I Need Christmas Concert Help! - 2007/09/25 12:23As many of you know I am a great lover of Christmas and once again it is time for me to start working on an elementary christmas concert. But for the first time in my life I can't decide on a theme!
I pride myself on my holiday concerts. This is the time I usually write/put together something myself rather than doing a pre-written production. I hate the traditional parade of musical numbers that most schools do and work hard to choose a theme that will allow me to connect everything together.
For example, last year was my "Tracking Santa" piece, which was a mock news broadcast as NASA technology tracked Santa's progress around the world. I had two grade 8 students playing news anchors and the other younger students played field reporters in various countries, who shared the origins of various carols as well as some of the traditions for different countries (so we got some education in there too). It was extremely well received. Even though the "Christmas Around The World" idea is pretty overdone, the mock broadcast aspect of it was what made it work.
Originally the next show idea I had on the backburner was "A Dysfunctional Family Christmas", complete with a hip hop dance routine to the Smashmouth version of "Nuttin' For Christmas" but the school I am working with this year is in a more religious neighborhood and I think they may better appreciate something more traditional.
While I have a few other theme ideas, I'm struggling to find something that will allow me to weave music in with acting and possibly dance to make a more cohesive show. Since I need to write this myself and really should be starting rehearsals in the next few weeks, I really need to get moving.
Here are the things I've been thinking of:
- News Exposé: A Look Inside The Real Santa's Workshop (but I can only think of 2 songs that will fit so far) - Christmas Variety Hour (basically a parody of any of those old variety shows, featuring Christmas songs originally from TV and movies - but I'm worried about the possible cheese factor) - Christmas on Broadway (which I have been wanting to do forever, but can't think of a storyline to link things together)
I'd love to hear some opinions: Do any of these themes jump out at you? Is there a great idea I'm missing? Any ideas for solving the problems I am having with each of these potential themes?
I really want to get started on this, but I'm having a brain block.
Post edited by: triplethreat, at: 2007/09/25 12:27_____________ Kris MTA Admin
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
lilmissbroadway
User Supporting Player
Posts: 234
Karma: 0
Re:I Need Christmas Concert Help! - 2007/09/25 16:38For the Broadway one you could have someone playing a dicrector and the rest are preformer or crew andwhatnot and they're all spazzing over putting on thier show? It just kind of popped into my head..... I hope whatever you do for this works Kris!I Rent a Wicked apartment on Avenue Q! (Unfortunatly, it's haunted by a Phantom) Sarah
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
alto3
User Newbie
Posts: 16
Karma: 0
Re:I Need Christmas Concert Help! - 2007/09/25 22:53So automatically when I saw this I thought of these jazz Christmas peices I did in college choir Christmas thing, and they were the sweetest things. So then I thought about it a little at work, and you could do a 20's themed jazz Christmas with some sort of mystery to be solved. Like, someone kidnapped Mrs. Clause, or stole the Christmas tree decorations - who knows? And then you could have an investigator guy, and whenever he's on stage an A Dorian bass line would play, and it would be all jazzy and sexy (in musical terms only). So, if you'd like I could scan you the music of these peices or get you the names/cover information (if you don't like scanning music, and buying instead). There's "No place like home for the holidays" (really fun - hard, but fun! our choir teacher seriously thought he had rehersed it with us, and it came to one of the last rehersals and he couldn't believe we didn't know our parts but we were like "Mr Dosso, we've never done this before". So he settled that he had rehersed it in his mind at least. So funny. off track). The other one is a medly of a whole bunch of Christmas tunes like "I saw three ships come sailing in", "God rest ye marry gentlemen", "fum fum fum" and I think "O Holy night" is in there too. We didn't do the whole thing, cause of the way the profs wrote the Christmas musical. But they did a sweet swing dance to "Fum fum fum". But yeah, if you'd like that music I have the choral stuff. Hope this inspires you if nothing else! Good luck!Carrying the Banner, Kendra
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
I'm a kindergarten teacher and one of the children's favorite books is "How Santa got His Job," by Stephen Krensky.
While you don't have to follow the book, it claims that Santa tried out lots of jobs before he found the perfect one for him. He was a postman, but he liked delivering the packages in the middle of the night, so he got fired. He was a zookeeper, but he was too partial to the reindeer, so he got fired. He worked in a circus as the human cannonball, but he had to much fun doing that and didn't act scared enough. While he was in the circus he made friends with the elves, and the rest (as they say) is history.
This might be a good idea to play with ---what other jobs could santa do?
There's also a book (can't remember the title--I think it's "Who Will Pull Santa's Sleight Tonight?) where the reindeer are all sick, so Santa holds auditions for who is going to replace them on Christmas Eve! None of the auditionees are any good, and most of them are entirely silly! Mrs. Santa saves the day by making hot chocolate or chicken soup for the reindeer and they get well in time to do the job.
Hope these ideas give you some inspiration!
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
i once did a christmas pageant where i used How the Grinch Stole Christmas and added the more traditional christmas carols at certain points in the narration. it really worked and was received really well. and... the kids had such a good time doing it. it may sound strange to add the traditional "religious" songs to Dr. Seuss and/or basic even. but if you are interested in my script, let me know.
there is also a book called Dream Snow by Eric Carle. It is about "santa" and snow and some farm animals....... again, there are perfect places in the narration where you can tie in songs.
off the book....
one year, in a group i sing with for christmas-time, we did a theme where personal stories tied into the songs we sang (which was a mix of religious/popular). we were all adults, but i am sure kids have great christmas memories that you can use to create something fabulous!They call me Jessica (like: They call me lady luck... lol)
Favorite roles:
Eva Peron, Evita; Jack's Mother, Into the Woods; Sonia, Godspell; Anything Goes, Reno Sweeney; Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors; Catherine, Pippin
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
triplethreat
Admin Admin
Posts: 1192
Karma: 24
Re:I Need Christmas Concert Help! - 2007/09/27 17:55Thanks everyone, the ideas do help a lot. I hadn't thought of using a book as a jumping off point so I will start looking at some of the great ones I have.
alto3 - I'm not sure my primary kids would be able to handle your college jazz pieces, but thanks for the offer!
I'm going to do some more thinking and I'll let you know what I decide! (And any other ideas are still welcomed! I can always save them for another year.)_____________ Kris MTA Admin
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
Stemming from the "variety show" idea - I've decided on a "behind the scenes" look at a 1940s holiday radio show. We can weave in stories and music as well as main characters such as the show host, and doing a little research about how sound effects, etc were done back then will add some visual interest. I would love to create a character very reminiscent of Stuart Maclean... the parents will love it.
Still working out how to choose/fit in the music as this one could really contain just about anything...
Now I've gotta find some old transcripts to get some more inspiration. So happy I can finally get started! _____________ Kris MTA Admin
| | The administrator has disabled public write access.
