Lights, Sound, Action: Engineering Holiday Magic

Inside the technical production preparation for ‘Christmas at Belmont’ 

When viewers around the world tune into “Christmas at Belmont: Live from Nashville,” Wednesday, Dec. 11, they will see over 600 student musicians and performances from alumni Ashley Cooke, Cody Fry and Dwan Hill on the Fisher Center stage. But behind the scenes, over 150 production professionals and students spent months coordinating every detail — from microphone placement to lighting design — before the first note is played. 

A show like “Christmas at Belmont” requires meticulous design and collaboration to ensure proper execution, something that not only mandates exceptional foresight but also exquisite knowhow. 

Communication is Key to Preparation 

Production is divided between front of house and back of house responsibilities. Front of house duties, handled primarily by the Fisher Center’s production/facilities team, include ushering, ticketing, coordinating with catering services and managing credentials.

Back–of-house obligations are executed by the College of Music and Performing Arts’ (CMPA) production/facilities team, led by manager Bret Bell, and the Fisher Center's production/facilities team, spearheaded by director Rusty King alongside Stephanie Estes, Chris Rogers and Rachel Blasengame.

Bell’s and King's teams, in conjunction with outside contractors, orchestrate the technical symphony — audio, lighting, LED wall installation and coordinating with video trucks among other duties.

“Communication is usually the hardest part — making sure everybody knows what they are supposed to know,” said Bell. “We all spend a lot of time together brainstorming and figuring out how it will all look.” 

According to Bell, these conversations began last December and ramped up this past summer once budgets and the University vision for the show were finalized.  

When the Lights Go Up 

Once the show begins, the production team’s mindset shifts from preparation mode to problem-solving mode. To them, all they must do is execute the same live production they have executed 1,000 times before. 

“At its core, every show is the same,” said Jason Miller, production/facilities associate. “Audio in, audio out.” 

However, there is still something remarkable about the sheer scale of “Christmas at Belmont’s” production. 

“It’s not often that you have 100 choir members on a stage with a full orchestra and a solo vocalist in a production,” said Caroline Morris, production/facilities associate. “Like Jason said — at the end of the day, audio in, audio out, lights turn on, video cameras roll and it’s a show like any other. But when you step back, you think ‘wow, that’s a lot of people.’ It takes a lot of coordination, and that sort of thing is pretty cool.” 

This year’s production spans roughly three weeks to include filming multiple segments, rehearsals, and the live taping day Dec. 11. 

Following the conclusion of the show, Bell estimates the team will remain at the Fisher Center tearing down until after 1 a.m., followed by several more days of removing equipment and risers.

Building Tomorrow’s Professionals 

The evolution of “Christmas at Belmont” returning to campus from the Schermerhorn Symphony Center has drastically expanded opportunities for student involvement in production roles. 

While at the Schermerhorn, students were limited to stagehand or observatory production roles. Within the Fisher Center, more freedom exists for students to gain experience with high-grade equipment in a professional environment. 

“Students are obviously a huge part of ‘Christmas at Belmont,’ and we want to get them as involved on the production side as possible since this is what so many of them want to do after college,” said Jessica Benevento, CMPA production/facilities assistant. “We want them to become specialized. It’s not just about moving a microphone stand — we want them to run our whole mic set up so they can be the point people on that.” 

CMPA’s Super Bowl 

“Christmas at Belmont” showcases Belmont’s brightest musicians to a global audience. The energy and anticipation surrounding the show is felt not only by the performers, but by everyone involved in its production. 

“It’s one of the few times of the year where we take all our resources and really focus on just one thing,” said Bell. “From that aspect, and from the College’s perspective, it’s our Super Bowl.” 

Benevento echoed Bell’s sentiment, adding that the specializations of the various departments help distribute the lift of the show. 

“There’s so many people involved and different areas that everybody has their own focus,” she said. “That helps make everyone’s shoulders feel a little lighter.” 

When all is said and done, nearly a year’s worth of work will have concluded for the production team with “Christmas at Belmont: Live from Nashville” for the viewing pleasure of audiences around the world.

If they are lucky, Bell’s team may have a few weeks to rest before planning for the 2025 show begins.