Dancing Dottie: CHRISTMAS PLAYS, CONCERTS, AND GATHERINGS

On November 26 we went to the Orlando Repertory Theatre and saw a magical new holiday musical, True North. It is the first time we have ever gone to this theatre. The show was at 1 o'clock and it was full of children. The show was about a father who was deployed at Christmas and gave his son a compass. Your true north is where your heart is. The undisclosed location the father is sent to ends up being a camp near the North Pole. the father ends up getting lost at Santa's workshop. I think the story was over most of the children's head and was a little heavy for Christmas.

The father does make it home for Christmas with some help from the elves. The show was very good with great choreography and singing. We enjoyed it.

On December 2 we went to the Sonnentag Theatre at the Ice House in Mount Dora. They always do a great show. This play was called Five Golden Rings : A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical. It was really cute. A spoof about Hallmark shows ( I actually think we saw it). The gentleman who played Chris (Santa) and the little girl were excellent.

Saturday evening Teena, a neighbor, and I went to the Clermont Performance Art Center for Lessons and Carols. This is about the 5th time I have gone.

Ben Gulley and Callie Day opened the program singing The Prayer. They also sang Ave Marie and O Holy Night. WOW

After each lesson was read, scripture from the Bible, the Montverde choir sang. This is what Christmas is all about.

On December 11 after church Celebrate Recovery leadership had a pot luck lunch. Sherry made a cute candy tree.

At 2 o'clock the choir put on a Christmas cantata. Pastor Doug welcomed everyone to the program.

The choir had musicians accompany them. There was a harp, flute, oboe, french horn, trumpet, violin, cello, and drum, and of course the piano and organ. It was really a beautiful program.

We went to Cooper Library on Wednesday, December 8 and sang Christmas songs with the Retro Ramblers. Meant to go on the 13th to hear Plantation Brass but forgot to go.

December 14 we went to Epcot for the Candlelight Processional. We went at 3 for the 5:15 show. There was a very long line waiting to get seats. We didn't think we would get in, but we did. The program began with the 50 piece orchestra playing music.

Then the Voices of America formed the singing Christmas Tree. They sounded beautiful.

Then the choir processional filled up the stage.

Gloria Estefan was the celebrity narrator, recounting the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. It was the first time she has been the narrator. She said the hardest part was not singing along with the choir.

It is a very beautiful program.

Friday evening, Dec. 16, we had a progressive dinner with three of our neighbors. Juanita and Earl had appetizers at their house. Then we went to Sharon's and Lance's for salad. We had the soup course at our house, and we ended at Jan's and Tom's for dessert. It was fun seeing how everyone had decorated their homes for Christmas and sharing about our Christmas traditions. It was a nice evening of food and fellowship.

Merry Christmas to all.

Dec. 22 Larry took me on a date night to Gaylord Palms to see Cirque-styled Christmas show. Before we went to the show we walked around and saw the decorations.

The show is in the courtyard and began with lights and music.

The show was about a child dismayed by the holidays and trying to recapture her lost love of the season. she is visited by a spirits to help her bring back the feeling of Christmas.