Brief: A Christmas drama (with a BIG finish).
Performance: Lilydale Seventh-day Adventist Church Carols Program - December 13, 2014
Performance: Lilydale Seventh-day Adventist Church Carols Program - December 13, 2014
[Presenter] Welcome to chapter five of Christmas Made Easy, I’m your host, Ray Martin.
In this chapter we’re discussing how to run a successful Christmas carols program.
One of the simplest ways to build the ambience of your carols program is by adding Christmas lights. But make sure you don’t overload the power board by using too many lights.
[Assistant 1] Walks in while presenter is talking, is all tangled up in lights and, as kneeling down at back of stage, a camera flash and party popper goes off after presenter finishes paragraph. Assistant walks off waving hand as if clearing smoke.
[Presenter] The crowd favourite of a carols evening is often a children’s item. Consider including at least one children’s musical item to add a cute factor to the event, but remember - choose children who are not only cute, but musical too.
[Assistants 2 & 3] walk on while presenters speaking, and count to three and blow their recorders hard/piercing, one tone, to the rhythm of the first line of jingle bells. Bow, walk off.
[Presenter] To mix up the program you could include some poetry.
[Assistant 1] Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin flew away....(cut off)
[Presenter] BUT!.... make sure it’s high class poetry.
[Assistant 1] (slow and Shakespeare like) Jingle belleth, Batman smelleth, robyn fleweth away....eth
[Presenter] You could also consider including a drama in the program (points back to actors).
(Assistants mimic presenter in turns, like a mirror in a mirror in a mirror)
[Assistant 1] You could also consider including a drama in the program.
[Assistant 2] You could also consider including a drama in the program.
[Assistant 3] You could also consider including a drama in the program.
[Presenter] OK! That’s enough!
[Assistant 1] OK! That’s enough!
[Assistant 2] OK! That’s enough!
[Assistant 3] OK! That’s enough!
[Presenter] (glares) ...Are you done?
[Assistant 1] I'm done!
[Assistant 2] I'm done!
[Assistant 3] ...we’re done!
[Presenter] You might also want to include some audience participation,
[Assistant 1] Ok people, we’re going to have a second coming drill. Can I hear you all shout Hallelujah!.....I can’t hear you, Hallelujah!!..... that’s better, one more time so heaven can hear, HALLELUJAHHH!!!....
[Presenter] If you’re planning on holding the carols program outdoors, make sure sure you have a contingency plan for if it starts to rain.
Assistants on stage squirt water into audience, three swordsmen squirt audience from sides and back also.
[Presenter] There will no doubt be many memorable moments in a Christmas carols program, but to really finish off the program, it is most important to have an awesomely grand finale so people can leave on a high.
Something spectacular, something moving, something unexpected.
Little Girl walks out, holds up a triangle, does a ‘Ding’, and smiles.
[Presenter] [looks at kid] that was hardly an awesomely grand finale...
Little girl looks down and all sad.
[Mjr Encouragement] blows whistle and marches onto stage and gives the team a “Come on” whistle.
[Assistants] Thank you Major Encouragement
[Mjr Encouraging] signs off and marches to back of stage.
Assistant 2 goes over to presenter and whispers, waves arms around as if talking about doing something big, then walks back to other assistants.
[Presenter] [hesitant, sighs] Ok.... this will be interesting. To really finish of the program, it is most important to have an awesomely grand finale so people can leave on a high.
Something spectacular, something moving, something.... unexpected.
Little Girl holds up a triangle, does a ‘Ding’, - Music starts, at the building finale of ‘O Fortuna’
Stanza 1: Assistants march around the little girl raising and lowering their hands in time with the music
Stanza 2: Assistants lift up little girl and slowly spin her around their head
Stanza 3: Assistants put little girl down and start to secretly change her into a princess dress at back of stage while attention is drawn toward 3 sword fighting men running on stage yelling and fighting
Stanza 4: sword fighters all stagger and ‘die’ and end up on hands and knees, in a row, for the pyramid
Stanza 5: Assistants 1 and 2 climb on the three men, while assistant 3 secretly light two sparklers, Mjr Encouragement helps little girl climb the pyramid and stand at the top
Stanza 6 Final note: Assistants reveal sparklers out the side of the pyramid, little girl holds up the triangle, waiting for the music to end Music ends: “ding” goes the triangle.
[Presenter] [pauses to wait for any applause to end, (if that happens)]
... I guess that will have to do.
Well that’s all we have time for in this episode. In our next episode of Christmas Made Easy we’ll be looking at 27 alternatives to wearing a Santa hat while baptising someone on Christmas day.
Thanks for watching, I’m Ray Martin.