AUBURN — East Auburn Baptist Church’s popular annual holiday production, “A Christmas Spectacular,” is taking a year off.

“We’re rebooting,” Randy Corey, the church’s director of special events and creative arts, said. “We’re going to come back next year faster, quicker and stronger than ever.”

The production has become an annual tradition in the community. Last year, a total of 8,500 people packed the show for 12 performances.

However, Corey worried it would become too familiar without taking some extra time to re-examine how the show happens, its sets, its technology and surprises.

“I really needed a season to do that,” he said.

The production had become large. More than 100 volunteers helped put on the show, which included smoke and laser lights, snow-making machines and Christmas tree lights that were choreographed to music.

Though there will be no large-scale show this year, the church choir is planning a concert and there will likely be other special productions during weekly services, he said.

This will be only the second year in 21 years that Corey has not led a Christmas show at the church. He wants to come back with new surprises, particularly looking at ways to make the production more absorbing to audiences.

“We’ll take it to the next level next year,” he said.

dhartill@sunjournal.com