Sweet Tea Shakespeare will help usher in the season with Behold. The concert will be held Dec. 4-6, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 1601 Raeford Rd. The show, a mix of story telling and song, creates a unique experience meant to be thoughtful and uplifting.
“This is one of those shows that our performers (myself included) look forward to coming back to year after year. It truly is a magical, beautiful experience to blend joyful noises and contemplative sounds together. For me, it is like a breath of fresh air after rushing around all year,” said Jessie Wise, executive director and CEO of Sweet Tea Shakespeare. “It's my hope the rest of the performers and the audience get to experience that as well.”
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church serves as the backdrop to the event, a tradition that Wise says has been going on since Behold began several years ago.
“Holy Trinity Episcopal Church has graciously been hosting this concert since we began offering it many years ago. We will be performing in their Sanctuary, which is a beautiful space for this concert,” Wise said.
The concert includes select readings as well as songs from Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God and the Oh Hellos. Wise said STS likes to call the performance a folk Christmas cantata. The majority of those performing this year have been a part of Behold or other Sweet Tea Shakespeare productions in the past.
“Behold will be sung by Traycie Kuhn-Zapata, Lexi Robinson, Jeremy Fiebig, Tocarra Patrick, Taj Allen, Greg Harper, Izaiah Zapata and myself, and musicians include Jacob French (guitar), Mike Canino (bass), Jonathan Breitzer (violin), Joel Wise (drums), Dean Dibling (guitar), and Evan Bridenstine(keyboard),” Wise said.
Behold has been a fixture in the Fayetteville community for several years.
“I believe it began as a passion project from our music director, Jacob French and STS founder Jeremy Fiebig,” she said.
The passion is truly felt, as the performance leaves both the audience and performers feeling introspective. STS’s website says the performance is a way to “feel the spirit of the Season.”
It is with this in mind that STS has designated the performance as a “pay as you can” show. Tickets can be purchased through their website at https://sweetteashakespeare.com/behold-december-fayetteville/, and concert goers can choose how much they pay for their tickets.
“We want to make sure that tickets are accessible to all, especially during the holiday season when finances are tight,” Wise said. “The pay what you will option provides opportunities for us to open our performance to everyone while also allowing those who feel passionately about our productions to give back. We have used this model for some other concerts in the past, and probably will do so in the future.”
Described as an intimate concert that “blends stirring melodies and meaningful narratives,” Behold will truly be an event to bring in the holiday season. It will be a time when those who attend can breathe and feel a few moments of peace.
“This time of year, it's so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle and stress of the season and expectations placed on ourselves, either by others or ourselves,” Wise said. “We hope that Behold is an opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath, and reflect on the stories of the season.”