A Night to Remember, by Heart and Soul Producers, was recorded at the King Centre, Melbourne, Florida and presents the story of one night during the Roman occupation of the Holy Land.
“The Christmas story, Broadway-style. You’ll be surprised by Roman soldiers, witness Jewish oppression, be in awe of the Wisemen’s lavish costumes, hear yodelling shepherds and learn to love the hilarious Herod the great – all in 60 minutes!”
The production values are high in this recording, which was part of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe online and is now part of the streaming offering at Brighton Fringe, on the C Arts platform.
It is composed and directed by James Arthur Patterson, with choreography by Carina Torres-Brown, Haley Arnold, Deborah Miller, Susan Smith, Amy Sivak, and Wendy Patterson.
This is a colourful and festive production that its proficient enough to get its message across even while the sun is shining outside.
The songs are catchy and tuneful and the standard of performance generally very good from a cast which is partly made up of miltary veterans.
Starting in a busy modern shopping plaza, there are homeless people and potential Good Samaritans who rush by them, or stop to offer financial assistance.
This depicts a time of hope, generosity, and celebration of the Son of God.
After this the musical moves into the Biblical story leading up to the birth of Jesus, but adds little touches about the life of the people immediately before the event.
This includes Joseph, who complains bitterly about the stable his heavily pregnant wife Mary has been forced to occupy.
At just over an hour this moves quickly through each scene and around 20 songs. We see all the major players from Romans to Jews, from Pharisees to the leaders from the East, in a large ensemble cast.
The sound and visual elements are excellent throughout, capturing a variety of camera angles.
It presents the tale of the birth of Jesus without being overly religious, so you can enjoy this whatever your faith for what it is, a charming musical fable with a heart, and a little bit of spice (I enjoyed the drawling Herod the Great and his glittery court).
Perhaps we all need a bit of the festive spirit in our hearts during these challenging times, and what better than a drop of Christmas cheer from ‘the sunshine state’.
Cast: Ava Bratic. Brooke Brown, Chad Carff, Rose Carff, Isa Cervantes, Emily DeWoody, Mya DeWoody, Charissa Domizioli, Lisa Farrall, Lisa Hartley Hill, Guy Hoenig, Cindy Ingraham, Allison Kervin, Kim Lauer, Laura Lee, Nathan Lee, Peter McCharles, Deborah Miller, Jeff Miller, Colin Patterson, James Arthur Patterson, Wendy Patterson, Blakely Poston, Austin Rios, Jana Rochette, Doug Rothenbush, Jenna Rothenbush, Joel Shugars, Aiyana Sivak, Amy Sivak, Susan Smith, Aly Van Iderstine, Brea Wilkins, Marla Wilkins
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Booking link during Brighton Fringe: https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/a-night-to-remember/