Glenn’s Trumpet Notes

This year, Alderwood Community Church (ACC) presented its 32nd Christmas musical—-“Christmas in the Bubbleator.” The Bubbleator was a spherical elevator in a building at the Century 21 World’s Fair in Seattle in 1962. (I graduated from the University of Washington that summer, and I rode in the Bubbleator with my parents from Texas.) Five performances produced a total attendance of about 2,800 during 6, 7, 8 December. For the second time, the church had commissioned Matthew Wilson to write a play. The first one was his “New Life of the Land” which also debuted at ACC  (use the Archives column on the left to see my post of 13 December 2017). This one is the sequel to that.

The play takes place in the span of only about two hours on Christmas Eve of 1961, about three months prior to the opening of the World’s Fair. The main character is a high school girl from Alderwood Manor (which was by then part of the new city, Lynnwood). She has applied for a job as a Bubblelator operator, posing as “Jacqueline Clarington,” the daughter of a wealthy San Francisco family. She dreams of living that Big City lifestyle in the future, and this job is to be a first step in that direction (use the Archives column on the left to see my post of 13 December 2017).

In fact, she is actually Barbara Beck, the granddaughter of John and Margaret Beck, chicken farmers from Alderwood Manor. When she had applied earlier using her real name and address, Barbara received a rejection letter. But as Jacqueline Clarington from San Francisco, she is virtually already hired after she had an exaggerated, demonstrative interview with the Fair Director. Her grandparents spoiled her imaginative but devious plan. She is stricken by their honesty, goodwill, and love of her, and her conscience compels her to expose her fraud in a late confession to the Fair Director. “Everything I’ve told you is a lie. I wanted to be part of something great, but tonight, I realize that I already am. Oh…Merry Christmas!” The three of them leave the fairgrounds and return to reality—family and church back in Alderwood Manor. To see a high quality video of this entire Christmas show, produced by Monique Anderson for ACC, please see https://vimeo.com/380922775/85e704f214.

The 22-member orchestra, 55-member choir and The Evergreens combo (vocalist, saxophone and vocalist, lead guitar, and bass guitar) performed numerous pieces of music before, during and after the show. The brass section was comprised of three trumpets, three trombones, and one French horn.

Photos are courtesy of Alderwood Community Church. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

ACC Orchestra

ACC Choir

Cast

The Evergreens

Scenes From Play

Other Scenes