LeAnn Rimes shares why she’s always in the Christmas spirit
By Mia Johnson
LeAnn Rimes is making her Hallmark movie debut as the star in It’s Christmas, Eve, and she chatted with Culturess to tell us what keeps her in the Christmas spirit.
Christmas might come once a year for folks who enjoy a little holiday cheer. It’s those cozy-sweater days and snowy nights spent around the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa and listening to heartwarming Christmas songs. But if you live and breathe Christmas, you might not have to wait until December (or November, these days) to get into the Christmas spirit. And if you are a fan of jingle bell-rocking and silent night-ing year-round, you might find yourself similar to LeAnn Rimes, who keeps her spirits high no matter what time of year.
This year, Rimes couldn’t be more in the holiday spirit with not one but two big Christmas-packed adventures on her list. First up, she’s starring in It’s Christmas, Eve. It won’t be the first movie she’s starred in, but it will be her movie debut on the Hallmark Channel, well-known for its cheerful and romantic Christmastime movies.
In short, the story centers around Rimes’ character, Eve, a superintendent who returns to her hometown school pressed with the choice of axing its music program or revamping it for the better. The choice is a hard one because she hasn’t enjoyed the beauty of being a musician since the passing of her father, a jazz musician.
Rimes will also be setting off on her sixth annual Christmas tour, the You and Me Christmas tour, later this month. Culturess got the chance to chat with Rimes about her busy schedule this holiday season and to see what really keeps her cheerful during the most wonderful time of the year.
First off, how does it feel to make your Hallmark Channel movie debut?
They’re the Christmas king, basically, [and] I think I’m kind of in the same boat as they are — as part of the holiday mix myself for the last six or seven years. I’ve made three Christmas records and gone on six Christmas tours. So it just seems like a perfect match to do a holiday movie with them… They were so collaborative in working on the film. And I got to dig in from [the] ground up and create a story that I wanted, and executive produce, and write music, and act… the whole deal. It’s been a year-long journey with them, and they’ve been nothing but amazing.
Holiday movies always having a touching message wrapped up into them. I noticed this film has some layers to it. Your character Eve is trying to save a music program and dealing with the loss of her father. What is the overall message that you hope audiences can take away?
I think it’s really the importance of love, the importance of connection — how we’re all really intertwined in so many ways that we don’t even realize. And how all of our acts, all of our choices, like one simple choice can change the lives of so many people. And so when you really sit with that weight of it… you really start to look at the choices that you’re making in life. When we make our best choices, [it’s] obviously out of a place of love not hate. And I really think that this movie is about achieving love in many different ways.
Going along the lines of having a message in that movie, as a musician, how important do you feel it is to have music and arts programs in school just like your character, Eve, was trying to do?
Gosh, choir was a huge thing for me in school. There are many studies that just show how much we need this in our schools. It helps you tap into other parts of your brain and increases activity. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. Even if people aren’t going to try that in a music career, it’s important for kids to find their voices.
And we’re all creative beings, so I think we don’t get enough of that in our lives — even as adults. Unless we’re making an effort to really go create, whether it’s drawing or painting or music, I think it’s important that not just children, but adults also bring that piece of them… back in their lives. We’re just starving for it, honestly, especially with kids. So it’s nice to have [that] laid out for them to find their own creative ways.
As interim school superintendent Eve trims budgets, and now she’s in her hometown where it’s personal. Her handsome neighbor Liam is a music teacher and Eve feels his program must be cut. But luckily her friend is married to an IT guy, who’s created a website for donations directly to save the Arts program. Launched during the tree lighting ceremony, where Liam’s students will perform, the website could provide the Christmas miracle the town needs. Already the Universe is cooperating. Eve is back home and she, Liam and his daughter look like they might be celebrating many a future Christmas. Photo: Laurie Murdoch, Gwynyth Walsh, Beckham Skodje, Christian Convery Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer
Exactly. I think so, too. Speaking of music, let’s discuss the original music that you worked on for the film. First of all, you have “It’s Christmas Eve” which really reminds me of that holiday classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” — lyrics that tug on the heartstrings.
Thanks!
What was it like working on that?
It does feel like something you’ve listened to for many Christmases in the past, which is such a compliment. But we wrote that, Darrell Brown and I wrote pretty much everything. We sat down at the piano and he said, “Well, where do we begin?” I’m like, “Well, let’s just write ‘It’s Christmas Eve.'” Every lyric all of the sudden came out of my mouth like I had already written the song. Things just kind of floated out, and we finished that one within like an hour and a half. So that was magic, really.
And then from there, the other two songs… were both written pretty much over FaceTime because we were not in the [same] room for a while, and we had to get everything up before we started shooting the film. “You and Me and Christmas” is the culmination of the big performance at the end with the school. And we wanted that to be super, uber infectious, which we definitely accomplished. I can’t stop every time I hear it. Every time I hear it, it’s like ear-candy.
As interim school superintendent Eve trims budgets, and now she’s in her hometown where it’s personal. Her handsome neighbor Liam is a music teacher and Eve feels his program must be cut. But luckily her friend is married to an IT guy, who’s created a website for donations directly to save the Arts program. Launched during the tree lighting ceremony, where Liam’s students will perform, the website could provide the Christmas miracle the town needs. Already the Universe is cooperating. Eve is back home and she, Liam and his daughter look like they might be celebrating many a future Christmas. Photo: LeAnn Rimes, Eden Summer Gilmore, Tyler Hynes Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer
Thinking back to holiday classics — or it could be any movie during the holiday season — what is your favorite holiday movie?
My favorite holiday movie has to be… [National Lampoon’s] Christmas Vacation. It’s one of my absolute favorites. I quote it all year long, too. It’s really good. And then I would say Love, Actually is one of my other favorites. I try to watch those two every season.
And then how about your favorite holiday album?
The Mariah Carey Christmas album is always at the top of the list. I bought a Dolly [Parton] and Kenny Rogers record — their Christmas record — last year, and it became one of my all-time favorites. My husband is a huge Kenny Rogers fan. It was so hard to find, but I found it on eBay and we have a record player in our house, and we constantly play records. So it’s definitely one of our new family favorites.
Also, you have a tour! This is your sixth annual holiday tour. What do you enjoy most about doing holiday tours for your fans?
I think it’s the mindset and the energetic level where the people are. Like, everybody comes in much more open and receptive, and I like to play on that. That’s kind of been my focus this year… I like to take people into places of themselves where they don’t normally go. Because the more I recognize that as one of my gifts, the more I actually like to tap into that… I think we’re really going to have beautiful, really heartfelt, joyful moments where I want people to walk out feeling more connected to themselves. And they can take that experience and hopefully be lifted and feel completely different than when they walked in.
I want to wrap up by asking what do you hope fans will take away or enjoy most from It’s Christmas, Eve?
Hopefully, like I just said with my music, I like to take people to places that they don’t normally get to go, and they don’t normally touch these pieces of them. And I hope that they get that [and] take that away from the movie, too. You know, they’ve [been] moved and they’ve laughed and they’ve cried and they’ve run the gamut of emotion. I know that with what I do when I’m on stage, I like to take that thought and intention and move it over to everything that I create. So I hope people walk away feeling loved… with a bigger, open heart by the time they finished watching.
You can see Rimes take on her role as Eve in It’s Christmas, Eve airing Nov. 10 on the Hallmark Channel. The movie’s soundtrack is already out now. If you want to see Rimes on tour, she’ll be hitting up cities starting Nov. 30.