Target x Improv Everywhere: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of an Epic Christmas Carol

Stop whatever you’re doing and check this out: Target and Improv Everywhere surprised an unsuspecting family with the most endearing, make-you-want-to-break-out-in-song-immediately Christmas carol experience. We’re talking warbling sopranos in Victorian garb, a 20-piece brass band, dancing snowmen and snow-tossing Santas all brought together for the sake of exciting the kid in all of us. There are no words for this — just watch:

Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere, selected five families (including the Schreibers – a Christmas-loving family of five from Bergen County, N.J.) – from a pool of more than 100 potential families to experience the “Epic Christmas Carol.” In the end, one family’s delighted reaction was too priceless not to share: Lauren Schreiber, the exhilarated mom you saw in the video above, was semi in cahoots with Improv Everywhere to pull off the festive feat. She told her family they’d be getting their Christmas card picture taken at a “photographer’s home studio” (it was really the home of the grandmother of one of Improv Everywhere’s producers!). But none of the Schreibers—Lauren included—knew what was really in store.

“I can’t imagine how they pulled it off,” says Lauren. “I kept thinking, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ My kids were dancing, I was singing along, each of us took in different bits and pieces and felt like we were on the set of a movie. My kids will remember it for their entire lives.”

The finished video may only come down to 2 minutes, 59 seconds, but staging the production actually took three weeks of meticulous planning, 65 cast and crew members, 40 costume rentals, 20 instruments, eight cameras, five pounds of fake snow and three full rehearsals. Epic indeed.

Target backed the shoot, but creative control went to Charlie’s team. The goal? Bring a bit of playful mischief to folks heading into the holidays!

Take a behind-the-scenes look, including an exclusive interview with Charlie, at how the magic happened.