Cast learns to RELY on God

“Plans Interrupted,” An Evening in December 2009, was suitably titled. From the audience’ perspective they witnessed a story unfold of a young couple with their lives all planned out. “Sarah,” witnessing the famous kickline of the Radio City Rockettes, planned to make her Broadway debut, but discovered instead an unexpected pregnancy. And thus “A Baby Changes Everything.”

But unknownst to the audience, our cast and crew experienced a parallel storyline, and with our show all planned out, discovered several unexpected surprises.

Weeks prior to the show,

An Evening in December 2009 – milestone

The cast hit its first milestone today: the first full-cast run throughs. What’s so significant about this milestone?

It’s about the separate groups coming together for the first time this year. Prior to today, each group has worked separately during their own time slots. The actors, the kids, the adult choir, the youth and adult choreography team, and of course the elegant and dedicated dance companies all work separately during the week.

But today, all these groups met for the first time during the 6-hour full-cast run through.

There was the expected chaos, confusion, and cacophony. But we ran through the show twice, as planned.

John felt the actors were right on schedule with their characterizations. Let me just introduce a few today (and if I don’t mention you today, don’t get your shorts in a bunch.) The two child actors, Caleb Telander and Heather Plastow, will have the audience giggling at their inane stunts. Jeff Greenfield does his usual masterful turn with a key role. And all the actors believe that some major admiration must go to Laura Voska. The audience will fall in love with her lead role “Sara” as she draws them into her storyline.

Want to know more? Visit the Web site: aneveningindecember.com

Friends – Michael W. Smith

Music: Michael W. Smith
Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can’t believe the hopes he’s granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say “Never”
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long
To live as friends

With the faith and love God’s given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you’ll live in
Is the strength that now you show
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Hope for the Journey

I’ve been good friends with the Raders for some time, and I know they have been blessed with family, friends, health, and a roof over their heads. But those close to them know that their history hasn’t always included all of those blessings. At one time in their lives, they suffered through a dream home that suddenly threatened them with a mold outbreak, creating a life-threatening health nightmare for their family. They lost the house and all their possessions, but thanks to God, they survived through the worst of it. But I’m not here to post that story, just to give context to their latest news.

So it’s with great excitement that I post this link to their latest success story: their “Hope for the Journey” project at
http://www.knprader.com/. In their own words, “the purpose of the site is to provide you with hope, help and encouragement along your life’s journey.”

Enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Christmas Has Been Officially Renewed

by Jesse Smith – “…from the moment Thanksgiving ended I was able to celebrate everything that Christmas is about and I owe it all to my son, Styer.”
And so begins Jesse Smith’s blog entry. Its topic is so fitting to the Behind the Scenes blog, that I didn’t want his entry to become lost in the sea of links.
Jesse has graciously granted me permission to repost this blog in its entirety.

Christmas has been officially renewed!!! Now don’t get me wrong. I have always loved Christmas. I love everything about it. I love being with my family, the lights, the trees, the presents, Santa Claus, the music and, of course, taking time to really appreciate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

But during the last 10-15 years I haven’t really spent much time truly appreciating the season. I think what was really happening was that I had experienced it so many times that I allowed it to lose its youthful excitement. Growing into adulthood and the responsibilities of being a “grown up”, I lost the anticipation of this incredible day. This year from the moment Thanksgiving ended I was able to celebrate everything that Christmas is about and I owe it all to my son, Styer.

Top 10 List from “An Evening in December” 2008

And the top 10 best moments from 2008, that the audience never saw:

10. Watching a herd of men deadlift a grand piano off the stage and back up again.

9. The little boys in kids’ choir trying to do a spellout, getting it wrong (“J – E – S – S – aaaah ! “), then the big big boys in Dance Team inviting the little boys to join them in a “SHOWTIME” circle (awesome role modelling!)

8. The audience’ first reaction to the SNOW, then getting hit with snowballs, then their reaction to “my brother’s a flake!”

7. The entire Van Aken family making memories with Federica and her Center High School friends that she’ll take halfway ‘cross the world.

Director inspires cast to give audience our best EFFORT

When some people hear the words “church play,” they sigh, look for an excuse not to accept their friend’s invitation to attend, and think to themselves “yeah, I’ve seen dozens of church Christmas plays.”

But once they see “An Evening in December” their comments are often “wow, that was unbelievable,” or “are you sure those aren’t professional ringers?” or “that was incredible, that was better than (fill in the blank with something familiar like ‘the Nutcracker’ or ‘Music Circus’).”

The cast gets just one chance in front of each audience to tell a brilliantly written story, deliver vocal sounds that will vibrate through to the farthest seat, or execute explosive choreography by Devin LePage, John Plastow, Jennie Johnson, Carolyn Melville, Karla Harris, and Morgan Ortiz.

But when we get that many unprofessionals onstage, how does John inspire us to raise the bar to the highest level? Calling upon his experience with hundreds of productions and passion for excellence, he inspires us with what I call “the director’s message.”
Last run-through, he gave us just six things to remember:

E – is for Energy. I interpreted his comments personally as follows: Overcome my tiredness, overcome the fatigue or the distractions from our work or family life. Give my all.

Full cast runthrough Saturday, 22 days to opening night

Lace up the dance shoes, cinch up the truss (you tenors hitting the high notes), and take one last peek at the script. It’s the milestone all cast members anticipate: the first full cast run through!

It will be a grueling 6-hour session, packed with 250 cast members of all shapes and sizes. Dancers will stretch out in every available aisle, actors will be running through their lines in little nooks, ensembles and soloists will be “me-mai-mah-mo-moo”-ing in every available corner.

It will be a day full of “hurry up and wait” as we try to put all the pieces together. For you first-time cast members, know that it won’t look pretty.

But speaking of looking pretty, the official “An Evening in December” Web site just got a new look and feel, as the Webmaster just completed a redesign.
Check it out at aneveningindecember.com! Oh, yikes, only 22 days until opening night!

like no other before this

John says the 2008 “An Evening in December” will be like none other that came before this one.
Every year he says that, but based on what he’s shared so far, wow, he’s not kidding.
Without spoiling any surprises, just realize that this year you may surprised by the following changes:

• Artistically, throw out everything you have come to expect. Whether you’re a first-time audience member, or a veteran of any of the last 15 productions, just when you think you know what’s coming, be ready for a surprise. Unexpected staging, unexpected plot directions, unexpected shifts in focus will lead to unexpected results for the audience.
• Musically, be prepared for radical surprises in its flow, format, and feel. That means veteran showgoers, who think they can predict the opening number, closing number, and everything between, will be kept guessing to the end.
• Visually, from set design to costumes, nothing that the audience has seen from past productions will be rehashed in this year’s show. Just when you think you know what you’ll see next, the visual will change.

I can tell you this: the previous year’s ten performances spread over two weeks have given way to a new schedule for 2008, just seven performances over one week.

So, if you have someone special in mind to take to the 2008 production of “An Evening in December,” don’t miss out when tickets go on sale in the fall!
And, after the show, let me know if you indeed experienced moments of puzzlement!

Get Your Second Wind

Second.Wind

The phrase “second wind,” according to American Heritage is defined as “a new surge of energy after a period of mental or physical exhaustion.”

Sunday, I witnessed the tight horn licks, straight up and funky rhythm section and spot-on vocals of “Second Wind” the new surge of energy in its 2008 rebirth of