Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 14-20, 2018 UCW 15 STEPHANIE CRIDER, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. 'The Heart of Christmas Show' celebrates 20 years of entertaining and giving by STEPHANIE CRIDER COVER STORY For the past 20 years, the Heart of Christmas Show has warmed hearts and spread joy, embracing everything good and fun about the holidays. e show takes place the weekend after anksgiving, and without fail, it puts the community in the Christ- mas spirit, celebrating everything about the season – from ugly Christmas sweaters to peace on Earth and baby Jesus. Saturday, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 25, head to the Crown for one of the community's most heartfelt and inspired productions. Keeping things fresh from year to year while main- taining all the audience favorites falls squarely on the shoulders of the show's founder, Laura Stevens. Last year, she changed about half of the show. is year, she's done some more tweaking. "I went about this year's lineup by thinking by about what got us here," she said. "I have brought back a few (num- bers) from the past. "I have listened to our sponsors, performers, par- ents and audiences and tried to get all the favorites in the show and still add some new elements." e format remains the same, though. e first half of the show is lively and lighthearted – think snow- men, gingerbread, Christmas trees and more. e second half embraces the true meaning of Christmas with traditional songs like "Silent Night," "O' Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Mary Did You Know?" Among the new elements are what Stevens called a very funny ugly sweater Christmas song that she predicts will be a crowd favorite. She also added a 1950s medley. "at style is a lot of fun," she said. "In the second half, in the manger scene, I am going for what I think might be one of the most beautiful man- ger scene moments you have ever seen – including angels. It is a big moment with a ton of meaning. "If you've never seen HOC, you owe it to yourself to see what the chatter is about. ere is something for everyone; there's funny things and beautiful things. It is an awesome way to celebrate everything there is about Christmas." Adding to the impressive nature of this endeavor are the 30-plus performers, all between the ages of 5 and 18. at can lead people to believe it is a kids' show, but Stevens has proven that's not the case time and again with Broadway-type performances that leave audiences raving. Stevens said, "e No. 1 comment I get is, 'Wow, I cannot believe what I just saw.' e next is, 'It's hard to believe that is all young people!' And the third is 'Shows at Myrtle Beach aren't this good. We also bring in dancers from Elite Dance Center. Michelle Hurd, Callie Leechford and Victoria Armstrong have partnered with me for 15 years and bring an element of beauty to the show. ey bring in a team of eight dancers every year, and they are amazing." Another change to the current production is a reach back to the show's early years. "I am going to bring back the theme song to the Heart of Christmas Show,'' Stevens said, "to show all the outreach and what we have been able to do, as a tribute to the people who have been in it and to the good work of the outcome of the show." Stevens came up with the idea for HOC when Voic- es of the Heart, a local, all-girl Christian music group, won a high-profile national competition in Alabama. VOH still makes up a big part of the HOC Show. "I didn't want it to go to their heads," said Stevens. "ey were on TV and were getting a lot of attention. I want- ed their focus to be the correct one. We decided to put on a show and give all the money away. at first year we gave away $8,000. Now, we give away about $35,000 and raise about $25,000 for the schools – after a while that adds up to be a lot of money." HOC has given more than $750,000 to date, and it all stays in the community. Organizations that benefit include the Autism Society, Child Advocacy Center, Friends of Children, Make A Wish Founda- tion, AGAPE and Falcon Children's Home. With more than 300 sponsors footing the bill for production costs, Stevens said the money from each ticket sale goes right back out the door. "Our spon- sors set money aside every year – in spite of things like hurricanes. And we have done what we said we would do," Stevens said. "e show is run by parents and volunteers. e parents are nurses, doctors, judges, teachers and more who work backstage and make that show happen. ey believe in the common good of it. When we give the funds away, it is a good feeling to know we can do something to touch someone else's life. is is not just a Christmas show, it a show with heart and a purpose and a mission to do good things for other children." General performances are Saturday, Nov. 24, at 1 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 25, at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets at e Crown Center Box Office, Hailey's Bicycle World or www.heartofchristmasshow.com/ ticket-reservations. ere are also several school shows. Call 910-978- 1118 to learn more about the school performances. "e Heart of Christmas Show" has entertained thousands and given away more than $750,000 to help children in our community.