I promised to give you 100 grand if you met me at the City Hall parking lot at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday past.

You show up expecting great things – bills paid, new car perhaps, a day at the spa, a trip overseas. I'm there. I reach into my pocket and give you 100 grand.

A 100 Grand chocolate bar, that is. Disappointed? My feelings exactly when I attended the 'No Ordinary Christmas' opening night performance on December 4.

The event had been billed as a "song-filled celebration showcasing a star-studded cast of international performers from Broadway", a musical mixing original contemporary Christian and traditional gospel.

Okay, I'm not a terribly intelligent person – I like simple things, things that make sense, easy to follow. Grammy Award-winning gospel music artist Bishop Hezekiah Walker made a brief appearance to the small audience and introduced the show and our Premier. A tasteful, brief introduction and thanks was given by Dr. the Hon Ewart F. Brown.

This 'gospel celebration' was awkward from the start with the sound being atrocious and the performance below par. You could not hear the performers in the opening scene and what you could hear did not seem to be cohesive. The audience sat in confusion and irritation as the sound crew struggled to balance the piano with the singers, and to prevent the soloists' mikes from fading in and out.

The set design was simple and effective and the placement of the actors quite nice as well. Singers The Company, performed consistently well, and the audience enjoyed the matching outfits and colour schemes however the play stumbled in the beginning, with some performers fumbling their lines and a bit of overacting.

The singing throughout the play varied from mediocre to heavenly. The performers were local and foreign, amateur and professional. Once the sound was sorted out (about three-quarters of the way through the first act) the audience began to appreciate the talent that was before us. Local artists included Twanee Butterfield, Candace Furbert, Tauria Raynor and the talented Canjelae Taylor as 'Jezi and the Bells'.

Two bright stars in a dark night were locals Nadanja Bailey and Daren Herbert. Nadanja did not disappoint as 'The Henchman'. His comic abilities continue to be refined in a broad range of situations, and the crowd loved him. Daren Herbert played King Herod, and I will say that his star should continue to rise. An obvious professional, he carried his part well. In short, Bermuda should be proud of these men.

Another charming element of the show was veteran a capella group the Apex 4, performing as the wise men. They were true to form, singing harmoniously and even coming off the stage to walk through the aisle! It was a great part of the show, and one that the gathering enjoyed immensely.

Act two saw a marked improvement in the sound quality, but still no perfect solution. Certain characters still could not be heard well, so it was a struggle to get the full effect desired. The Company, the choir that is, really shone here as well – their harmony and camaraderie was obvious. The pianists were fantastic and performed passionately.

The professionals that performed were noted positively. Award-winning gospel singer Kim Burrell's brief bit drew appreciative applause. The delivery of 'Anjeli' by the gifted Timothy Foster was one of the few breaths of fresh air throughout the night. An unfortunate downside was the story line of this play. I listened to murmurs of confusion as the audience struggled to keep up with the changes in time, how the characters interacted and the purpose of certain scenes. It seemed that the author tried a little bit too hard to be deep, and the result was annoying and difficult to follow.

All in all, it was a learning experience for the local actors and singers, and an interesting experience for the visiting professionals. I hope that knowledge was shared among them to better the local talent and that the exposure will have affected them positively.

Perhaps my expectations were too lofty. I went with high hopes. I got a chocolate bar.