With the holiday season months away, Walt Disney World has announced who will read the Christmas story this year.
The parks have hosted the reading of Jesus’ birth, accompanied by a 51-piece orchestra and a choir made up of 150 Disney cast members and community singers, for 55 years, and 32 years at Epcot alone.
As the Disney Parks Blog stated, “Each celebrity narrator brings their unique touch to the story.”
This year, Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of “Moana,” will start the rotation, appearing at the American Gardens Theater on Nov. 27 and 29.
Eva Longoria will narrate the final shows from Dec. 28 through 30.
While both Cravalho and Longoria are among the slate of veteran narrators such as Whoopi Goldberg and Henry Winkler, there’s a new name among them: Jason Kelce, who will be on stage on Dec. 8 and 9.
Here’s the complete list, minus a couple of spots that are yet to be announced:
- Nov. 27 & 28 – Auli‘i Cravalho
- Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 – Gary Sinise
- Dec. 2 & 3 – To Be Announced
- Dec. 4 & 5 – Whoopi Goldberg
- Dec. 6 & 7 – Robin Roberts (NEW)
- Dec. 8 & 9 – Jason Kelce (NEW)
- Dec. 10 – 12 – Neil Patrick Harris
- Dec. 13 & 14 – To Be Announced
- Dec. 15 & 16 – Lauren Daigle
- Dec. 17 – 19 – Ralph Macchio
- Dec. 20 & 21 – Henry Winkler
- Dec. 22 & 23 – Lacey Chabert (NEW)
- Dec. 24 & 25 – Jodi Benson
- Dec. 26 & 27 – Simu Liu
- Dec. 28 – 30 – Eva Longoria
The performances are held three times each day listed above.
Epcot’s Candlelight Processional is part of the park’s larger International Festival of the Holidays, which also runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 30 and brings several international holiday observances to life, along with food, music, or legends that go with them.
The first Candlelight Processional was held at Disneyland and dates back to the park’s first year, when it celebrated the first Holiday Festival, with 12 Dickens carolers performed in the park and guest choirs performed on Main Street. The next year it continued as a mass choir made up of eight choirs performed as a group, accompanied by the park’s band. It grew even bigger in 1957.
The first real Candlelight Processional was held in 1958, with 16 choirs forming into one and processing down Main Street together. In 1960, the first narrator was invited to read the Biblical Christmas story interspersed with classical hymns. Stars from the age of the silver screen such as Cary Grant, John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart continued the tradition, D23, the company’s official fan club, said.
The narrator for Disneyland has not been announced yet. Last year it was Benjamin Bratt, who appeared on Dec. 6 and 7.
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