Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/979664
In the sixth century B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered the ancient Kingdom of Judah and forced large portions of the population into captivity. It is from this period of exile we get wonderful Biblical stories of courage and faith in the face of oppression—the stories of Esther, Daniel, and the tale told in this musical—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Fired Up! is a light-hearted retelling of that tale, but— as always—we tried to include moments of deeper feeling in order to communicate the core message: we follow a loving God worthy of trust—regardless of the circumstances. The 35 minute work is designed for flexible staging with a minimum of props and costumes. Although two major set pieces are required—a golden idol and the mouth of a furnace—the production notes suggest how these can be created simply. We've also included a narration version of the script for groups that would like to present a scaled back "concert" version of the show. The original production was performed by a cast of young people in grades 3 through 8; but we think the musical has enough humor and depth to engage older and younger performers as well. It's a terrific story, and we had great fun finding new ways to tell it. We hope you'll enjoy the work as much as we did. —Tom Long and Allen Pote FOREWORD For Preview Only