Baldwin Times

The ghosts and goblins are gone for another year. All the clocks will be turned back an hour, and Thanksgiving dinner will soon be on the horizon. As fall moves toward the rear view mirror, Christmas season will soon be in full swing. As part of the festive atmosphere here along the Gulf Coast, the city of Orange Beach will be presenting several special events to make sure everyone has joyous holiday memories this year.In November, the Expect Excellence Music Department will be presenting “Visions of Christmas”. The variety show performances will be held November 17-19 at the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 23908 Canal Road. The P.A.C is located on the eastern portion of the Orange Beach High School campus.There will be a full complement of holiday music with many Christmas standards, and several special surprises that will put everyone in the Christmas spirit. There will also be appearances from a few special holiday characters from “Christmas Town” mixed into the performance, according to Caleb Pittman, E.E. music director. “Visions of Christmas” is a high energy variety show that has something for everyone.“Rehearsals are going great,” Pittman said. “We are really challenging our group this year with some very tough music and they are handling it like champs.”This year's production has 30 vocalists and musicians and “a lot of new faces” in the show. There’s a considerable amount of planning and behind-the-scenes work that goes into the V.O.C. show, he said.“We work on our shows a full year in advance and sometimes it still comes down to the wire,” explained Pittman. But, all the hours of planning and rehearsals are made worthwhile “once everyone is getting in the holiday spirit. We love putting on awesome music shows, but beyond that, we hope to inspire and share encouragement to those who really need it,” he said.“Visions of Christmas” is modeled after the University of Mobile’s Christmas program, that Pittman and other members of the E.E. music department took part in, during their undergraduate time at U.M.Pittman, who graduated in 2015, has been overseeing the E.E. music program since its inception in March of 2018. The music program serves 260 kids with about a third getting vocal training and the remainder participating in instrumental classes. Many students from the E.E. program are involved in productions throughout the year, Pittman said.One of the relatively new faces adding her voice to V.O.C. this year is Jessica Wendling. Some might recognize Wendling from her recent turn as “Ursula” from “The Little Mermaid” in the Expect Excellence Music Department production of “A Touch of Magic – Disney Musical Showcase” back in June.After graduating in 2021, from Baker High School in Mobile, Wendling briefly considered pursuing theater professionally, she said. “I’m in it as more of a hobby (now)," she said. “If I had to do it as a profession, it would stress me out, but I respect the heck out of people who do, because it takes a level of dedication, you can only admire."After being active in high school theater, where she was cast in “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Babes in Toyland”, and “Brigadoon” among many others, it was being in the audience for the Expect Excellence Community Theatre production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” that renewed her interest in theater. “I took a 10-year break, but after going to ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’, I said, ‘I’ve got to be a part of that group.’”Wendling added, being part of “A Touch of Magic” was a very positive experience because “I love the people and the energy, and it’s just the greatest community you can be a part of. I wanted to be involved with the same group having so much fun and getting so much adrenaline."In addition to the great sense of community participating in “Visions of Christmas” provides, “it’s also about just being around a bunch of other people who love Christmas carols as much as I do,” Wendling said.Jessica Langston, Creative Director for the city, agreed.“The audience reactions from last year’s first ‘Visions of Christmas’ were extremely positive,” she said.“We have some wonderful things in store for this year’s show,” she added, “I hope the audience members leave the theater with Christmas spirit in their hearts and a smile on their faces.”Admission to “Visions of Christmas” is free, according to Langston, but reservations are required, due to space and availability considerations. The performances on Nov. 17-18 will be at 7 p.m., and there will be a matinee performance on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m.Tickets are available online at orangebeachal.gov/events/performing-arts. The box office is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays at the back entrance of the P.A.C. Anyone with questions, can call the box office at 251-923-0043 or email jjlangston@orangebeachal.gov.

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