Sing Hosanna! is performing part two of a musical and visual drama that began last year.

The two-hour production, "More Masters Meet the Master … The Illustrated Life of Jesus Christ," will depict the life of Christ from birth through the Ascension.

"We take works of art done by the master artists that depict the life of Christ and basically bring them to life," said Ralph Christy Jr., the group's founder.

During the performance, replicas of the masterpieces will be part of the set, acting as springboards for the dramatic presentations that depict each painting's meaning. Actors will portray characters in the paintings through drama and song.

Last year's endeavor, based on the same premise but featuring different works than this year, was such a success that the group decided to do a similar format this year.

"Our purpose for this production is to convey a message, not just to entertain," said Maxine Smathers, who portrays Mary. "Through this format we can convey the message through dialogue, song, and visually with the paintings."

Smathers has been involved with Sing Hosanna! for 13 years, and this will be the second time she portrays Mary in one of the group's Easter productions."It is always special to be able to tell the story of Jesus' life," she said. "My favorite song is 'I Will Rejoice,' because it is beautiful and speaks of what a joy Jesus was to Mary."Mary's husband, Joseph, is played by Ed Green, who also plays Peter. For Green, participating with Sing Hosanna! is a family affair. His wife and granddaughter are also involved in the production."This show is challenging especially when you are a character who is unkind to Jesus. Last year I was Caiphus and it was really hard to be cruel to Christ even though I was acting," said Green.This year the challenges are more internal as Green tries to capture the essence of Peter."Peter was bold and thought he would be able to testify to his belief in Christ. When Jesus predicts his betrayal not once, but three times, Peter is crushed," explained Green."When it actually happens, it drives the point home that often we think we are strong enough on our own, but we are not."A relative newcomer to Sing Hosanna!, Donna Maddamma thinks that while there are many Easter activities out there, this show is more than entertainment."This production will really give people an appreciation of what really happened. It is not merely a play, it is more of a reality show," she said. "People will leave feeling like they were actually there to witness it personally."Maddamma and her 6-year-old daughter, Stephanie, will take the stage for the second time with Sing Hosanna!. They both appeared in "The Wizard of Oz" last year. "The children in the production are not just learning their lines, they are learning the history behind the story," she said."Ralph makes sure that the younger ones know why they are singing what they are singing and what emotions the paintings are trying to convey and why," she added."Most people will recognize the paintings and which part of the story of Christ they depict, but they will leave with more than just a two-dimensional experience," Maddamma said.