What does a tissue, a feather, a bottle of bubbles, a party popper, a plastic horse, a glow stick, and a hand clapper have in common? They could all be found in the goodie bag I received, as I entered the Michigan Theater last Friday night, ready to belt out the classic songs of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”
Donning the Santa Hat handed to me along with the goodie bag, I felt like an elf from the Polar Express. I followed the hordes into the theater, where the antique Barton organ was humming old classic favorites like ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and the ‘Chipmunk Song.’
The theater was packed with mostly families starting new traditions, and old friends remembering the past – a glorious mash-up of the new and classic, the young and old, coming together to celebrate the holidays. And if anyone could turn “White Christmas” into a “Rocky Horror” style experience, it is the Michigan Theater.
The red curtain lifted and the eponymous title song, “White Christmas” came on. In case you didn’t know the lyrics (????), the words were digitally projected onto the screen and looked just like the subtitles of those Disney Sing Along tapes we all watched so long ago. Throughout the movie, the subtitles prompted us to retrieve certain items from our goodie bag. Every time Emma the hotel clerk takes out her hankie, we shook our napkins (very lady-like, of course) at the screen and cried, ‘Boo-hoo.’
Grab your bubbles! It’s starting to snow!
The movie is centered around performances, and so, to imitate our role as an audience member for both the fictional performances as well as the movie itself, we were encouraged to flap our hand clappers when Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye finish their big dance number, or when Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen take their final curtsy. But, basically, we could “hand clap” whenever we wanted (very much like in a poetry slam when you snap for anything that you find especially smooth). Among this particular audience, the hand-claps seemed to be synchronized with the kissing scenes. It was like we were all back in seventh grade when we had to say something at the sight of kissing. Except, instead of “eww,” we let out a collective, “ooh!!!”
At the final scene when the General (who owns the hotel which has been financially saved) blows out the candles on his cake, we were prompted to get out the poppers. We all waited, hands at the ready. Anticipation bubbled throughout the theater, as we waited for him to signal the celebration. It was as if we, the audience, were part of the movie! Suddenly, POP!!!! Streamers flew every which way throughout the theater and the smoky smell of gunpowder filled the air.
If you ever get the chance to take part in a communal sing along experience, do it! Even if you don’t like to sing. Because it isn’t all about the singing. The community of movie watchers and you become one. Together, you bond over the 5D experience of the movie. The smells, the sounds, the tangibility of the fictional movie become real with your help! You help bring it alive, which is an amazing thing to experience. The Michigan Theater is unique in that they put on events like this: events that you the audience member bring to life; events that will become an annual tradition time and time again. Someday, when I’m 89 years old, I hope to bring my friends, my kids, and grandkids back there to the ole’ Michigan Theater and sing along to “White Christmas” tunes, just like I did in 2014.
