'It's a Wonderful Christmas' debuts at the Emerson

By DAVE RICHARDSON, Chronicle Staff Writer

Don't let the elf shoes, candy-cane tights and pointy green hats fool you: The kids rehearsing at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, prepping themselves for their big Dec. 22 show, are all budding professionals.

The nearly two-dozen young performers appearing in “It's a Wonderful Christmas,” a holiday celebration of dance and music being staged by the local nonprofit group Youth Arts in Action, represent some of the most promising talent in the region.

The show will be a combination of solo and group dance performances with musical accompaniment. It's a chance for the kids, many of whom have received scholarships from the group, to strut their stuff, spread some holiday cheer and - most importantly - have some serious fun.

“We sponsor kids from age 8 to 28,” said Teresa Khan MacKay, Youth Arts in Action's founder. “Our mission is to educate and sponsor outstanding young artists. With this performance we're really trying to nurture the young talent we have in the local area.”

Youth Arts in Action hopes to provide the inspiration, information and financial support necessary for talented kids to find opportunities beyond Bozeman, and even beyond Montana, Teresa said.

This year alone, Youth Arts in Action provided more than $12,000 in scholarships.

“Now it's grown into something I realize I can dedicate my life to, helping nurture these talented kids to get where they need to go,” Teresa said. “It's exciting.”

During rehearsals for the upcoming show, the excitement was palpable. Some of the group's brightest stars are returning to the stage, Greg MacKay, Teresa's husband, said.

“It's really quite something when you bring these professional and pre-professional artists in and see the faces of the kids light up,” Greg said. “It's really quite a heartwarming experience, especially with the little kids, to see how they interact. Their eyes just go wide and you can see they're inspired.”

Bringing back past awardees also shows younger participants that there is a path to success that they, too, can follow, he said.

Some of the luminaries in this year's show include Jesse MacDonald, 15, a Bozeman High School student who has won numerous top-flight awards for his outstanding violin talent.

James Schlender, 13, a fiddler who recently beat the pants off of 54 of 60 adult competitors at a fiddle competition in Nashville, Tenn., also will perform, among others.

Sallyann Mulcahy, a professional choreographer with Artisan Dance in Helena, the state's only professional ballet company, will be adding her formidable talents to the mix, though some of the group's dancers have choreographed their own pieces.

“For her to come in and work with kids who are 8, 10 and 12 years old is really a privilege for them, because she mostly trains professionals.” Teresa said.

John Ludin, co-founder of Montana TheatreWorks, is providing his own talent as a stage manager for the show. Ludin's daughter Malia, 13, is a past recipient of a Youth Arts scholarship. The award, Ludin said, allowed Malia to study ballet at a renowned school in Seattle.

Ludin said he, too, was overwhelmed by the challenges of just how to help his daughter fulfill her life-long dream, but the financial, moral and logistical support provided by the MacKays' group made all the difference, and sparked his loyal support of the group.

“I'm won over pretty hard,” Ludin said. “Montana TheatreWorks has been around for a few years, and we know how to do shows. I decided to let this be our contribution, to help put this show on.”

Ludin, whose group owns the Ellen Theater on Main Street and hopes to soon reopen the historic theater as a community performing arts center for shows like “It's a Wonderful Christmas,” also helped the MacKays line up sponsors for the show, including cash contributions from First Interstate Bank, flyers and posters from Insty Prints, advertising from local radio stations and the Daily Chronicle along with cash donations from arts supporters.

Ludin said he is as excited as he can be about the show.

“It's just a celebration of all these kids who've got just exceptional talent getting together and sharing this Christmas spirit thing,” Ludin said. “Maybe it sounds a little hokey and Frank Capra-esque, but it's really, really cool.”

Dave Richardson is at drichardson@dailychronicle.com.

“It's a Wonderful Christmas” will run at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture. For tickets, or to make a donation to Youth Arts in Action, visit its Web site at www.youthartsinaction.org.

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