Weeks of work will be put to the test on Monday, when hundreds of Emporia school district children gather at the Civic Auditorium for their first mass rehearsal for the 71st Annual Seasonal Celebration.
The program brings together choirs made up of sixth-graders through high-school seniors, band and orchestra students, dancers, tableaux casts, readers, narrators, lighting and audio worker and a host of behind-the-scenes workers that include students and education staff members, as well as the school district and city maintenance staffs.
““One person can’t know it all; one person can’t do it all,” said Indy Dambro, general chairman for the production. “Every year, it’s refreshing to see that there’s good people, good kids coming up to take over.”
The city staff, Dambro said, juggles the W.L. White Auditorium’s busy athletics and meetings schedule around the rehearsals and programs, making sure that tableaux props, chairs, decorations and other Celebration equipment is available and in place as needed.
Like the other “good people, good kids” who rise up each year to take the place of people who have graduated or moved on, Dambro came in several years ago to replace Harry Hart, who had coordinated the program for years before his retirement. Dambro’s job is to coordinate all of that, according to Nancy Horst, community relations director.
“It's a huge amount of coordination of time, equipment, lighting, sound, chairs, risers, moving instruments, etc.,” Horst said. Much of that work is done on-site at the civic building.
Away from the auditorium, the musicians have been practicing separately in their schools.
“Everybody does their own rehearsals and it all comes together,” Dambro said. “It’s an amazing process.”
Rehearsals at White Auditorium will begin on Monday; a second, full-dress rehearsal at noon on Tuesday will be open to the public at no charge.
Flash cameras and lighted video recorders will be allowed at the public rehearsal on Tuesday, but will not be allowed at the nighttime performances on Wednesday and Thursday. The Seasonal Celebrations will begin at 7:30 p.m. each evening. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and no one will be admitted after the program begins.
Admission is $2 for adults and school-aged children. Pre-school children will be admitted free. No tickets are required.
The program will feature holiday music from around the world. Sign-language interpreters will be at the programs both nights, and a section will be reserved for the hearing impaired.
In consideration of performers and the rest of the audience, those who attend are asked not to talk during the performance. More information about the program may be had by calling Horst at 341-2213.
Those in charge of the production in addition to Dambro are: Lyle Klamm, production supervisor; Melinda Flohr, high school orchestra; Sheree Stoppel, high school vocal music; Robert Haselhuhn, high school band; Helen Williams, sixth-grade vocalists; Pam McGuire, middle school vocalists; Kelly Payton, middle school orchestra; Sue Seeman, Virgilene Swift and Emilia Chiroy, accompanists; Sally Sanchez, choreography; Amanda Vannocker, costumes and tableau; and Jayne Duncan, Clara Marie Largent, Basil Kessler and Kathy Weidner, sign language interpreters.
“It will be a good show that everybody will want to come to,” Dambro said. “It is traditional and it will stay traditional.”
hjcary (anonymous) says...
It is such a crime they call this the "71st Annual Seasonal Celebration." When in actuality it is the 14th Annual Seasonal Celebration because Christmas 1993 is when it changed to the Seasonal Celebration. It is not the program it was when my mom was in it as a child nor I when I was in it. I refused to participate in it my senior year since it was no longer a Christmas program. Once they took out the Christmas part of the program I figured it was not worth all the missed class time to participate. My grades were worth more then some production that draws people away from the true meaning of Christmas. Back to my point is that it is neither what it was 71 yrs ago nor what it was just 15yrs ago.
December 9, 2006 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KansasRadical (anonymous) says...
jhcary-You are pathetic. If the program has any type of public funding involved then religion has NO place in it....PERIOD. Freedom of and from religion is not just the freedom to be any denomination of Christianity, it means all religions. Any TRUE American would see that. You should read up on Justice Hugo Black's stance on the division between church and state; he said it best. Happy HOLIDAYS!
December 9, 2006 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lincoln (anonymous) says...
For 71 years, students from all the schools in
Emporia -north, south, east, and west- have come together in a joyful, unified community celebration of hope and rebirth. The tradition and thrill of community singing is a global phenomena, running across beliefs, cultures and across time. The voices of children makes it even more poignant. I was either in or attended the beautiful old Christmas Program from 1953 - 1967 and then intemittently whenever I was back home and I can hardly wait to be there Thursday for the latest version of a powefully wonderful tradition.
December 9, 2006 at 5:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hjcary (anonymous) says...
I agree that it's a beautiful production I am just saying it should say the 14th annual instead of the 71st. It is desrespectful to the old program. They are not the same program.
December 9, 2006 at 6:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nannergirl (anonymous) says...
I don't think it matters that this program has changed over the years, it just shows how our society has changed as well. I was in this program from 1999-2005 and attended for many years when I was younger. Even in the last few years in which I have been in this program, I have seen drastic changes. This is still a wonderful, beautiful program that allows people of our community to unite in a common theme of peace and hope. I can't wait to go watch the program this year.
December 11, 2006 at 1:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
andierine (anonymous) says...
I just love how hjcary is so narrow minded and focused on only HIS beliefs and how the name change affects HIM and people like HIM. Grow up. It is 2006, and thakfully our society has chosen to be more accepting of all people and all religions. The program used to be good, but now it is fantastic because it doesn't exclude those who don't fit your rigid mold. Happy Holidays everyone, whatever you believe. Be thankful that people like hjcary are dwindling in numbers, and we can live in a country that puts more value on human rights than nostalgia.
December 11, 2006 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TaterSalad (anonymous) says...
Yes, and isn't it wonderful that we live in a country where we are free to discuss such things and where everyone has right to express their opinions?
In my opinion, I couldn't care less what they want to call the program.
December 11, 2006 at 2:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dalelinn (Dale Linn) says...
Well, good to know we still have the same closed-minded people represented by hjcary here in Emporia. If ya' haven't noticed, not ALL of the kids in the Seasonal Celebration celebrate CHRISTMAS. It's called a PUBLIC school. Not EVERYONE in this country is christian, did ya know that? It is because of ignorant people like you that failure of understanding and respect just does not exist anymore.
December 13, 2006 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
EsqEB (anonymous) says...
Oxen, hjcary is not saying it should be called The Christmas Program, she/he just said it should not be the 71st Winter Celebration since it was completely changed to accomodate other religions/non-denomination in 1993. It stopped being the Christmas program, and became the Winter Celebration.
Nice to see we still have closed minded, illiterate people represented by oxen in Emporia. Read before you post.
December 13, 2006 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hjcary (anonymous) says...
THANK YOU EsqEB! It is nice to see that one person read my post. That is exactly what I was saying. They changed the program so it should have become the 1st annual seasonal celebration in 1993. That is all. Period. I did not mean to start a "bash all the Christians thread".
December 13, 2006 at 1:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JD_number_07 (anonymous) says...
It doesn’t matter what other people believe or how they choose to celebrate the holidays, whether it's the Seasonal Celebration or the Christmas Program, it only matters what you believe. That being said, on December 23rd, I will be celebrating Festivus. It is that special time of year when the family gathers around the aluminum pole for feats of strength. As I’m going to be out of town on Saturday, I would like to get my airing of greivenous out of the way now.
1. People who argue about the “War on Christmas” when there is a real war to argue about.
2. Coworkers who wear too much perfume. You know who you are.
3. Midgets.
4. That for being one of the “best” shows on TV, nothing ever happens on LOST.
5. Head On commercials.
Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, and Merry Festivus everyone!
December 22, 2006 at 3:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
EsqEB (anonymous) says...
Man I hate those Head On commercials. But their product is amazing.
December 26, 2006 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )