Michael McLean reprising his role in ‘The Forgotten Carols’ for first time since life-saving surgery
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IDAHO FALLS – For the first time in four years, Michael McLean will reprise his role as Uncle John in “The Forgotten Carols,” which kicks off its 2024 season the week of Thanksgiving.
The production returns for its 33rd year in eastern Idaho. Two performances are happening at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts in Idaho Falls on Nov. 30, along with a show at the Blackfoot Performing Arts Center on Dec. 2.
McLean was forced to cut back his involvement in the show the last two years due to a kidney transplant. As he approaches the two-year anniversary of his procedure, McLean says he’s feeling great and is thrilled to be back.
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“I’m going to be able to reclaim my part as John the Beloved,” McLean tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I feel good, and I get a chance to stand on stage and be that character that I created (in) 1991.”
It’s a significant milestone for the 72-year-old actor and musician. The last time he appeared on stage in this role was in 2020 when a filmed version of the stage production was released in theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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His return to the stage is a special experience for him and his recent surgery has changed the way he looks at this story that’s become an annual tradition for so many.
“The humility that comes from having gone through this — it changes you. You can’t be the same,” says McLean.
Several new cast members will be joining him onstage this year, including his son, Scott, and his son’s wife, Lisa Zimmerman.
Zimmerman will play several parts, including the one McLean wrote for his wife, Lynne.
Lynne stepped down from the role several years ago to support her husband on the sidelines. In between rehearsals, Zimmerman told us she’s excited about the part.
“The character is Sarah. She sings this beautiful lullaby,” Zimmerman says. “It’s about women who aren’t able to have children who can be inspired to serve just as powerfully in other ways. It’s a really valuable message.”
Zimmerman has performed in venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall. Most recently, she performed alongside Jenny Oaks Baker in “The Redeemer.”
When Zimmerman is not onstage, she spends her time behind a microphone as a voice actor.
“Most of the things I’ve done (in this capacity) have been through a company that sells health supplements,” says Zimmerman.
It’s a gig that fell in her lap, she says. She was doing a play in 2018 and a man who handles the company’s media marketing approached her afterwards because he liked her vocal versatility.
Zimmerman says her father-in-law has a unique ability to connect with audiences and she’s glad to see him back in his old role and to be part of the story he created.
After a long recovery, McLean is overwhelmed with gratitude for the extension of his life as a result of his kidney transplant. He has a renewed sense of purpose and wants to make life count for as long as he’s around.
“Every single opportunity that I have with ‘The Forgotten Carols’ … is an opportunity for me to witness of the things that matter most to me, which is that there’s a Jesus and he’s real,” says McLean. “I’m feeling him closer than I ever have before.”
McLean has written numerous songs since his surgery and hinted at the possibility of an album in the near future.
But his immediate priority is spending time with the crowd in eastern Idaho on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2. To buy tickets or learn more, click here.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH MCLEAN IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.