Christmas Show Memories
Thursday, February 17, 2005
What is your favorite memory of the Christmas Show (something we all share in common)? Was it the performances, or did you secretly love the long hours of rehearsal? Any funny stories? Tell us!
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Oh, come on alumni! I can’t believe there are no memories! Do I have to start helping you remember passing coleslaw in the finale? The Bell Choir with water guns? Alice and the Pit Fire Up? Wait Madonna “Dot” in the Christmas Show Fire Up?..............up on santa claus mountain? So many more..........now you all start!!
Written by Julie Ricciardi on 13 Aug 2005 at 01:01 AM
Brian falling through the trapdoor at the 1997 Christmas Show comes to mind. He had to be sore for days.
Written by Rich Earnest on 01 Sep 2005 at 08:39 AM
Shoe-Less Shaker Wenches of 2002! Becky Sutton, Jill (Siebert) Hoos, Stefanie Anderson, and me-yes, FOUR of us, it was like negative 20 personal space. Full out serving wench costumes made out of what had to be burlap, which gave us rashes and had laces up the back, front, and down the sleeves, and obviously no shoes-just a double pair of black knee-highs.
Also, the look of sheer panic Stef gave me half way through our song when the laces on her right sleeve got looped over one of the shakers and she couldn’t move her arm, she just kept jerking it (with the resulting steady clunk-cluck of the same note on the shaker) expecting it to come free before logic kicked in and she fixed it mid-song. That was also the first year of the appearing-disappearing candles if I remember correctly…
Written by Kate Hutton on 29 Sep 2005 at 12:47 AM
I loved the late night practices and commraderie! I vaguely remember also taking finals during that time period… Wait, did I? Christmas Show was this all-encompassing event that overshadowed EVERYTHING! I remember a certain Purduette dropping to the ground to do the worm while we waited for re-positioning!
Written by Becky Birchler on 07 Oct 2005 at 09:26 AM
Hey, does anyone out there have a copy of the ‘92 Christmas Show? I am desperate to get a copy. Neither my daughter nor my wife believe that I was there so I need proof. If you do please reach me at .
Written by James Anderson on 15 Nov 2005 at 02:37 PM
I remember in 1997 the PMO Express dressing room turned into a raving dance party, complete with disco ball and dancing crazies. What a blast.
Written by Kevin Hicks on 27 Nov 2005 at 07:54 PM
I have so many fond memories of the Christmas Show! I guess I’ll start with 1989 - the year that the scrim ripped during the dress rehearsal and nearly hit Brian (ouch!). We ended up doing the show without the scrim that year! Other memories: darts being shot back and forth during “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in 1992, card games in our dressing room, “Fire-Ups,” and making up special dances to the other groups’ songs while waiting backstage. The highlight of the show, for me, was always the cantata.
I think my favorite PMO Christmas memory, though, was of U-Choir’s trip to Washington, D.C. after Finals Week in December 1991. Singing for Barbara Bush at the White House and for Vice President and Mrs. Quayle at the Vice President’s residence was wonderful.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Lynne Holsapple (U-Choir 1994)
Written by Lynne Holsapple (U-Choir '94) on 10 Dec 2005 at 09:05 PM
I have to second Kevin on the party room with Express having been there in that room. Fun times were had by all. Only could get in with the password though!
Written by Kerry Yingling on 11 Dec 2005 at 05:03 PM
I have a ton of great memories from the Christmas Show! I will never forget Mike Allen and the Voiceovers doing Rockapella’s Silver Bells in 2001, “They Followed His Star” solo’d by Mia Starr in 2000, and “Auld Lang Syne” in 2001. I also loved the Cantata themes and just about anything the Glee Club would do every year at the show.
More importantly, I always enjoyed the friendships I formed during that special time of year. Getting to hang out with everyone in the other choirs was so much fun and I really cherish that time, regardless of being stressed from finals and getting next to no sleep. I watch the videos every year around the Holidays and it truly warms my heart.
On a goofy note, I will never forget the Bell Choir kid that fell off of the top riser during one of the tech rehearsals. Is he ok???
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
Josh Grant
PMO Express 2003
Written by Josh Grant on 16 Dec 2005 at 02:27 PM
Opening night Christmas Show Freshman year 2000. When the curtain comes up that first show there is nothing like it. Mia Starr everything that came out of her mouth was like an angel singing. All night practices were killer but worth every minute when we were on that stage.
And getting my foot smashed in rehearsal a week before show sophomore year. I had to buy bigger shoes to go on stage. Always silent night to end the show!!So many memories I can’t even put them all.
Written by Melissa Hedrick (Daubenmier) (U-choir 2000-2002) on 28 Feb 2006 at 06:48 AM
The “bell choir kid”, as Josh so aptly put it, is Andy Arndt. He’s fine, or at least the fall didn’t change him.
