WEBVTT COMMUNITY AND THE BIRTH OF CH >> ♪ JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD IS COME ♪ ♪ >> BEFORE THIS CAN HAPPEN -- >> ♪ LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING ♪ ♪ >> THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF THIS. >> ♪ >> NIGHTLY REHEARSALS OF THE CAST CHOIR FOR THE CANDLELIGHT PROCESSI THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN GOLD AND GREEN CHOIR ROBES RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE CARRYING CANDLES AND LIGHTING UP THE CHRISTMAS THEY ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL SINGERS. THEY ARE DISNEY EMPLOYEES. >> WE KIND OF COACH THEM TO BE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, THE BULBS OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE WITH THEIR FACE. WE WANT THEM TO BE AS VISUAL AS POSSIBLE AND STILL EXECUTE THE MUSIC THE WAY WE’VE TAUGHT THEM. >> DIRK DONAHUE IS THE CAST CHOIR REHEARSAL CONDUCTOR. THIS KISSIMMEE NATIVE STARTED SINGING IN THIS CHOIR IN 1985. >> ARE YOU EVER SATISFIED? >> I GUESS NOT, WHICH MAY BE A BAD THING, BUT IN THIS CASE IT’S A GOOD THING I THINK. WE WANT TO STRIVE TO PUSH THEM TO THEIR LIMITS AND MAYBE EVEN GO FARTHER. >> THE CAST CHOIR STARTS REHEARSING IN SEPTEMBER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OPENING NIGH EVERY YEAR, THERE ARE A LOT OF NEW FACES IN THIS GROUP. NOT ONE OF THEM PAID, EVERY ONE A VOLUNTEER, EVERY ONE A DISNEY EMPLOYEE. >> THIS IS MY 17TH YEAR. >> THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR. >> THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR SO I’M VERY EXCITED TO BE BACK. >> THIS WILL BE MY 24TH SEASON. >> WE’RE ALL FAMILY HERE. >> WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A CAST CHOIR MEMBER? >> DEDICATION. AND SOMEBODY THAT ENJOYS SINGING. AND BLEND THEIR VOICE WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WE HAVE A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM HERE AND THAT COUNTS A LOT. >> FORREST BAHRUTH IS THE SHOW DIRECTOR AT WALT DISNEY WORLD. HE’S BEEN A DISNEY EMPLOYEE FOR 47 YEARS. AND WHAT ABOUT THE TALENT LEVEL IN THE ROOM? >> VERY HIGH. THEY ARE REALLY EXCELLENT. >> MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER? >> YES, AND ENJOYABLE TO HEAR AS WELL. >> LAURA BUTLER HITS THE HIGH NOTES IN THE CAST CHOIR THIS IS HER 5TH YEAR. HER FATHER, JIM, IS ACROSS THE ROOM HITTING LOW NOTES NOW IN HIS 2ND YEAR. JIM’S SON ALSO SINGS IN THE CHOIR, ALL PART OF A MUSICAL FAMILY. >> MY FIRST PERFORMANCE, I JUST HAD CHILLS THE WHOLE TIME. >> PEOPLE IN THIS CHOIR ARE FROM ALL DIFFERENT ROLES ACROSS THE COMPANY. I MAKE NEW FRIENDS EVERY RESULT. >> THERE ARE COOKS, BUS DRIVERS, CORPORATE OFFICE PEOPLE. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE 15 OR 20 YEARS. IT AMAZES ME THAT THEY CAN TAKE THOSE PEOPLE AND MOLD THEM INTO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE STAGE. >> MICHELLE MARSHALL HAS BEEN SINGING FOR TWO DECADES IN THE CAST CHOIR. KEVIN MARSHALL FOR 25 YEARS. >> WE HAVE LOT OF WONDERFUL MEMORIES AND FRI WE FEEL IT’S TRULY THE MOST WONDERFUL SHOW ON PROPERTY. >> IN 2002, AS THEY WERE SINGING ACROSS THE CHOIR FROM ONE ANOTHER, SPARKS FLEW. THEY DATED FOR A YEAR. >> WE HAD THE COSTUMING PEOPLE COME OUT, EVERYBODY WAS STANDING AROUND AND I SAID THIS IS SO SWEET, EVERYBODY’S COME TO SEE US FOR THE LAST SHOW. AND I COULD HEAR CHUCKLING BEHIND ME. WHY ARE THEY LAUGHING AT ME? ALL OF A SUDDEN, DOWN ON ONE KNEE, AND I THOUGHT ALL OF A SUDDEN, THIS IS HAPPENING. >> SHE SAID MAKE IT SPECIAL. >> WELL, YES, I DID. IT WAS PERFECT. HE COULDN’T HAVE PICKED A MORE MAGICAL WAY TO DO IT AND WE GOT TO SHARE IT WITH ALL OUR FRIENDS. >> KEVIN AND MICHELLE ARE NOW RETIRED FROM WALT DISNEY WORLD, BUT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO AUDITION FOR THE CAST CHOIR. EVERYONE HERE EARNS THEIR PLACE. WHO IS THE BETTER SINGER? >> OOOHH. [LAUGHTER] >> >> MORE THAN 1200 TRIED OUT TO BE PART OF THE CAST CHOIR 824 WERE SELECTED. EACH MUST TAKE PART IN A MINIMUM OF 15 HOURS OF REHEARSAL TIME. THERE ARE PERFORMANCES FOR 39 STRAIGHT NIGHTS A TOTAL OF 117 , SHOWS. HOW DO YOU CRAFT THE SOUND TO GET IT TO WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE? >> I THINK IT’S A PERPETUAL THING. WE’RE ALWAYS TRYING, ALWAYS FINDING NEW THINGS, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY OF THEM. >> THAT WAS A MAXIM OF WALT’S. HE ALWAYS SAID YOU GOTTA KEEP MAKING IT BETTER. >> 400 PEOPLE ON STAGE, INCLUDING SINGERS FROM CHURCH AND SCHOOL CHOIRS, ALONG WITH A 50 PIECE ORCHESTRA AND A CELEBRITY NARRATOR. ALL WITH ONE NOBLE GOA >> ♪ AND HE SHALL REIGN ♪ ♪ >> I WANT THEM TO GET WHY WE’RE THERE. THE STORY OF CHRIST. IT’S THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.