Christmas Movie Review: **^Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

This is a 1962 made for TV animated feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Xhl0M0eXs This is the Christmas Carol, as portrayed by Mr. Magoo (Jim Backus (of Gilligan's Island)).  It starts with a silly piece of Mr. Magoo arriving late for his Broadway performance.  He says he never misses an entrance, even though he is half an hour late.  Mr. Magoo is miserly, not sharing coal with Bob Cratchit.  He makes several jokes about his sight, and then the ghost jokes about his sight as well.  Mr. Magoo is too cheap to purchase glasses.  The ghosts come in a different order, Marley, then Christmas present before Christmas past and then Christmas yet-to-be.  The music is entertaining, but not that memorable.  Antics about his sight is what makes Mr. Magoo.  He shakes the turkey's hand, talks to the horse and the snowmen, thinks a statue is his reflection,  No nephew in this show, and I missed him.

Christmas Theatrical Review: The Savior of the World

We went to see this Thursday, and I wrote of our experience, but wanted to add a review.  You knew this was going to be something special walking into the room and seeing the set. 

It never ceases to amaze me the way a good stage painter can make plywood look like marble.  You can see the balcony on either side in the pictures.  There was also a balcony in the back.  It was very interesting the way the balcony was used for the chorus, aka angels.  It was very effective.  The play did an adequate job of telling the story of Jesus from the New Testament perspective, but also giving the Book of Mormon point of view.  They presented up through the birth of Jesus.
As mentioned in my thoughts on the evening, sometimes the music drowned out the vocals.  But the spirit of the songs was tremendous, especially when they sand familiar sacrament hymns, "Jesus, Once of Humble Birth."  It was a tremendous production.  I recommend watching this if you ever get the chance.  This same production was presented at the conference center for several years.
http://billywardlefamily.blogspot.com/2013/12/savior-of-world-musical-theater-turlock.html

Christmas Musical Movie Review: ***Come Dance With Me (2012)

This is an enjoyable movie with a plot very similar to "You've Got Mail."  We have and executive in money management who has been working on a project for some time, and it finally goes through with a big bonus, while at the same time he starts taking dance lessons to impress the boss' daughter he has been dating, with the hopes of proposing to her at a Christmas Ball.  He starts to fall for his dance instructor, who offers true love, against financial wealth.  Turns out the project he has gotten to go through is going to result in the demolition of the dance instructor's studio.  She comes to him for advise, and rather than confess to his role in the project he decides to help her, and in fact disguises his voice when she calls to confront those involved in the project.  In the midst of all this, his mother shows up where he lives in New York.  Her husband, his father, passed away this year and she decides not to spend Christmas alone.  She helps him see things in a different light.
This movie is very enjoyable.  The dance is lovely and the lines made by the couple as beautiful.  He doesn't get the opportunity to dance with the boss' daughter, but does get wine in his face, twice.

This movie stars Andrew McCarthy as Jack, the business executive, and Michelle Nolden as the dance instructor.  Stephanie Mills is the boss' daughter.