December 9, 2013
Forget Broadway! On Dec. 5, the hottest ticket in town was the taping of “A New York Christmas to Remember” at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan.
More than 400 people gathered for the taping of the Christmas special, which was narrated by Regis Philbin and showcased the talents of The Jim Henson Company puppeteers, the National Children’s Chorus and the choirs of St. Paul the Apostle and Fordham University. The one-hour program will air on CBS at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Set in the style of lessons and carols, Mr. Philbin reads the Nativity story while it is brought to life by The Jim Henson Company puppeteers and performers. The choirs add sacred music to the mix, and the result is magical.
The project began in March, when Father Mark-David Janus, president of Paulist Press, made contact with Jack Blessington, head of the Religious Affairs Department at CBS who oversees the network’s Christmas Eve program.
“Every year CBS offers the hour to various religious congregations to present a celebration of Christmas,” explained Father Eric Andrews, CSP, president of Paulist Productions who worked for Jim Henson for three years before entering the priesthood. “This is a joint effort of Paulist Productions, the Church of St Paul the Apostle, Busted Halo and Paulist Press. And it will be a wonderful presentation of the Gospel message to a national audience.”
Before the taping, Mr. Blessington noted his connections to the Paulists from his childhood in the Bronx and complimented the beauty of the show’s set.
“Wait until you see what they’ve done!” he said as his face lighted up with a big smile.
Cheryl Henson, the daughter of Jim and Jane Henson, explained to a small group that the Nativity puppet show had been staged at two churches in Florida, and that “telling the story of the Nativity through puppetry was a dream” of her mother.
And then it was time for the more than 100 people involved in the production to take their places.
The audience fell into reverent silence as the musicians and singers commenced with the opening hymn, and then were enraptured as the story of the Nativity unfolded culmination in a glorious rendition of “Joy to the World.”
“It is a marvelous show, and a great tribute to a story that is so central to our lives presented in a modern way,” Father Andrews said.