By Victoria Mullen
Imagine, if you will, a singing Christmas tree. That’s right, a 67-foot-tall Christmas tree festooned with 240 young singers stacked from tip to toe. (The remaining 35 singers perform from under the tree.) It’s a strange sight and an unforgettable experience, so you won’t want to miss the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 W. Western Ave., #200, Muskegon, MI 49440, December 3-5.
I have questions, and maybe you do, too, such as: How do the singers stay in place? Do they get vertigo? What happens if one should faint? Are there singers in the back of the tree and, if so, do they mind that no one sees them? And how do the singers get up there anyway? These questions–and more–will not be answered here because Christmas is magic and so are this tree and this choir.
As a consolation prize, here are some quick, fun facts:
- The person at the top of the Tree is known as “The Tree Angel” and is always a high school senior, selected by the director. This hard-working choir student exemplifies the spirit of the Mona Shores Choir.
- Over 1,500 linear feet of electrical wiring runs throughout the tree to more than 25,000 colored lights, and
over 5,000 linear feet of special greenery imported from Germany is “fluffed” and put on the tree prior to the
decorations. - More than 200 volunteers started working on this year’s production in early October. Many worked around the clock from Sunday morning through Monday evening to prepare for technical rehearsals and get the tree presentable for its annual performance. Now that’s dedication!
- The first Singing Christmas Tree ever created happened 50 years ago in Southern California. It was 16 feet
high and held 25 singers. Many communities across the world have Singing Christmas Trees, but none are as
tall as this one.
This is the thirty-first anniversary of the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree. There are only three days of performances, so get with the program quickly: Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm; Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 pm; and Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3 pm & 7 pm.
Tickets are $15.00 and $10.00 on sale through Star Tickets and the Frauenthal Box Office.
