THAT PEEKS MONDAY NIGHT, SO
JUST AFTER SUNSET UNTIL ABOUT
7:00 P.M., LOOK LOW IN THE
SOUTHWESTERN SKY, WE WILL SEE
THOSE TWO BRIGHT MINUTES THAT
LOOK LIKE ONE BRIGHT STAR.
>>> TODAY THE ORDWAY CENTER FOR
THE PERFORMING ARTS BEGINS ITS
VIRTUAL HOLIDAY PRESENTATION OF
MUSIC FROM "THE NIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS."
IT IS PERFORMED BY GRAMMY AWARD
WINNER "SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS".
WE ARE HAPPY TO BE JOINED BY
GARY HINES AND JAMESIA BENNETT.
GOOD MORNING.
SPENT A GOOD MORNING.
>> WE ARE SO GLAD YOU WERE WITH
US TODAY, GARY, CAN YOU TELL US
A BIT ABOUT THE SHOW?
>> "THE NIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS" CONCERT IS BASED ON
THE PALM WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE.
BUT OUR VERSION IS AN AFRICAN-
AMERICAN FAMILY URBAN
CONTEMPORARY AND ACTUALLY, YOU
ARE LOOKING AT MRS. CLAUS RIGHT
HERE.
THIS IS THE CONCERT VERSION OF
THE MUSICAL PRODUCTION.
>> WHAT DID IT TAKE TO PUT THIS
ON AND DO THIS SO PEOPLE CAN
SEE IT AT HOME?
>> WE HAD TO REHEARSE WITH
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, SO
IT TOOK A LOT.
WE HAD TO RECORD IT, ALSO
SOCIALLY DISTANCED AND WITHOUT
MASKS, WHEN WE WERE DISTANCE
AND NOW, WE ARE ABLE TO BRING
IT TO EVERYONE.
BROADWAY, ON-DEMAND.
STARTING TODAY, THIS IS THE
GRAND OPENING.
>> SOAP COOL PEOPLE CAN SEE IT
AND GET IT AT HOME.
JAMESIA, THIS MUST BE DIFFERENT
THAN PERFORMING IN FRONT OF AN
AUDIENCE, WHERE DO YOU DRAW
ENERGY FROM WHEN PERFORMING
THIS WAY?
>> BEING HERE AT THE CENTER, WE
WOULD'VE BEEN DOING "THE BEAUTY
AND THE BEAST" RIGHT NOW.
I'M VERY EXCITED, PULLING THE
SPIRIT OF KNOWING WE NEED IT
RIGHT NOW DURING THIS COVID-19
CHAOS.
WHEN I STEP ON THAT STAGE, IT'S
NOT ABOUT US, IT'S ABOUT THE
AUDIENCE, WE KNOW WE HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR VIEWERS,
AS WELL AS OUR AUDIENCE, THAT
IS WHERE I GET MY JOY FROM.
BEING ABLE TO GIVE WHAT I HAVE
ON THE INSIDE AND GIVING THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS TO
EVERYONE, WE GET TO GO AND MORE
HOMES, IN THE THEATER, YOU ARE
LIMITED TO WHAT SEATS ARE IN
HERE, SO THIS IS EVEN BETTER.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING PART
OF A PRODUCTION LIKE THIS,
BRINGING JOE INTO HOMES WHEN WE
NEED IT SO MUCH THIS YEAR?
>> IT IS INCREDIBLE, SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE LOST LOVED ONES
DURING THIS WHOLE CRAZINESS OF
ALL OF IT.
THIS IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW TO
BRING LOVE AND JOY AND PEACE TO
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE
LOOKING FOR THAT.
WE HAVE DEPRESSION GOING ON AND
ON, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND WE WANT
TO BRING BE THE ONES AT THE
FOREFRONT SAYING, WE CAN STILL
AND BRINGING THE JOY AND LOVE
AND HOPE THAT WE WILL GET
THROUGH THIS.
>> I LOVE THAT MESSAGE, SUCH A
BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE TO SHARE, ANY
THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU WANT
PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
>> THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, THE
SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS, THIS IS
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY, IT IS
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, THE
NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS BY
MINNESOTA'S KNOWN GRAMMY AWARD-
WINNING "SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS"
FROM OUR HEART TO YOUR HEART.
$50, YOU CAN'T BE ABOUT.
>> THINK YOU, SO GOOD TO SEE
YOU THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> "SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS", THE
CONCERT IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM
NOW, WE HAVE TICKET DETAILS ON
OUR WEBSITE, WCCO.COM/LINKS
AND RIGHT NOW, WE WILL PLAY A
CLIP OF THE SHOW HEADING INTO
BRICK.
>> ♪ MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE
WORLD.
BRINGING JOY TO EVERY BOY AND
GIRL.
THIS HAS ONLY BEGUN.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE WORLD.
BRINGING JOY TO EVERY BOY AND
GIRL.
THIS HAS ONLY BEGUN.
DECK THE HALLS AND BOUGHS OF
HOLLY.
TO HIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY.
CHRISTMAS DAY.
IT'S IN THE AIR, EVERYWHERE.
YOU BELIEVE.