By Gerri Miller
Elmore/Autauga News
The sights, sounds and special events of Prattville’s Christmas that is so reminiscent of a Hallmark movie continued Thursday night with a full house attending the City’s Second Annual Christmas Variety Show at the Doster Center.
Barbara Simpson, coordinator of the city’s Special Events and Cultural Arts Department, said that in 2020, the City had to cancel the popular Christmas Concert by the Prattville Pops and Community Chorus. “We decided that it would be fun to have a Christmas event to take its place where we could still practice social distancing,” she said.
Simpson said she remembered the old television variety shows such as the Carol Burnett Show that were so heartwarming and fun to watch at Christmas in planning the show.
She said the purpose of the show is to showcase local and regional talent and to bring entertainment and Christmas cheer to the community. There were many talented musicians, singers, dancers and even a show choir that came to perform and be part of the fun.
Simplson said her department put a call out for auditions and accepted recordings and links from people who wanted to perform and then held a rehearsal on Wednesday night before the show.
“We had singers, dancers, a pianist, a harpist, and the PHS Show Choir this year and we hope to have a good variety of entertainment next year. We have already had a couple of people who want to be a part of it next year, with some unusual talents!” she said.
Jeremy Pyles, director of music ministries at Prattville First United Methodist Church, was the emcee for the evening. He also sang with Marian Woodman playing the guitar as part of his music group Two Bricks Shy. They performed “Mary’s Boy Child” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.”
Students from C.J. Martin Dance Factory and the Prattville Ballet danced gracefully in their resplendent peach-colored costumes to the “Arabian Dance” from The Nutcracker Suite.
Beth Blevins Cooper, an area singer and entertainer, wowed the crowd with her version of “Let It Snow” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Young homeschooled student Bailey Huntzinger played a beautiful and unusual version of the “Nutcracker Suite Medley” on the piano. Prattville High School student Jaci Cone sang her heart out on the numbers “Winter Wonderland” and “Silver Bells” and was a crowd pleaser.
Yolanda Lee beautifully sang the inspirational song “Through the Storm.” Kaylee Simmons, a student at Stanhope Elmore High School, brought the house down with her angelic voice singing “Mary, Did You Know?”
Paula Huett sang a beautiful rendition of “White Christmas”. Homeschooled student Burgandy Huntzinger brought the gentle, angelic sounds of the harp to the table with her version of “Mary, Did You Know?”
The Prattville High School Show Choir was one of the standouts of the night. With a near perfect sound, they performed “O’ Come, O’ Come, Emmanuel,” the Nigerian Christmas carol “Betelehemu” and “Carol of the Bells.”
Pyles led an audience-included Sing-Along to “Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells,” “Up on the Housetop” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Singers from the show came to the stage to help lead the songs.
The event brought home the fact that the River Region has many talented performers and we can’t wait to see what next year will bring.
Pyles also read the Christmas story from the Book of Luke, Chapter Two. The audience and the performers closed the night singing “Silent Night.”
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