The long-standing holiday tradition welcomes Broadway star Michael Maliakel and beloved British actress Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) as they join the iconic Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in a stunning theatrical program, illustrating that the real meaning of Christmas is love and opening our hearts to all.
Maliakel and Nicol join a cast of over 500 volunteers delivering a rich and moving celebration of the season that combines timeless music with real-life examples of sharing joy. In addition to cherished Christmas classics such as “Joy to the World,” “I Wonder as I Wander,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the broadcast includes “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas,” which fans will remember fondly from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
During one of the program’s most moving numbers, Maliakel sings “God Help the Outcasts” from the musical and film The Hunchback of Notre Dame and shares the true story of Victor Hugo and his wife hosting a Christmas feast for impoverished children in their town.
At the close, Nicol shares the Christmas story from the Bible as she and Maliakel join the 360-voice choir, 90 orchestra members, 32 bell ringers, eight trumpeters and three organists for the traditional grand finale of “Angels From the Realms of Glory.”
Joy: Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir airs on PBS Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 8pm ET/PT (check local listings). BYUtv airs the program Dec. 19 at 7pm ET, with frequent encores through Christmas Day.