Forgotten Carols reminds audience of true meaning of Christmas
December 7th, 2010 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Elizabeth Grewe
LOGAN—The Forgotten Carols has charmed audiences for almost two decades. With hundreds of performances nationwide, the musical has become a holiday tradition and reminder of the true meaning of the Christmas season.
On December 1, The Forgotten Carols made their way to Logan for a sold out performance at the Kent Concert Hall on Utah State University’s campus.
Natalie Walker, an Ogden resident and USU graduate, sees the Carols as often as she can.
“I grew up in Texas, where the Forgotten Carols rarely come. Now that I’m in Utah, I take advantage of going every year either [in Ogden] or up in Logan.”
Michael McLean, author of the Forgotten Carols, first introduced the carols to audiences in 1991. Now, almost 20 years later, millions have enjoyed the story of an independent young nurse named Constance, or Connie Lou played by the talented Kelly Shepardson.
Connie Lou has learned to shut herself out of Christmas due to a difficult childhood. When Connie Lou meets John, played by McLean, he opens her mind and heart to the holiday season through song and humor.
McLean, who has been appealing audiences since 1983 when he released his debut album You’re not Alone, has always had a love of the Holidays. He even produced and directed Mr. Krueger’s Christmas starring the legendary Jimmy Stewart. McLean, who lives in Daniel, Utah with his wife of 36 years, finds himself in an envious position.
“How lucky am I to be able to spend the holiday season with so many wonderful people telling a story that means so much to me,” McLean says.
This year’s tour takes the cast all around the west including Arizona, California, Washington, and Utah. They will continue to perform until December 22, when they end their tour in Phoenix.
Walker says, “The Forgotten Carols remind me that [the Christmas season] isn’t all about the gifts and the hustle and bustle. It’s about a real meaning, and sometimes, we need to remember that.”
McLean tends to talk to the audience after the musical is over, cracking jokes and adlibbing songs. This year, McLean ended the show, not with applause, but with the audience singing and humming Silent Night.
“The end was the best part, everyone singing that song together, you could feel it in the air. I got chills,” said Allison Jergensen, a Logan resident.
The Forgotten Carols is a story of love, spirit and remembrance and audiences can now find out what happened to Connie Lou 30 years later in the new children’s book, The Forgotten Carols: A Christmas Miracle for Isaac and Eliza. The story chronicles John once again teaching those in need of the spirit of Christmas.
McLean adds, “The show has certainly evolved over the last nineteen years, but at its core, the story’s still the same and from what I felt today it still allows me to feel the magic in the air.”
For information on the Forgotten Carols, you can visit their website at forgottencarols.com.
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Tags: Christmas, Forgotten Carols, Kent Concert Hall, Michael McLean
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