The Singing Christmas Tree

I think we may have just found a new Christmas tradition!  On December 9th Jenn and I took the boys to First Baptist Church Orlando’s rendition of The Singing Christmas Tree.  Neither of us had ever been before and had no idea what to expect, but for sure it wasn’t what we got!  Before the show even began they offered an opportunity to walk the town of Bethlehem, set up in an outside area of the church complete with pigs, lambs, chicken, rabbits, donkeys…and people dressed in period costumes play the parts of individuals from the original Christmas Story.  Mary approached us to tell us about a dream she’d had; a couple of Roman soldiers asked if we were there for the census.  As we explored the “town” a young man played silent night in the background on an acoustic guitar.

Those of you who have never experienced the Singing Christmas Tree should definitely check it out.  A colleague of mine participated in the one in Portland, OR, but I never went, and now I really wish I had.  At first Baptist there are 300 choir members arranged as Christmas bulbs in two 45′ Christmas trees adorned with 250 THOUSAND lights that light up in coordination with the different songs being performed.  As amazing as all of that is, there’s more!  A team of actors tells the back story of the first Christmas as it affects their life in today’s world.  There are Christmas gift boxes filled with life-size toys that spring into action, professional quality singers who blow the doors off the place, and a final act that brings all those live animals we first saw in the town of Bethlehem onto the stage, including a huge camel.  The boys loved every minute of it.  During one scene where a dozen or more toy soldiers came marching out of gift box big enough to hold only four of them Ian exclaimed, “Where are they all coming from?!”  before he realized there was a false back in the box.  Later, as we took a quick bathroom break he said, “This is FUN!”  What a great night!