Every year one of our family traditions is to visit the Singing Christmas Trees at First Baptist Orlando. For those who haven’t been, put simply, you’re missing a real treat.
Last year I blogged about the production and what exactly goes into it (You can visit that here) as every year the wonderful people over at First Baptist come up with a superb stage production that celebrates the birth of Christ. The 2012 version is entitled “Looking For Christmas” and it’s a more contemporary take on the centuries old story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Every year more than 30,000 people attend the show and this year there are just eight performances. 275 choristers sing carols from within the two giant trees, surrounded by decorations and more than 250,000 lights. More than 500 musicians, actors and technicians plan, practice and rehearse the production and at a reported cost of $250,000, the production really does rival holiday shows at Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando.
“Looking for Christmas,” is a modern twist on the biblical story of Jesus’ birth. The show follows Mary and Joseph, who wear contemporary clothing, not the usual period style costumes worn in most Christmas pageants, as they search for a place to rest in Bethlehem.
King Herod is depicted as a businessman while the Wise Men are ambassadors, not kings and instead of spending the night in a stable, the couple ends up in a shed at a seedy motel!
The production at First Baptist Orlando dates back to 1980, when then-Pastor Jim Henry presented the first “Trees” show at the church’s former downtown location and its purpose has always been to attract those who might not otherwise attend a service. It is a really a great way to start the Christmas season and if you’ve not been, you really must go. There are just four performances left this year, one at 7.30pm on 14th December, two at 3pm and 7.30pm on 15th December and a final performance on the 16th December at 5pm.
Below is a preview video and you can obtain the full DVD of Looking For Christmas from the First Orlando at http://www.firstorlando.com/
More photos are at FloridaleisurePhotography.com
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