By Becca W.
The much-hyped new Tim Janis musical, “Night of the Shepherds,” premiered at The Family School’s Family Day on Saturday, December 10. Mystical, inspiring, yet just entertaining enough to keep the audience engaged, the production was all it was anticipated to be and more.
The play was preceded by a jazz ensemble playing “Christmastime Is Here” and three dance numbers. Two of the dances were classically Christmas-themed (jazz and tap) and one of which was not holiday-themed but, because of its music and costume choice, had an almost Middle Eastern tone (ballet/modern). These set the mood for the main attraction and whetted the audience’s palate for entertainment.
After the dancers and jazz ensemble were finished performing, the real magic began. The curtain opened to a beautifully ethereal desert scene with ambient music piercing the silence, which carried Anna’s delicate, breathy voice hauntingly. The backdrop, a glowing indigo sky over the silhouette of an Arabian city, contrasted with the set, which was minimalistic (little more than a few rocks) and allowed for much interpretation. This juxtaposition, along with the richly-hued Arabian-style costumes, made the dazzling projection all the more aesthetically enchanting.
The plot, accessing a wide range of emotions with dexterity and élan, managed to be both comical and heartrending while still maintaining a vividly optimistic thread of hope and spirituality throughout. The audience went wild watching the nefarious gypsy Abdul (Lars) in his devious get-rich-quick scheme. They giggled at his giddy, subservient sidekick (Brian), and roared with applause and laughter as Ray Vincent stole the show singing in a hilarious, stylized falsetto.
However, the show switched emotional gears swiftly and successfully: as quickly as one polarized sentiment was achieved, it went the complete other direction and nearly induced tears! Audience members gasped with horror when Abdul sold the camel (George “Holt”) to the three wise kings and embezzled the profits for himself; they wrung their hands when Baba, the lamb (Zoe), was (almost) fatally injured; there were even some tears when Anna was forced to sing against her will for Cæsar’s men and a band of Romans. Another difficult achievement Janis managed was to induce acute and diverse feelings in the audience without sullying them with leftover poignancy or humor. Mood shifts occurred cleanly and smoothly.
Lars, the outsourced professional talent, gave an incredible performance and was a huge asset to the show. With an electric stage presence, intricate hand movements, precision and clarity of speech, a powerful stride, and impossibly detailed facial expressions, he delivered all and more of what would be expected of a professional and more.
Though it culminated and concluded with the birth of Christ, Night of the Shepherds delved into more universal issues: for instance, the value of friendship and faith, and how hatred—even justified hatred—corrodes the heart of anyone who harbors it. Janis’ decision to transfer the focus from the messenger (Jesus) to his true message (peace, love, and kindness), was both tasteful and ingenious, spreading the spirit of Christmas. By expanding the play’s underlying meaning to a universal idea, Janis was able to effectively communicate the crux of Jesus’ teachings without bringing the controversy of religion into the equation.
“I am so blessed by [the students’] skill and talent. I am honored to have this musical presented for the first time here,” Janis said. The feeling is mutual: FFS feels blessed to have been in the presence of such talent as well and was glad to share the afternoon watching such a special performance.
