Tuesday, September 20, 2011

There's Still Time To License "One Mad Christmas" For 2011!


It's getting late, but there's still time to do "One Mad Christmas" as a dramatic musical outreach at your church this Christmas 2011!

If you've considered "One Mad Christmas" but are still unsure if it's the production for you, then here are a few thoughts that might help:

1. First of all, we want to say thanks for checking it out!  We're honored that you are considering it as a possibility this year!





We know you have choices this Christmas.  If you are on the edge but haven't decided, how can we help make  "One Mad Christmas" your choice for this Christmas?

Answer in the comments below, or drop me a line at JohnnyLeckie@Gmail.com

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Ways To Contact Us With Questions About "One Mad Christmas"

Questions About the Dramatic Musical, "One Mad Christmas?" 

 Here are 3 ways to get answers:

1. Email - Feel free to send me (Johnny) an email with questions about the musical at any time: JohnnyLeckie@gmail.com

2. Phone - Because we are not a company (we're a couple :) ) our phone number is not listed here.  But if you send me an email (above) with your phone number, I'll call you immediately.  Or if you'd prefer, I can just email you my cell number and you can call at your convenience.

3. Live Video Chat - See the "Let's Chat" tab above for the schedule.  (The last one of the year is Thursday, August 24, 2011 @ 7pm CST) Ask a question in the chat and we'll answer it live on screen.
Direct Link - http://www.livestream.com/johnnyleckie

Also, if you haven't already, be sure to check out this post, "7 Reasons To Do 'One Mad Christmas' This Year" and then download all of the free preview files in the sidebar on the right or click here for a direct link: Preview Files

We look forward to talking with you!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

2 Live Video Chats About "One Mad Christmas" Today!

There will be 2 Live Video Chats about the Musical, "One Mad Christmas" today and we will be streaming selected scenes from the musical during the chat!

* 1st Broadcast starts this morning at 11am CST Thursday, July 14, 2011.

* Broadcast 2 is tonight at 7pm CST Thursday, July 14, 2011.


Follow the link below to jump from here to the actual "LiveStream Video Site."  We have no control over the ads displayed, but they help make the live video stream possible....

Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Little About The Dramatic Musical "One Mad Christmas"

After a very long day (which shows in my face!) I share a little about the musical below.  This is not live, but is a pre-recorded video from the Live Chat from last week. A short ad will play, then the video will begin:


Watch live streaming video from johnnyleckie at livestream.com

Download all of the free files in the sidebar first, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us via JohnnyLeckie@Gmail.com!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

One Mad "Shiny Aluminum Christmas Tree"

* Join us for our next "Live Video Chat" about the musical on Thursday, July 7, 2011, 7pm CST! Or if you have questions about the musical, contact me directly JohnnyLeckie[at]gmail.com.
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One of the fun elements of "One Mad Christmas" was adding an "Aluminum Christmas Tree" to the set of "J.J.'s."

"A Charlie Brown Christmas," which was first broadcast in December of 1965, is considered by some to be the beginning of the downward spiral of the aluminum tree's popularity in American homes. In the setting of our musical (1960), however, the trees were still in vogue.

My Grandmother had one when I was little and I remember being fascinated with the "color wheel" and the way the silver branches changed colors as the wheel turned. I still think they're kind of cool. :)

The "Aluminum Christmas Tree" is not absolutely essential for performing the musical, but it is a fun, nostalgic addition whose appearance on set immediately suggests another era.


We had a family in our church who happened to have one that we were able to use for the production. The color wheel required a few modifications, but it worked great. There are many places to find one of these trees and color wheels, but your own congregation is the best starting point.

If you are interested in purchasing one, try looking in Thrift shops or dig a little deeper and buy one from Amazon.

Since they were popular midway through the last century, there will definitely be a few people in your group who have never heard of them, much less seen one before. Adding this kind of element to your Christmas production can create an atmosphere among your cast, chorus and production team that what you are doing is unique and special.

...Ok, and I guess also a little "quirky." :)

Check out these sites for more Aluminum Christmas Tree Fun:

Cool Things - Aluminum Trees

AluminumChristmastrees.net

Listen to stories at NPR:

Aluminum Christmas Tree Museum


Aluminum Trees Make A Comeback
( * Highly recommended! Definitely worth the 3 minutes. Also includes video of color spinning wheel on a tree from 1962.)
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Be sure to download all of the free "preview" files that are located in the sidebar of the main page of this blog, and start with the file, "1MadStarthere.pdf." If you have any additional questions, please feel free to drop me a line at: johnnyleckie [at] gmail.com

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Download the Free Preview Files for "One Mad Christmas"

Did you know that you can download the full script, Song samples, Cast info and more for free?  Really!  Just click on the files in the sidebar to your right and download away.

You don't need to sign up, give us your email address or anything.  Just click and download!  Click here for a direct link to the files!



** Also, Join us tomorrow night (Thursday, May 19th at 7pm CST) for our next Live Video Chat.  Leona and I will once again be doing an overview of the musical, answering your questions live, being our goofy selves and providing a freebie or two...


