Open Door School Christmas production remains a popular event

For at least 25 years, the students at Open Door School have put on their Christmas production in front of a standing room only gymnasium to get the community in the holiday spirit.

This year’s theme was “A Disney Christmas,” and featured the students and staff showing off their singing, dancing and performing skills Tuesday morning.

“The kids really enjoy it and love being able to perform and show what they can do,” principal Kendra Heim said. “They really look forward to it and love to share a part of themselves with others.”

Heim gave a brief welcome before the stage was taken over by Marvel superheroes and villains from the school’s Pre-vocational 1 class reciting a tailored version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The production continued with various students performing “Silent Night” with bells followed by students Tiffany Easter and Ashley Artis, as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, singing “Christmas Night” with backup dancers Aaron Waddle and Travis Easter.

“I just like having fun singing and making the crowd happy,” Artis said.

Students in the school’s Intermediate 1 class portrayed the cast of “Frozen” for a production of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” before students jingled bells to the tune of “Silver Bells.”

Snow White and the seven dwarfes, played by the Intermediate 2 class, promptly followed with the singing of “O’ Christmas Tree,” before Mickey Mouse Club singers of the pre-vocational 2 and vocational 1 classes sang “Jingle Bells” and the Primary 1 and 2 classes sang the “12 Days of Christmas” as the 101 Dalmatians.

Joshua “JT” Jones, Travis Easter, Joshua Gool, Dylan “Alex” Beckett and Brittany Hackworth, of the Marvel skit, gave a special “Epic Fail” performance of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” with special guest Doris Noe playing “grandma” The program concluded with the whole school and staff coming together to sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Santa Claus arrived to the gym to the end for students to get pictures.

Since just after Thanksgiving, the Open Door students practiced to get ready for the performance, even rehearsing twice a day for two weeks leading up to the production.

“The kids work super hard on it and they love it,” Brynn Murnahan, teacher’s aid at the school said.

The high school students and staff on the school’s third floor make the production possible each year by helping with props, sets and the production’s program.