{"id":41551,"date":"2024-11-27T13:21:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T18:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=41551"},"modified":"2024-11-27T13:23:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T18:23:06","slug":"he-rules-the-world-nativity-rock-opera-set-to-shine-in-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/11\/he-rules-the-world-nativity-rock-opera-set-to-shine-in-texas.html","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;He Rules the World&#8217; Nativity Rock Opera Set to Shine in Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_41548\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41548\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2024\/11\/rock-opera_credit-He-Rules-the-World-Facebook.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-41548\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2024\/11\/rock-opera_credit-He-Rules-the-World-Facebook.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-41548\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">He Rules the World \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A dazzling Christian rock opera inspired by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is making its debut in Waco, Texas, this December, bringing a high-energy Nativity story to life through music, lights, and storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>Titled <em>He Rules the World<\/em>, the show will run for four nights in mid-December at the Waco Hippodrome. It will combine rock music, narration, animation, and a vibrant light display. The 90-minute performance offers a family-friendly spectacle designed to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas\u2014the birth of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>Peter B. Emerson, the visionary behind the project, serves as its composer, lyricist, and executive producer. He drew inspiration from a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert he attended with his daughter in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There were fantastic lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, and incredible guitar solos\u2014it was such a spectacle,&#8221; Emerson told <em>Crosswalk Headlines<\/em>. &#8220;And the whole time, I kept thinking, &#8216;Man, that&#8217;s amazing. I can do something like that.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But Emerson saw an opportunity to focus on something deeper.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While the Trans-Siberian Orchestra does amazing work, their Christmas show isn&#8217;t really about Christmas\u2014it&#8217;s more about the spirit of the season,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;I wanted to create something that centered fully on the birth of Christ, starting with Old Testament prophecies and leading to the Nativity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The result is <em>He Rules the World<\/em>, a rock opera that delivers a faith-centered experience without skimping on the energy and spectacle that wowed Emerson in his initial inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a visual and auditory feast,&#8221; Emerson said. &#8220;Families will experience a Nativity story like they&#8217;ve never seen before\u2014one that is deeply rooted in faith and presented with electrifying music and stunning visuals.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Emerson hopes the show will have a lasting impact, with aspirations to expand beyond Texas.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I could see this reaching audiences nationwide, maybe even having a permanent home in places like Lancaster, Pennsylvania, or Branson, Missouri,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Eventually, I&#8217;d love to adapt it into a live-action screenplay. This is just the beginning.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>His wife, Jennifer L. Emerson, who serves as co-executive producer, sees the opera as meeting a unique need for wholesome, family-friendly entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to find age-appropriate shows that appeal to both kids and adults,&#8221; she shared. &#8220;<em>He Rules the World<\/em> fills that gap beautifully.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Emersons believe their production offers families more than just entertainment; it offers a meaningful way to celebrate the true reason for the season.<\/p>\n<p>With its premiere just weeks away, <em>He Rules the World<\/em> promises to bring audiences together in joyful worship, wonder, and awe, reminding all who see it that Christ is the heart of Christmas.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A dazzling Christian rock opera inspired by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is making its debut in Waco, Texas, this December, bringing a high-energy Nativity story to life through music, lights, and storytelling. Titled He Rules the World, the show will run for four nights in mid-December at the Waco Hippodrome. It will combine rock music, narration,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":41548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1643],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theater-2"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;He Rules the World&#039; Nativity Rock Opera Set to Shine in Texas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/11\/he-rules-the-world-nativity-rock-opera-set-to-shine-in-texas.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;He Rules the World&#039; Nativity Rock Opera Set to Shine in Texas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A dazzling Christian rock opera inspired by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is making its debut in Waco, Texas, this December, bringing a high-energy Nativity story to life through music, lights, and storytelling. Titled He Rules the World, the show will run for four nights in mid-December at the Waco Hippodrome. It will combine rock music, narration,&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/11\/he-rules-the-world-nativity-rock-opera-set-to-shine-in-texas.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Idol Chatter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-27T18:21:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-27T18:23:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/87\/2024\/11\/rock-opera_credit-He-Rules-the-World-Facebook.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Megan Scott\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'He Rules the World' Nativity Rock Opera Set to Shine in Texas","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2024\/11\/he-rules-the-world-nativity-rock-opera-set-to-shine-in-texas.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'He Rules the World' Nativity Rock Opera Set to Shine in Texas","og_description":"A dazzling Christian rock opera inspired by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is making its debut in Waco, Texas, this December, bringing a high-energy Nativity story to life through music, lights, and storytelling. Titled He Rules the World, the show will run for four nights in mid-December at the Waco Hippodrome. 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