The video will be streaming here on the site and will be broadcast from Livestream.  Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Cast of Characters


The cast of characters that make "One Mad Christmas" come to life were inspired by classic actors & comedians of television and film.

Leona and I had a great time envisioning the "perfect" cast for the musical, and you can see the main cast descriptions here: "Cast and Charcters" (Scroll to the bottom and work your way up.)

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Be sure to download all of the free "preview" files that are located in the sidebar of the main page of this blog, and start with the file, "1MadStarthere.pdf." If you have any additional questions, please feel free to drop me a line at: johnnyleckie [at] gmail.com

Thursday, April 28, 2011

"An Overview of One Mad Christmas"

Broadcast starts at 7pm CST Thursday, April 28, 2011.  Follow the link below to jump from here to the actual "LiveStream Video Site."  We have no control over the ads displayed, but they help make the live video stream possible....

Direct Link - http://www.livestream.com/johnnyleckie

Friday, February 18, 2011

Start Here To Get A Quick Overview of the Musical

Below is one of the free downloads for "One Mad Christmas" and is a snapshot overview of the musical. Use the controls at the bottom of the box to view in full screen, zoom, or download the file.

Download all of the free preview files from the box in the sidebar, or click here for the direct link to them all.



We know it's not even Easter, yet, but wouldn't it be great to "lock in" what you're doing for Christmas this year? :)
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Be sure to download all of the free "preview" files that are located in the sidebar of the main page of this blog, and start with the file, "1MadStarthere.pdf." If you have any additional questions, please feel free to drop me a line at: johnnyleckie [at] gmail.com


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Preview Party Ideas for "One Mad Christmas"


Many churches performing dramatic musical productions at Christmas plan a "Listening/Viewing" type of party prior to beginning rehearsals in order to cast the vision and get everyone jazzed (so to speak) about the production. But how do you do that without a soundtrack or quality preview video? That's where we were when we introduced "One Mad Christmas" to our group for the first time.

In previous years, we had used a preview video for this purpose, but this one was, of course, different. We had the added excitement of it being an original musical, but we also had to discover a way to give everyone a picture of what to expect.

Here’s what we did to pull that off. Maybe it will give you a few ideas, also:
  • I recruited people to do a reading of the dramatic script before our listening/viewing party. These were generally people I had in mind for the various roles, but not all of them. We printed out copies of the script for everyone, invited them to my house for pizza, assigned them parts to read through, and then we sat in a circle and did a “reading run through.” When we had our "all chorus/cast/interested parties" listening/viewing party, I had these same people read it through like a “radio show.” (Although I honestly can’t remember if we read through sections or the whole thing.)
  • I previewed/worked through the score with my pianist and drummer before “previewing” it with everyone else. They had a pretty good handle on it by the time we presented it at the listening/viewing party.
  • I printed up production books that included all of the songs that the entire chorus would be singing as well as costume information, background info, countdown information, etc. and passed them out to everyone who came to the listening/viewing party. (Much of this information is provided for you in the "Director's Production Guide" for "One Mad Christmas." It is provided with the other downloadable materials when you license the musical.)
  • We sang through the songs live with piano and drums as we introduced the musical that night. This created an immediate "hands on" experience with the musical that involved everyone in the process from the beginning.
  • We made a big deal about it being a “special” production, unlike the “canned” musicals we had done in the past. (Not being derogatory here, just trying to distinguish it as being something unique.) Our cast and chorus were very excited about doing a musical that no one else in our area was doing, and one in fact, that had never been done before!
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Be sure to download all of the free "preview" files that are located in the sidebar of the main page of this blog, and start with the file, "1MadStarthere.pdf." If you have any additional questions, please feel free to drop me a line at: johnnyleckie [at] gmail.com

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Special Deals for February

Considering performing the dramatic musical, "One Mad Christmas" with your church, this year? Still have a few questions?

Join us tonight, 7 pm, (CST) live, for a free "text based" chat about the musical!
Thursday, February 3rd, at 7pm Central Standard Time.

Enter a Name or Nickname, click "sign in" and you're there! We'll be there for about an hour - Drop in at any time during that hour and chat w/ us for as long as you like!

** We are giving away copies of the "Director's Production Guide" and special discounts to those who join us tonight. We look forward to talking to you!




Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Chat about One Mad Christmas

It's early in the year, but I know that there are some brave souls out there who are already searching for possible Dramatic Church Musicals for Christmas 2011!

We've scheduled several free live "chats" for Q&A about the musical, this year. See the tab above, appropriately titled "Let's Chat!" for the evening schedule or check the chat room during the day to see if we are there.

The first scheduled chat of this year is 2 days from now:
Thursday, January 20th, at 7pm Central Standard Time.

Enter a Name or Nickname, click "sign in" and you're there!

We'll be there for about an hour - Drop in at any time during that hour and chat w/ us for as long as you like!

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Church's Production of "One Mad Christmas" Makes News

Congratulations to Raymond Baptist Church in Raymond, New Hampshire, whose 2010 production of "One Mad Christmas" made the local news. Great job, guys! :)

Full story can be seen at http://is.gd/ko5YW

(Click image for larger version.)