HOLIDAY GREETINGS EVERYONE!
I was just speaking with Santa on his cell phone and he is going bonkers with work right now. However, he took time to pass the phone around to Mrs. Santa, the elves and the reindeer so that they could all wish me a Merry Christmas.
Each of them seemed to have something special to say about the artists and music on our "Holiday Pops" concert coming up on Thursday the 6th.
The reindeer seem to like the Duke Ellington version of "The Nutcracker" pieces that we are doing. (I have always suspected them of being jazz-nuts!)
The elves were all crazy about Cheryl Wilson, one of Chicago's great pop singers, who is coming to sing "I Love the Lord", "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "The Christmas Song". I sensed that they all had a crush on her — asking me if I knew her and if I could get autographed photos for them. They were all fans of the movies that she has sung in — "My Best Friend’s Wedding", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and "The Guardian" to name a few.
They are hoping that Santa will bring them along to the concert so that they can all actually meet her!
Dear Mrs. Claus told them to stop being so silly and to give her the phone. She said that she liked the fact that the children from Eisenhower Elementary in Crown Point are coming to sing "All Things Bright and Beautiful". She also shared with me that one of her favorite pieces on the program is "The Best Christmas Of All" because it was written by Jerry Herman for that famous TV special "Mrs. Santa Claus". Go figure, eh?
And then there was Santa himself. He will be arriving on the roof of the Star Plaza Theatre sometime after intermission, and whenever he is ready, will be appearing on stage to bring us all up to date about Christmas. This fall when we were planning everything, he asked if we could perform some gospel music. Also, he was a big fan of Whitney Houston, so we had the piece "I Love The Lord" arranged just for him.
I am glad that we seemed to make those hard-working folks and reindeer at the North Pole happy with our selections. This concert is a unique way for people in our community to come together, celebrate together, reflect on our blessings, consider our values, and enjoy our children — enjoy their hopes and dreams, not only for toys, but for their futures. It was not so long ago that you and I were going to concerts like these with our parents and grandparents, singing the sing-alongs, and remembering those moments forever.
Whether you appreciate and enjoy music from times gone by, like say Carol Of The Bells, or you happen to be moved by When You Believe or O Holy Night, we hope that you, your family, your colleagues, your friends will come be part of our "prepare to be amazed" holiday concert!
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