Tonight at the Palestine Community Theatre was the premier for "Christmas Gifts", an original Christmas musical by Jamie Waldon King. And with apologies to Ms. King, I was prepared for a rather maudlin rehashing of the same old themes of every holiday play ever performed by local theater. I say apologies because I was wrong. (I know...when you've recovered from your faint read on.)There were several strong elements in the script which lifted it above the norm. It dealt with teen pregnancy, adoption, divorce, gossip, disaffection, even blossoming romance, and all within a context of Christmas and Christian faith that didn't bang you over the head with a club. Okay, there were brief moments, but hey, it's a Christmas play in East Texas. Give 'em a break.
The story moves well between overlapping vignettes set in a small community. Each story line is connected in more than one strand to the others. For example, the story of the "unwed teen-aged mother" played by Sarah Ellison was not preachy, but touching, real, and compassionate. Sarah, one of the several standout performers, played to part boldly but with pathos. She wonderfully showed a young woman making hard choices as a result of a bad choice. She wasn't perfect, nor were her choices, but they were real. She also sang beautifully. The acting of her mother (Terri Warren) was also very good, showing acceptance without condoning. Terri, coming off some illness, struggled with some of her songs, but her strong voice carries through.
A young couple in the play and in life were Matthew Raybin and Shannon Smith. I have nothing but praise for their performances. I have watched each of them grow from children to adults in that theater and their talents grow with every performance. They shone with confidence, maturity, and complexity of character not often seen in actors of their age. Sure of their performances even when their characters were unsure. Wonderful. Their singing was spot on. Again, improving every time I see them perform. I can't wait for their next appearance.
Always a pleasure to watch and hear was O
livia Santone. She has a range of characters that is remarkable for one so young. And in that, her age is hard to pin down. She can play a teenage or an adult with equal aplomb. Her singing is always strong and full of passion.
There were many other actors that did fine jobs, although most were simply good to okay. There's no shame in that, of course. There were times where songs were sung in different keys- at the same time; or out of sync. And especially complex number at the beginning seemed to get away from them. Once that happens it's really hard to rein it back in. The singing of some of the actors was the biggest problem and the greatest strengths. Of course the gum chewing teenaged chorus member was a real distraction to me. That's a balance hard for any director. The dancers were a very nice addition to the numbers where they participated.
Two things more I must mention. First, I was disappointed in that canned music was used. I fully understand. This time of year especially, live musicians are in hot demand for churches, schools, parties, dance recitals, this, that, and the other. In this case, pre-recorded music was probably the only good alternative, but it is still one of the very few times it has been used at PCT.
Second and lastly, a beautiful surprise by the name of Zaylee King. Her part was not large, but it was important. She sang with the voice of an angel and the face to match. Placed near the end of the "Nativity Sequence", she was a sweet blessing to the ear and eye and brought a nice closure to the piece.
Strong story, well designed and constructed sets, well done costumes and staging. I would recommend this for anyone looking for solid family oriented holiday entertainment. But hurry-- there are only two more performances.
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