Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/144439
147 O nl by Deborah Craig-Claar y PRODUCTION NOTES CONCEPT rP re vi ew Christmas is a time of anticipation and expectation. We count the days and mark our calendars; we remember Christmases past and await those yet to come. Our contemporary Christmas is bridged with the joyous anticipation of those who experienced the very first Christmas. One can feel the excitement of the Old Testament prophets as they write of the coming Messiah. We marvel at Mary's breathless anticipation when she learns she will bear the Son of God. We share the shepherds' joyous response to the angelic host who brought the news that Christ has been born – and Christmas has come! Yet just like that sleepy town of Bethlehem long ago, we can become so immersed in the waiting and preparation for Christmas that we miss the wonder right outside our door. Christmas is coming…but will we be there? The answer is surely yes – if we allow the Child of Christmas to wake the child asleep inside each of us. And that's a reason to sing for joy! Fo Christmas Is Coming is a musical that will both challenge the audience and offer an opportunity for joyous celebration. Two hosts, functioning as both worship leaders and narrators, lead us through the musical, inviting us to participate in song, reflection, and worship. Beloved carols, new worship songs, and powerful Scriptures are woven together with the sounds and sights of the season. With these production notes, we hope to spark your own creative ideas in bringing the birth of Jesus Christ to life. Although Christmas Is Coming is designed to be a cover-to-cover presentation, there is also enough flexibility in the musical so that you can add additional elements to customize the presentation especially for your ministry and community. NARRATORS/Worship Leaders The narration in Christmas Coming is divided between two adults - preferably a male and female. They can be of varying ages, as long as their voices are compatible. (Consider casting a woman with a higher-pitched voiced and a man with a lower-pitched voiced, or vice versa.) Most important, both narrators need to have warm, conversational speaking styles. Choose narrators that are comfortable in leading congregational worship. (If you feel you don't have such individuals, you could have the narration and worship leading performed by different people.) Over the years I have noticed that the major difficulty