I will always cherish my four Christmas shows. Chris Howell and I were elves my senior year and we brought out the shaker chimes. Wow those were some great costumes. Thanks Jayne!
University Choir 2002
Written by Sam Leahy on 16 Jun 2006 at 10:02 PM
I remember the time Brian fell through the trap door… it seemed comical at first, but I think he severely injured himself when that happened. But he went on with the show without letting the audience know that anything had happened.
Ba-DEE-dah!
I also remember working WAY too hard on my Pixie gifts… good times.
Written by Hahns Shin on 01 Jul 2006 at 11:53 PM
Top few memories:
Breed falling through the trap door and then all the PMO people upstairs playing (and replaying) that video.
My shoe falling off running on stage in ‘96 and doing the set without it (Holiday was on the song list)
First time being on the lift (in ‘96) and opening the show. Fabulous!
And, of course, every year—There will Always Be a Song.
Written by Carol on 15 Aug 2006 at 04:21 PM
Wow! There are so many good many to choose from. A few that come to mind are the managers skits at the first Christmas show meeting each year, chilling in the dungeon with my PMO Express family, and wondering if the audience ever had a clue that the seniors were only wearing their birthday suits under their cantata robes.
On a side note, my fondest memories of the Christmas Show and of PMO are from when PMO Express was still a part of it!
Written by Julie Schmidt on 29 Oct 2006 at 07:55 PM
Wow...where do I begin? By the time I graduated in December of 1983 there had been 13 straight years of Parker kids in PMO. Each Christmas Show was special, but the most memorable one for me would be the 49th Christmas Show. I was given the great honor of singing a duet with Dave Barry (my boyfriend at the time) during the Living Christmas Tree portion of the show. We sang “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” On the morning of opening night I fell and cut my foot so I had to limp through the segment. I’ll never forget the late night practices....wondering if it would all come together....the THRILL of hearing nothing but SILENCE after Silent Night at the end of the show. Crying like a baby during Silent Night of my Senior Year. I could go on and on.
No fun without music....... Hail Purdue!
Written by Jayne (Parker) Flinn on 15 Nov 2006 at 02:38 PM
Some of my favorite memories are from Christmas Show...though it was grueling--the long practices, and pretty much living at Elliot Hall during Christmas Show Weekend (freshman year, I recall not doing too well on a chem final because it was just too much fun to hang out with everyone!), Chris Clark’s fantastic voice blending with the full choir during the 92 (I think) cantata finale--still gives me chills, getting to be the ‘doll’ during the Purduette’s Toyland song one year, surprising a glee clubber with a water gun during the final Sunday show, going commando the last show my senior year (along with quite a few others if I recall correctly), and I also cried through Silent Night my senior year.
Those are just a few. Happy Holidays everyone!
Neeraja (UChoir 91-94)
Written by Neeraja Aravamudan on 20 Dec 2006 at 03:38 AM
As a few others have mentioned, I also remember when Brian fell through the trap door. I’ll never forget that one!
I love thinking back on the characters I played: a redneck reindeer, a blue toy soldier in the dance line, and a dancing cowgirl my senior year.
I’ll also never forget holding hands with Hahns Shin during “Silent Night” our senior year. We were both teary and emotional about our last Christmas Show!
Written by Ashley (Dawson) Batuyong on 20 Dec 2006 at 03:51 PM
I remember Jeremy Laux and Nate Lupke recycling their recieved pixie gifts and giving them to their own pixies!!!
Written by Jawa on 21 Dec 2006 at 06:56 PM
After reading all of these lovely, funny, emotional, and hilarious memories, it occurs to me that I’m probably going to be the “oldie but goodie” alum with a PMO story. Brian always tells me that the Al Stewart years were the best ones. Could be, but I believe that every year is the best year. I was in University Choir from the fall of 1964 right up to graduation in 1968. We practiced in the lecture room at Lilly Hall of Life Sciences. The Easter Sunrise Service was held at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Christmas Show was the highlight of the holiday season every year. One special memory I have is from the year I was in a 16-member group that Al Stewart put into the orchestra pit for the audience sing-along. Anyone could sign up for it and there were so many of us that he admitted that he chose the 16 because he liked our last names!! Probably one of my most emotional memories is the year that one of the Glee Club members sang “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” He was dressed in an army uniform and his image appeared in a painting on the wall behind a mother in a rocking chair. It was during the Vietnam War and my roommate had just learned that her boyfriend had died in combat.
I’ve told my family that when I retire from teaching, I’m going to be a Glee Club groupie.
We try to attend every performance when they are in our “neighborhood.” It’s true: wherever there is music, there is fun. It sounds as though the behind-the-scenes fun continues, too. Hail Purdue!
Written by Carol (Baudouine) Callaway on 01 Apr 2007 at 07:33 PM