Iron County and Cedar City to move the production somewhere “a little bit cooler.”

An actor performs at the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, St. George News

“Coming to a new location, a new venue, a new community has been challenging, but everybody in Iron County has welcomed us with open arms,” he said.

Justin Osmond said the celebration has been a “labor of love” and that he’s made “so many wonderful friends” during the process. Rehearsals began this week, and he said he was excited to get to know the young actors.

“My goal is that the kids will walk away with a burning desire and testimony of wanting to get to know their pioneer ancestors better,” he said. “And as they get to know them and their stories that they’ll walk away never taking for granted all the wonderful blessings that we have today.”

Because the event is free, Justin Osmond said the production relied on community sponsors and donors.

“We are so excited to announce that we have been able to raise the money thanks to all of our amazing, wonderful sponsors whom we could not have done without,” he said, adding that Canyon Media, the parent company of Cedar City News and St. George News, is the event’s exclusive media sponsor.

Ben Lindquist, Canyon Media’s general manager, said Pioneer Day holds a “special place” in Utahns’ hearts.

Fireworks light up the sky at the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Legacy Celebration, St. George News

“Much of what makes Utah great is the pioneer spirit of hard work and resilience,” he said. “Many people forget what our pioneers went through to settle and establish communities years ago. Justin Osmond and his team have gone to great lengths to capture that in a Pioneer Day celebration that will be entertaining and inspiring.

“I think the more we can remember where we came from and celebrate those who made the convenience and comforts we enjoy today, the better off we are. As a company that focuses on our local community, we jumped at the chance to be a part of this event.”

Other sponsors include the Leavitt Group Insurance, Boulevard Home Furnishings, Visit Cedar City-Brian Head, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, Southwest Plumbing Supply, Cedar City Events, Albertson’s Companies, Enoch City, Steamroller, Cedar City Children’s Musical Theatre, Zion State Storage, Cache Valley Bank and City Center Sound and Stage.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, once production costs are met. The nonprofit aims to benefit the “deaf community by Bringing Music to their Ears,” the Pioneer Legacy Celebration states on its website. Southern Utahns can also learn more about the production via the site.

“Hopefully, this will be a new family tradition that everybody can look forward to on the 24th of July,” Justin Osmond said.

Event details:

What: Pioneer Legacy Celebration

When: Wednesday, July 24, beginning at 7 p.m.

Where: SUU’s Eccles Coliseum Stadium, 99 S. 1100 W., Cedar City

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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