Myrtle Beach Music

As a specialized PianoDisc installer, Keith is occasionally called to far-away and fun locations to repair and install the amazing computerized player systems. I often go with him, sometimes to help, but usually just to play and keep him company on the drive. On one trip, I spent several days sunning on West Palm Beach in Florida while he worked. On another occasion, I spent a wonderful day in conversation with a WWII veteran living in Savannah, Georgia. This past weekend, after Keith finished the repair in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we enjoyed two amazing musical events.

Although we have been to Myrtle Beach many times, we have never seen one of the theater productions. We have now and, believe me, we will never forget our experience. I won’t go into all the particulars, but suffice it to say that Greg Rowles, the emcee of “The South’s Grandest Christmas Show” at the Alabama Theatre, is an amazing man who blessed us with his genuine love and hospitality. It’s no wonder we heard people talking in the gift shop about how the community loves, appreciates and respects him.

The Alabama Theatre

The production was spectacular! Dancing, lighting, singing, instrumentals . . . they had it all and it was all excellent. There was even a comedian, who spoke between “chunks,” whose humor was clean and refreshing. It blessed us to hear the children enjoying it and laughing in all the right places.

It is quite possible that every style of music and dancing had its moment on stage. We enjoyed everything but there were two numbers that I am particularly remembering this morning. The first was the violinist’s several variations of “Little Drummer Boy.” From classical to country, we were in awe of his talent and skills. (Remember, Keith is a string bass player so you can imagine we were particularly appreciative and thrilled.) The second was a classical ballet number performed by a man and woman who incorporated artful, awe-inspiring gymnastics.

For one of the instrumental numbers, the band members wore jackets with synchronized lighting. That bit of technological fun wet our appetite for the next holiday event we attended. (I could write much more about the Alabama show but this is a blog not a novel.) After the show, we headed for Pelican Baseball Stadium to drive through a music and light extravaganza. The Shadrack Christmas Show is displayed in four places from Nashville to Myrtle Beach. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Shadrack Christmas Show

After a delicious Thai dinner, we made an impromptu stop for an hour of another kind of musical fun. As I wrote in an earlier blog, Keith is classically trained in music but he enjoys and plays all styles. You may not know it, but in addition to playing several instruments, he is a very good ballroom dancer. Because of where we live, we have also learned some country line dancing and the shag. Since Myrtle Beach is the Shag Capital, we stopped at famous “Fat Harold’s” for some beach music and dancing.

The last kind of music we enjoyed this weekend was the pure God-made music of the ocean. Although it was a rainy weekend, we slipped down to the beach for a few minutes to listen to the rhythmic crashing of the waves. The crescendos and decrescendos were “interrupted” only by the haunting treble calls of the seagulls. The Creator and Conductor added a few moments of His own light show as the sun’s rays broke through the clouds causing sparkles to dance on the water. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend of musical magic in Myrtle Beach.

Merry Christmas to all of you. We love and appreciate our precious friends who are reading this blog. We are very thankful for you. A special “Thank you” goes to Greg Rowles. You have no idea what a difference you have made in our lives. God bless you.

Joann