Multiple Grammy Award Winner, Michael Omartian, Attached to Cross and Light - The Movie to Produce the Motion Picture Soundtrack
Michael Omartian, the first record producer to chart #1 hits in three consecutive decades, is attached to produce the motion picture soundtrack for Cross and Light, an international critically acclaimed Christian musical originating in Detroit. Omartian has contributed his talents to over 350,000,000 albums and CD’s sold worldwide as a producer, composer, arranger, artist or musician. With seventeen Grammy nominations including Producer of the Year, Album of the Year and Gospel Album of the Year, Omartian’s attachment to the Cross and Light - The Movie is garnering international recognition and excitement in both secular and Christian circles.
As an arranger and musician, Omartian has worked with artists that include Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Boz Skaggs, Jerry Garcia, Loggins & Messina, Rikki Lee Jones, Alison Krauss, Al Jarreau, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Manhattan Transfer, Tim McGraw, Diana Ross, Michael McDonald, Shania Twain, Julio Iglesias, LeAnn Rimes, Quincy Jones, Keith Urban, George Strait, Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack, Johnny Cash, and many more.
As a producer, some of Omartian's credits include: Rod Stewart, Christopher Cross, Roberta Flack, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Whitney Houston, Amy Grant, Donna Summer, The Imperials, Jermaine Jackson, Janis Ian, Bela Fleck, Stephen Bishop, The Jacksons, Waylon Jennings, Trish Yearwood, Michael Crawford, The Dirt Band, Patty Loveless, Cher, and Cliff Richard.
“Michael is a legend in the music industry! His attachment to our movie project is exactly what we need to get Cross and Light to the world. I’m ecstatic!” Kelly Nieto explained. Nieto had a life-changing vision in 2000 and was inspired to create and produce Cross and Light - one of the most effective and talked-about evangelization tools for the Twenty-first Century. As a convert to Christianity, and co-songwriter and lyricist of the show, Nieto added “Michael’s involved for all the right reasons, to bring Jesus’ love and mercy to a world in desperate need of the truth. The same reason I’ve been working so hard all these years.”
44 Time International Telly Award Winner, Steve Greisen, Attached to Produce Cross and Light - The Musical
Steve Greisen, acclaimed documentary and Christian filmmaker and founder of Exploration Films, a leading distributor of faith and family values-based programming, is also attached to produce and distribute Cross and Light – The Musical. With the recent attachment of multiple Grammy Award Winner, Michael Omartian, to produce the motion picture soundtrack, and Steve Greisen to produce and distribute the film, Cross and Light is launching its fundraising efforts to raise the funding for the movie!
“With Steve’s amazing list of film and distribution success alongside Michael Omartian and his seventeen Grammy nominations including Producer of the Year, Album of the Year and Gospel Album of the Year, this powerhouse team will get Cross and Light to the world. I have no doubts!” Kelly Nieto explained. Nieto had a life-changing vision in 2000 and was inspired to create and produce Cross and Light - one of the most effective and talked-about evangelization tools for the Twenty-first Century. As a convert to Christianity, and co-songwriter and lyricist of the show, Nieto added, “Creating a movie worthy of the greatest love story of all time is possible with these two giants in the industry!’
Greisen’s credits include The Mystery of The Ark of The Covenant, The Search for The Real Mt. Sinai (both narrated by John Rhys-Davies of Lord of the Rings & Indiana Jones fame), In The Hands of The Enemy – America Surrenders an Army (narrated by Brian Dennehy), Journey of Hope-Walking With Hope Through Life’s Valleys ( featuring San Francisco Giants star pitcher Dave Dravecky). Additionally he has produced classics like First Love - A Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers, the popular million selling series Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution, The Gentle Bear Man of Emo, The Master Designer – The Song and most recently Portraits of Colorado – The Making of A Modern American Symphony (featuring 2-time Emmy award winning composer Charles Denler) which in addition to winning six major film festivals was nominated for a Grammy for best music film in 2017.
Omartian, As an arranger and musician, has worked with artists that include Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Boz Skaggs, Jerry Garcia, Loggins & Messina, Rikki Lee Jones, Alison Krauss, Al Jarreau, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Manhattan Transfer, Tim McGraw, Diana Ross, Michael McDonald, Shania Twain, Julio Iglesias, LeAnn Rimes, Quincy Jones, Keith Urban, George Strait, Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack, Johnny Cash, and many more.
As a producer, some of Omartian's credits include: Rod Stewart, Christopher Cross, Roberta Flack, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, Michael Bolton, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Whitney Houston, Amy Grant, Donna Summer, The Imperials, Jermaine Jackson, Janis Ian, Bela Fleck, Stephen Bishop, The Jacksons, Waylon Jennings, Trish Yearwood, Michael Crawford, The Dirt Band, Patty Loveless, Cher, and Cliff Richard.
With over 140,000 in attendance in the United States and Australia, this powerful Broadway-quality production depicting the most defining moments in the Early Church, from Christ’s Passion to Pentecost, is astounding audiences across the country. Created and produced to engage and evangelize to our modern world, this powerful musical and video-surround experience uniquely uses environmental projection technology to project incredible video imagery onto the walls of the church, 150 foot-wide by 30 foot tall, bringing the most pivotal parts of the Gospel to life in unexpected and engaging ways.
Now in its seventh season, Cross and Light opened at Detroit’s famed Music Hall in 2013, where it was met with unexpected praise from secular reviewers and eventually nominated for a coveted Wilde award. David Kiley, Theatrical Reviewer for Encore Michigan, said, “Cross and Light feels very rooted in evangelizing the Good News of the Gospels in a big, theatrical way…(the production is) powerful evangelism and theater combined into a unique faith experience.”
Remaining tickets are now on sale for three weekends of this one-of-a-kind experience. Tickets range in price from $10 - $50 and can be purchased online at www.crossandlight.com/tickets. The show is open to the public and is suitable for children 8 and over. Seats are limited and remaining tickets are still available.
Performance Dates:
March 15-17, 2019; St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, IL; Melinda Bernhard 630-232-0124 X126
March 23-25, 2019; St. Gerard in Lansing, MI; Nicole Baumer; 517-599-0677
June 8, 2019; CenturyLink Center; Archdiocese of Omaha NE; Carrie Kline; 803-429-6979
Contact: Kelly Nieto, creator, songwriter, and producer of Cross and Light, is available for interviews by calling 248-444-1034 or emailing kelly@crossandlight.com.