BWW Blog: “20 Years of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” with Brian Stokes Mitchell

Last Wednesday, Christmas came a little early for me, as I found myself lunching at Below 54 while listening to Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell. He was on hand to accept a $100,000 donation on behalf of the Actors Fund from the Tabernacle Choir.

The Actors Fund provides aid to theatre professions with anything from health issues to household bills... and literally any and everything else. It has been a virtual lifeline to thousands in the industry who face financial, physical and emotional hardship in the pandemic jet-wash.

The beloved star reminisced and treated this fortunate to his magical singing voice. Then, then.... he gave me the gift of telling a wonderful true story that happened during the early days of the pandemic. If learning is what we already know, his tale of a simple encounter taught him the reason for the season... the of giving in brotherhood with gratitude and kindness:

Brian began, "I was singing 'The Impossible Dream' out my window during the pandemic (lockdown) each night for 2-1/2 months. This is a lesson I learned; it is one of the most valuable lessons I have learned in my life."

"I had been doing it as an act of gratitude for all of the essential workers who were putting their lives on the line...not just healthcare workers, but the police and firefighters, EMT, MTA and supermarkets and everyone who kept this city going. But after a while literally hundreds of people were gathering on the street and it went viral and soon everybody knew about it. It was beginning to feel performative to me."

"It didn't feel like it was about the essential workers any longer. Yes, they applauded each evening, but if felt as if they were coming to see me. I thought, I gotta stop doing this because this (gathering each evening) is about the workers. With this on my mind, I started walking to a market on my street when a neighbor-who I'd never even met-stopped me. He said 'you don't know me.' And he started to get emotional. He continued 'Every night at 7:00PM I come down out to the street with my wife and my two sons to clap and bang pots for all the workers and to hear you sing. It's the one time in my day I feel joy.'"

"I brought my hands in my chest. Oh....I'd forgotten. I needed to be reminded, as artists we're essential workers of another kind. As performers and artists we get to help heal people's hearts...and their soul....and mind...and spirit and lift them when they're down. And it was a huge, huge lesson to me. It reminded me what got ME through this pandemic was binge watching tv and listening to music. Artists got me through this pandemic as well. That is why it is so important that we take care of artists as well through The Actors Fund."

I felt my own heart grow from the simple truth of his words. After the ceremony and luncheon concluded, I grabbed a cab and decided to jump out at Rockefeller Center instead of going straight home. Taking in the glittering tree, the skaters, the smiles of passersby apparent even from behind their masks, I reflected on the story Brian Stokes Mitchell had shared.

We ARE at our best when we are taking care of one another, whether through large gifts (as in the Tabernacle Choir's most amazing donation) to the daily act of a single man sharing his God-given talent for a few minutes each evening to bring joy to weary hearts, recharge waning spirits.

That is the gift of Christmas-an annual reminder for all to choose kindness over cruelty, acceptance over judgment. "It's amazing what we can do as human beings when we decide: let's do this together." Stokes smiled, "This is a magical time of year, when magical things happen." After all is said and done, love truly is the only rational act...with the power to conquer all.

One other gift from the Tabernacle Choir and Temple Square Orchestra will be unwrapped to us all on PBS Monday, December 13th: "20 Years of Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir" with Brian Stokes Mitchell. Their incomparable medley of 200+ voices and instruments will unite in spectacular fashion for their annual Christmas Celebration Concert. Visit pbs.org/tabernaclechoir for all details. You may also enjoy it Wednesday, December 16th BYU-tv. For more information on that streaming event go to: BYUtv.org.