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Record crowd enjoys movie-themed acts at Christmas Coffeehouse
December 6, 2014 : By Liberty University News Service
Students showcased their skills late Friday night in front of a record-breaking audience at the annual Christmas Coffeehouse, hosted by Student Activities. Thanks to a recent expansion of the Vines Center, more than 8,000 guests were able to attend the event versus the 6,400 maximum allowed in previous years.
“It’s awesome that we’re able to accommodate more people,” said Stephanie Ward, associate director for Student Activities. “It’s nice to be able to allow everyone who wants to be there to come and enjoy the show because it’s something we do for the students.”
While more than 40 groups auditioned, 26 were chosen to perform routines based on the show’s theme, “At the Movies.” Seven student videos were also included. Acts throughout the night brought to life beloved moments from Christmas films, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Home Alone,” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” There was also a festive “Guardians of the Galaxy” parody, “Guardians of the Holiday.”
Liberty’s student-led hip-hop dance crew, D-Trex, was among the performers. The crew put together a routine that included a mash-up of Christmas songs and holiday movie references.
During the show, a live Twitter feed was projected on the screen, highlighting student reactions. Further student involvement was also gained through a game show between acts. The game included four students who raced to recognize movie titles, actors, or characters from audio clips of several Christmas movies.
“Coffeehouse is the event it is because of the student involvement,” Ward said. “Our staff of seven full-time employees and 26 student workers spend months preparing this show, while the acts (which are compromised of hundreds of students working on videos and performances) are all students. We love experiencing this with students because they work so hard to make this show what it is. We were impressed with the level of talent, from cover songs to the originals. It was a show worth remembering.”
All across the Vines Center concourse students snapped photos in displays recreating movie sets, including iconic scenes from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Story,” and “Elf.” The basketball stadium’s outside entrance was also decorated, welcoming students with a snow machine and a lighted movie marquee.
“This year it was exciting that we were able to add some outdoor entertainment for people as they waited in line in preparation for the big event,” Ward said.
- Christmas Coffeehouse is one of several Christmas traditions at Liberty, including the annual tree-lighting celebration, which took place this semester on Nov. 19.
