Northwestern State University’s 37th annual Christmas Gala took place in A.A. Fredericks Fine Arts Center for audiences of students, faculty and members of the Natchitoches community. Different organizations within the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts came together to put on nine shows in three days, putting on a memorable show for the different communities.
This year’s show told a story of three elves, employed by Mrs. Claus, journeying across the United States—including Natchitoches—to keep an eye on Santa Claus and eventually traveling with him, ending their journey in the North Pole.
Shane Thomas is the director of choral activities at NSU and was the Gala director this year. The Chamber, Lyrica and Orpheus choirs all took part in the Gala. This was Thomas’ second year at NSU, and he enjoyed what Gala meant for NSU and the city of Natchitoches.
“I don’t know if I have a favorite memory as much as I love what it contributes to our community,” Thomas said. “My first year last year … I remember walking through the pit and walking up into the conducting spot to get ready for the first number in the very first show where there are over 700 elementary, middle and high school students in the audience.”
“It made me teary-eyed,” Thomas said. “Our piece of music wasn’t that dramatic emotionally, but it was one of those things where you could see how it affected the community. And then that carried on through … all nine performances [that] had that same emotional impact on the audience.”
Students and faculty who participated in the Gala put lots of hard work into preparing for and performing the show. Caroline Losavio, a junior theater major, performed as an elf named Paprika in the show. “I want [students] to know how much work went into it on the student side and the faculty side,” Losavio said.
“We prepare for Gala all year long. Being a student in CAPA, it’s always ‘let’s hold this for Gala or we’ll do this in the future for Gala’ … We’re already preparing for next year,” Losavio said.
Preparation for the Gala is extensive, with rehearsals starting about two months before the shows and students practicing with and without the full cast. Losavio quizzed herself with cue cards and listened to Christmas music to help her get into the spirit of the shows.
Abbygale Sims, a freshman liberal arts major, was part of the Chamber and Lyrica choir performances. Lyrica’s performance of “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” was her favorite, with the choir learning new techniques for it.
“[For preparation, we had] lots of hot drinks and warming up and down, as well as working on body percussion while singing,” Sims said. “I hope [students] lost themselves in all the talent on stage, and come see Gala again every opportunity that they get. It’s so special to be a part of, and the audience really feels the passion of all the talented people involved.”
For Jaeda Barrett, a senior dance major, this Gala season was extra special. “It was my last one, so it was kind of bittersweet to do,” Barrett said.
Her favorite part was the new edition to the Radio City Rockettes performance, which she danced in. “It was interesting every night, with the live singers and band. It was all really fun, having the live music to dance to,” Barrett said. “They don’t normally do that.”
Christmas Gala brings students and the Natchitoches community together to enjoy a special tradition for everyone involved. From the impressive number of shows and the different themes each year to the number of people involved, Gala is an accumulation of CAPA’s hard work to bring enjoyment to the rest of NSU.
