MOVE OVER BROADWAY Musical features peace, simplicity

Many of the melodies were unfamiliar yet enjoyable.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
St. Michael Church in Canfield was packed this weekend to enjoy a musical offering by Move Over Broadway Productions, directed by Marlene Menaldi Strollo.
Amid the frantic hustle and bustle of the season, it was nice to settle in to this low-key, gentle and peaceful celebration of the true meaning of Christmas. While many other holiday events have been rip-roaring and high energy, this one was calm, meditative and relaxing, perfectly set in the sanctuary of this beautiful building.
The performance consisted of adults and children singing, doing liturgical dance and acting in a short skit.
Glenn Stevens of WFMJ Channel 21 read from the Scriptures. Jodine Pilmer directed the excellent, small instrumental ensemble.
The first half of the program focused on Advent and the second on Christmas.
One of the particularly nice aspects of this concert was that most of the music was unfamiliar yet immediately enjoyable.
The arrangements, especially in the Advent section, were mostly contemporary sounds, with a gentle beat and haunting melodies, in which listeners could easily immerse themselves.
Beautiful tunes
The program began with the familiar tune, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" combined with a less-familiar tune in the middle section, a very lovely piece.
Several songs featured soloists, including a beautiful "Breath of Heaven," sung by Melanie Williams, which broke into a gentle beat with full chorus.
Tom Gent sang a contemporary rock piece, "Joseph's Song," with great expression. "Mary, Did You Know" featured prominent drums, played by John Schmidt, in a kind of Caribbean rhythm.
Children were featured in some of the tunes, including the charming "Late at Night Long Ago" and the familiar and popular "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
Toward the end of the first half, the group staged a skit of the meeting of the wise men to discuss the arrival of the newborn king.
In keeping with the simple and reverent nature of this program, the costumes were plain cotton in tones of blacks, grays and beige, which actually looked more realistic of what people would be wearing in a desert, unlike the rich velvets and brocades that usually clothe these characters.
The Advent part of the concert then ended with an energetic spiritual, "Tell Us 'Bout a Baby."
The Christmas half of the program contained some less-known tunes but also familiar ones, such as the lovely "I Wonder as I Wander," beautifully sung by Sue Vollmar. Heidi Davis roused the crowd with her gorgeous rendition of "One God."
The program ended with a nice medley of carols, creatively arranged by Pilmer, in which the audience was invited to join in the singing.
At one point, the children processed down the center aisle singing "Silent Night," as the rest of the choir sang "Peace, Peace."
The finale was an interesting collection of tunes, which brought thunderous applause and a standing ovation for this enjoyable presentation.