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Youth & The Arts

Dinner & a Show:
The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre
By Katie Jillions

Christmas time is here and there is so much to do, so much to see. There are plenty of productions of A Christmas Carol and The Grinch who Stole Christmas and Santa is always sitting in the mall with an open lap. But, Christmas is about more than gifts and good cheer. The true reason for the season is often lost and families rarely find themselves reflecting on why they are celebrating this holiday to begin with. Does your child know the true meaning of Christmas or do they just think it is a great day to receive new toys? The Sight and Sound Millennium Theatre located in Lancaster County, Pa. is the home of The Miracle of Christmas, a great musical that tells the story of the first Christmas.

I had the rare opportunity to go with my family on a Saturday for the 4:15 showing. There were only four activities in all that day, so we took advantage of the afternoon to enjoy some family time.

The Sight & Sound Theatre Company is the nation’s largest professional Christian theatrical company. 

Their production of The Miracle of Christmas, running through Jan. 6, is a 2-1/2 hour production portraying a “fictional account of a factual occurrence.” The actors and the stage come to life in the opening scene celebrating Mary and Joseph’s betrothal. Song and dance soon turn to fear and doubt as the Romans arrive. Nazareth is under Roman Oppression and the audience, through the use of the 30 foot wrap around stage, 40 foot tall sets and the tremendous sound system, are already transfixed. Suddenly, the story everyone knows is now more than a story. It is real. The actors bring humanity to the biblical narrative through song and, at times, humorous text. We feel Joseph’s pain as he struggles with his doubt. Things are lightened a little with Mary’s mother’s proclamation “I am going to be Jesus’s grandma.” The audience roars. A real understanding of the story, especially for the small ones, is underway. 

The story continues with the journey to Bethlehem. Throughout this journey, live animals, brilliant stars in the rafters and flying angels add a sense of awe to this already brilliant production. Finally, the finale we were all waiting for the birth of Jesus, angelic voices and the arrival of the Magi. The standing ovation said it all.  The Miracle of Christmas was truly a “wonder of wonders” and the perfect show for the Christmas season.

We were now starved, to say the least. We arrived in Lancaster about 1-1/2 hours before the start of the show, figuring we would eat at Miller’s Smorgasbord, but the wait was too long. We settled on wonderful pastries, donuts and more at Miller’s Bakery instead. We returned to Millers after the performance only to find they were overcrowded once more. My suggestion: get a reservation beforehand. Although we were looking forward to the buffet, we were not out of options. There are plenty of places to dine along the highway. We found if we had had more time, there were other things we would have liked to have done. Consider staying the weekend to enjoy the outlets: Dutch Wonderland, waterparks and more. Lancaster County, Pa. is a beautiful area of rolling hills covered in farms and willow trees. You can’t help but have a wonderful time.

Sight and Sound Millennium Theater is celebrating their 30th Anniversary with the launching of their newest performance In The Beginning in the Spring at the Millennium Theater.  Other shows you can see are Voices of Christmas and Psalms of David at the Living Waters Theater down the road.

Katie Jillions is a junior at Holy Cross High School. For more information, call 717.687.7800 or visit www.sight-sound.com