A Look Inside The Music Box’s Christmas Double Feature | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

A Look Inside The Music Box’s Christmas Double Feature

Create new holiday memories at this Chicago gem!

110
A Look Inside The Music Box’s Christmas Double Feature
Bailey Johnk

First semester is finally over. No papers to write, no more classes to attend. Most college students like me now have a month to do whatever they want. Sleep, eat, enjoy the lack of academic pain. All of these and of course, celebrate, because Christmas is right around the corner.

I may have mentioned this before but I’ll say it again: Christmas is my favorite holiday. If you don’t like Christmas, I probably don’t trust you. The most interesting part about the holiday is the traditions. Some people have the same Christmas traditions, some have unique ones of their own. For example, mostly everyone who celebrates Christmas puts up a tree and decorates it with ornaments, lights, garland, etc. But not everyone goes to the Music Box’s Christmas Show like I do every year.

The Music Box is a theater in Chicago that opened in 1929. At this time, most movie palaces could hold around 3000 people but the Music Box could only seat 800. This is why it was considered so quaint and charming compared to its competition. About 39 years ago, the theater was used for a multitude of purposes whether it be Spanish films, Arabic films, or pornography. In 1983, The Music Box was reborn and reopened with a double feature format. Now they present a wide variety of independent and foreign films.

This year, The Music Box held their 33rd annual Christmas Double Feature & Sing Along. This is a 9 day long extravaganza in the month of December where the theater plays the classic movies White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life back to back. What makes it special, you ask? Within this Music Box tradition, there are even smaller traditions.

Every person who attends should be wearing something Christmas themed, preferably bright and obnoxious and they should have jingle bells on hand. Every year they play vintage shorts like Hardrock, Coco & Joe and Susie Snowflake before the movie begins. After this, Dennis Scott comes up to accompany the Music Box carolers on his organ. The carolers then welcome Santa Claus up onstage and everyone including the audience sings a collection of carols as loud as they can. When the songs end, Santa walks through the audience and throws candy. That’s when the movie begins. But you don’t watch this like any other movie.

I’ve only been to see It’s A Wonderful Life so I can’t tell you if White Christmas is like this, but It’s A Wonderful Life has certain audience traditions. Watching the movie is very interactive at the Music Box, but you have to know what to listen for. Whenever Clarence appears or whenever the word “angel” is spoken, the audience rings their bells. Whenever Mr. Potter appears, the audience hisses at him (he’s an evil, evil man). There’s plenty of other vocal traditions like this, including cheering for George whenever he tells off Potter or does something heroic.

It’s A Wonderful Life is not only one of my favorite Christmas movies, but one of my favorite movies of all time. My mom, sister, and I go to see it every single year. So far, we've done it six years in a row. We all hold the movie very dearly to our hearts and we can quote most of it. We tend to be the obnoxious people in the audience. I’m the one who cries every single time. At the top of this article is a short video montage I put together of our experience there this year. If you’re looking for new holiday tradition or just spots in Chicago for cool Christmas activities like this, check out the Music Box. You won’t regret it.


Video Music Credit: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Daniela Andrade

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1852
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1132
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200343
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

20971
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments