Well, for this editor, that certainly was not the case. Perhaps it was the fact that this production was such a long time in coming. Possibly it was so enjoyable because it was done with a very close friend. Or maybe, seeing those students of mine bring their characters to such life on the stage was so rewarding. For whatever reason, Christmas became an even more magical time that year.
Writing a Christmas musical offers the playwright a chance to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for much longer than the week or so in which we tend to celebrate. For this author, writes and re-writes, workshopping more difficult scenes and composing several original songs took the better part of a year. Being a true lover of Christmas, this task of creating a full-scale production somehow wasn't as awesome in nature since the magic associated with Christmas prevaded each and every thought.
Christmas musicals follow many of the traditional genres of musical theatre like COMEDY, DRAMA or REVUE or a combination of these, however, the subject matter lends itself to a certain magical potential not present in many other types of musicals. A myth or fairy tale could provide a great base for a very entertaining Christmas story. Perhaps inviting characters unique to our own imaginations, like talking snowmen or singing angels inspires a story with a Christmas twist. Even recalling a past Christmas, a unique gift given or someone's selfless act could spark that first glimpse of a new way to look at Christmas. Story ideas can even be quite outrageous! Have you ever thought about having visiting aliens over for Christmas dinner or what it would be like to take a trip to the North Pole and meet Santa Claus? And for as many secular stories and characters that an author might invent there is also a wealth of material surrounding the religious views on Christmas and the story of the birth of Jesus.
Finding Christmas music for your production can actually be quite easy. Many Christmas carols are public domain and may be used freely in an original musical. This is especially helpful if the production is intended for school children and must be rehearsed by the teacher in the classroom. As a composer, Christmas lyrics came very easily as part of my characters' development in my Christmas story. The wealth of Christmas music we enjoy was a true inspiration to the numerous musical styles that became the original songs in my production.
Go To Page: 1 2
