2025 Nativity Concerts

DRESS REHEARSAL INFORMATION

IMPORTANT — PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS INFORMATION

It's time! Our full and final dress rehearsal is Friday night, beginning at 6 pm. PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS, as it contains very important information. Cast and parents—please discuss these items together so that everything can be taken care of appropriately.

SCHEDULE

We have a very intense schedule over the next 9 days.

Full Dress Rehearsal: Friday, December 5, 6 pm until very late (this could easily be midnight or even 1 am or later). I'm not kidding. There is no end time because we have a lot to do, and we'll be done when everything has been taken care of. We will try to be as efficient as possible, but we will go very, very late.

We are performing 18 numbers, and this is a very tech-heavy show, with microphones, fog, lights, staging, etc. We have to go over all of the songs with all of the tech elements, set things, see what works, fix things, and then do it again. That all takes time, and we only have the ability to fully rehearse on the stage and in the space this one time. So we'll go very late.

We will have food (dinner) and bottled water for the cast. We also invite parents to bring snacks and treats (both healthy and energy-producing) to share with the group. There will be quite a bit of down-time while others are working on their numbers or while we are addressing tech requirements throughout the evening. Having snacks and other treats will help, so please contribute if you can. There are 37 people in the cast. It is a big show.

Call time is 6 pm. We'd like to actually start rehearsing at 6 pm. So please BE ON TIME. Maybe come a few minutes early. :-) If you have an instrument that requires setup time, please come early enough to be ready to go at 6 pm. For the Band and soloists who use them: DO NOT FORGET YOUR IN-EARS.

We will start in the stage area (the chapel). Please meet there, where you will receive instructions and orientation for the night. Please arrive in Costume 1 (youth) with your stage makeup already applied (everyone) (see below).

We will run individual numbers and work on some of the staging and related requirements first. Then we will walk through the tech side of the show, when everyone will learn where to go and when, what gear and costumes they need at what times, and we will also test out the tech requirements (fog, lights, and sound). Then we will run the whole show from start to finish. Then we will fix things that need fixing. There will be a number of short breaks throughout, and a break for dinner.

Parents: If you'd like to watch the show run-through, you are welcome to sit in, and we'd love the applause and support. But please do not disrupt your kids or any of the production crew while we are rehearsing. During rehearsal, you are not "available parents;" you are simply "audience members." Please sit in the last six rows in the main center section.

Performances: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 11–13, 6 pm call time, 7 pm performances each night. Please invite friends and family. We'd love to fill the hall with a huge audience every night! Historically, we have more and more people each night.

The performance schedule is actually a lot easier than the dress rehearsal schedule. But we still have a lot to do in the hour before each show. So again, please BE ON TIME and ready to go each night by 6 pm.

COSTUMES, COSTUME CHANGES, MAKEUP, and JEWELRY

Nothing in this section should be new information, because we have talked about this at rehearsals. Hopefully, you are already prepared.

Youth have two costumes, except for soloists, who have more.

Youth Costume 1: a modern youth vibe like in the O Come, O Come, Emmanuel video on the Nativity page. Blacks/greys, dark jeans, etc. No sweat pants or leggings, please. Avoid prominent logos. Have fun with the shoes. Be bold.

Youth Costume 2: all white—look like an angel. All white means just that. No other colors. White on white on white. White tops, white bottoms, white shoes.

Light the World Scarves: All of the cast will receive a Light the World scarf, which will be incorporated into the costumes. Everyone will wear a scarf at some point during the show.

Youth Soloist Costumes: This applies only to Lily and Millie. You will want to have something fancy (dresses, probably) for your solos. Either character-related or shiny/bold/fancy, if possible. Make it your own. Enjoy!

Adult Soloist Costumes: Adults, as we have discussed, are on your own for your respective costumes, and we have talked about some of the particulars. Please ask if you have any questions. We are putting on a show! Be bold and loud and have fun with it!

Adult BGV Costumes: If you're on the main stage, you should be in one of your solo costumes. If you are singing BGVs on the rostrum (in the choir seats), the goal is to be heard, but not seen, as much as possible.

The Band Costumes: All black, with a splash of color (red, preferably).

Jewelry: Small studs or small other earrings are fine. No watches or bracelets or necklaces (except soloists, who are free to do whatever they want).

Stage Makeup: We will be under strong lights, which will wash you out and you'll look like Casper the friendly ghost if you don't have stage makeup. Boys and girls, please apply foundation and blush at a minimum. You have to add that color to your faces or you'll shine in not-so-great ways.

Costume Changes: Everyone will have at least one costume change, and sometimes these will be rushed. Some of you will have two or three. There is one green room and no privacy. You will be changing in front of others (boys and girls and adults). So you will need two things to facilitate this:

(1) Bring a bag or small plastic or other box to hold EVERYTHING that is yours. All of your costume elements and personal items will need to fit into your container so that your stuff is always in ONE place where you can find it and access it immediately. Your container will be in the green room.

(2) You will have to wear something under your clothes, especially girls. Compression or other shorts and a tight-fitting shirt or tank top or something that anyone (boys, girls, and/or adults) can see you in. And probably white, because it will have to be under your all-white Costume 2. Again, there is NO PRIVACY for costume changes. Do what you need to in order to feel comfortable changing in front of others.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES:

A few general guidelines:

We have lots of moving parts and lots of people have different and varied responsibilities.

Stay engaged.

Don't distract others.

Listen more than talk.

Don't touch anything that is not yours.

Don't touch equipment and gear unless you've been told to do so.

Gear and equipment do not mix well with food and drink. Food and drink are for the green room only. And don't spill on your costumes (especially your white one).

No gum. Ever.

Cell phones and/or other devices are to be left in the green room, and should be put away during rehearsal and performances. (This does not apply to the Band, who use cell phones for in-ear monitor controls.)

Don't take offense. Ever. You are awesome, and we acknowledge that! Everything we do and say is intended to help make the show better. 

If you have a question, ask it. But make sure your question is relevant and on point.

Have a lot of fun! What we are doing is very cool!

FOR THE BAND (and soloists who use in-ears):

Members of the Band will have set up responsibilities during the hour before performances. We will review those together. You will need to take care of "your" job(s).

You will need to check out your IEM from the mixing booth before each performance. You will need to return it to the mixing booth after each performance. We will go over the protocol for that.

DON'T FORGET YOUR IN-EARS.

It's going to be amazing! Yay! See you Friday! At 6 pm sharp.

John

Music Folders and Production Notes

Click the button below to access the music folders. You can view and download the music for all of our numbers. (You do not need a Dropbox account to access the music.)

Some of the music is still being transcribed. Check back often for additional parts.

Production Notes includes more detailed information about song and instrument assignments and other pertinent information.

Join the Cast for Nativity

If you like what you see here and you want to be involved, please join by entering your contact info. 

YOU SHOULD ADD THE CONTACT INFO FOR THE PERSON WHO WILL RECEIVE THE COMMUNICATIONS. If you are a parent, and you want to receive communication and announcements, please enter once for yourself (including your child's name) and a second time for your child (then you will both receive emails with info).