When he first performed his one-man concerts of "The Forgotten Carols" in 1991, composer-pianist Michael McLean said he wanted to introduce people to the book and the recording.
"I had wanted it to become a Christmas tradition for people," he said by phone from Provo, where he was in rehearsals for his 15th annual "Forgotten Carols" tour. "To read it at home and listen to or sing the music and have their own little Christmas program at home.
"I took it on the road to give people a sense of this, and I played all the parts. I really didn't think anyone would come."
Fifteen years later he's pretty amazed at what "The Forgotten Carols" has turned into.
His own tour is now seen by some 50,000 to 60,000 people in some of the West's biggest venues — 22 performances this year, which began last week in Benaroya Hall (Seattle's version of Abravanel Hall) and will end Dec. 31 in the Orpheum Auditorium in Phoenix, Ariz.
As the show has evolved, it has become more theatrical. There are now actors joining McLean on stage to portray the various roles. "Apparently, it turns out that seeing the guy who wrote it do it has become its own tradition. I'm not a singer or an actor, but I have a deep commitment to Christmas, and a lot of my career has been connected to Christmas."
McLean was involved with two popular seasonal films for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — "Mr. Krueger's Christmas," starring James Stewart, and "Nora's Christmas Gift," featuring Celeste Holm. "Every year I was convinced — and I am so insecure anyway, and I've suffered from depression for years — that people will think I'm a fraud and that I'm no good. But at the end of every performance there's this great Christmas feeling."
Over the past decade and a half, the production has been performed in small churches, in high school auditoriums with no lighting or sound, and in major theaters from coast to coast. "There were nights when there were more people on stage than in the audience."
Today there are satellite tours and other companies doing their own adaptations. It's being done in Spain this Christmas, and McLean's son Scott took a tour to Kirtland, Ohio, where it was performed for six nights, and another in Washington, D.C., right after 9/11. "The energy and power of that performance was overwhelming."
For all of the touring productions, McLean utilizes local community or student choirs. "I have to mention this. I have fallen in love with the choirs and the opportunity of working with high school and college choirs. They have so enthusiastically and professionally helped us tell this story. It's exciting to see the future of these great kids.
"For the show's big anniversaries — the fifth, 10th and now the 15th — I would always ask my wife what we should do with the show, and she always said to surprise her. There will be some wonderful surprises for this show."
McLean's wife, Lynne, and both of their sons, Scott and Jeff, will be part of this year's cast. "My wife once told me that the genius about writing a show with a character who has been alive for 2,000 years is that you are never too old to play Uncle John. I have really been humbled by all of this, and people have forgiven my lack of talent.
"And I have been amazed at how, every night, I learn something about relationships or people or the magic of the holiday or my own relationship to this story."
McLean said he is also constantly humbled by the stories he hears from patrons. "This may sound a little self-serving, but last year there was a gentleman who was dying of cancer. He had insisted his family — which had been coming for eight years — attend the show the day he died."
The cast of this year's production includes Kelly Shepardson as Constance, a nurse who can't be bothered with Christmas; Christy Summerhays as Lillian; Scott McLean as Mr. Halifax; Lynne McLean as Sarah; and Jeff McLean as a soloist.
If you go
What: "The Forgotten Carols"
Where: Five Utah venues
When: Wednesday through Dec. 15
How much: $12-$19 (at Deseret Book stores)
Web site: www.deseretbook.com
5 venues in Utah
Here are the featured local choirs, performance dates and venues for the five Utah stops of "The Forgotten Carols" 2006 tour.
Logan: Wednesday, Kent Concert Hall, Utah State University (Logan High School Choir)
Ogden: Friday, Dee Events Center arena, Weber State University (Woods Cross High School Choir)
Orem: Saturday, McKay Events Center, Utah Valley State College, Orem (Timpview High School Choir)
Salt Lake City: Dec. 4-9 and 11, Cottonwood High School auditorium (alternating choirs from Brighton, Hillcrest and Cottonwood high schools)
St. George: Dec. 13-15, Cox Auditorium, Dixie State College (Southern Utah University Institute Choir)
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com