Hallmark "Miracle in Bethlehem, PA"
Hallmark’s last Countdown to Christmas movie, “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” premieres on Thursday, December 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. The movie stars Laura Vandervoort and Benjamin Ayres. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and see cast stories.
‘Miracle in Bethlehem, PA’ Was Filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Hallmark“Miracle in Bethlehem, PA”
Even though the movie is called “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA,” the film wasn’t actually shot in Pennsylvania at all. Instead, like many other Hallmark movies, it was filmed in Canada.
According to Casting Workbook’s listing, the movie was shot in Winnipeg, Canada, starting on September 26, 2023, and ending on October 17, 2023. Some of the roles that Casting Workbook was seeking included a professional singer for a solo of “O Holy Night,” and other roles including a young mother, a mom named Monique whose children are wise men, a maintenance man, and a choir director.
Although most people are excited about Hallmark movies, especially during the holidays, some Redditors expressed their discontentment about the shooting location in a discussion about the movie being filmed in Canada. The original poster, LVNStephS, wrote: “Principal photography for the film took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in late September and will not feature any Bethlehem-based locations. (But at least we have the name?) ;)”
User Panhead09 shared their reactions to the news as they read more and more about where it was (and wasn’t) filmed. They commented: “Whoa, you’re making a movie in my hometown? 🙂. Or at least it’s in the Lehigh Valley, right? 🙂 I mean, you’ve gotta be shooting it in PA, right? 🙂 Ugh, fine, just as long as it’s in the US… 🙂 …”
User FrebTheRat wondered if the writers really knew how the city worked by commenting “Local Innkeeper? Snowed in for a week? Do they know Bethlehem is a city with a College, a University, and a Casino?”
Smacsek replied “Right? When we got 3 feet of snow a few years ago (ok, maybe closer to a decade), in 3 days everything was pretty much back to normal, just with more snow. You were only snowed in for a week if you chose not to leave the house.”
The Morning Call reported that Bethlehem native and filmmaker Daniel Roebuck playfully jabbed at Hallmark for filming in Canada instead of the real Bethlehem, PA.
“You know, I love the Hallmark Channel and I watch the Hallmark Channel,” Roebuck said. “I hope to be hired more on Hallmark Channel. So this is no swipe at the Hallmark Channel. We may not have been able to beat them to the punch because ‘Miracle in Bethlehem, PA’ is premiering this December. But we’ve drawn you all here together to announce that we are going to make, you probably guessed, ‘Miracle in Winnipeg, Manitoba.'”
One filming location was The Rustic Wedding Barn on Highway 52 between Steinbach and La Broquerie. Steinback is a city in Manitoba, about 36 miles southeast of Winnipeg. Steinbach Online posted some pictures of the crew setting up for filming and reported that local talent were used for the movie.
Meghan Esau noted that her part was filmed at The Rustic Wedding Barn, which was a “beautiful location and … perfect for a Hallmark movie.”
“It was a really seamless experience, a lot of fun,” Esau said. “I got to meet a lot of fantastic people and honestly, it was pretty rewarding to see how the film industry works.”
She added that the extras were told to just mouth words like “watermelon blueberry” when they were doing background scenes, so it would look more natural.
In a different article, Steinbach Online noted that the barn was the final filming location for the movie, with filming wrapping at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday. The owners of the barn said they had to make a lot of alterations, while doing most of the filming on the second floor for the authentic appearance. They had to switch out the LED bulbs, for example, but the crew and cast were all friendly and great to work with.
Vandervoort shared some behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram.
She wrote that she loved working with the cast and crew.
Ayres announced the movie with a song.
And he shared a funny photo they took.
They looked like they had a lot of fun on set.
Meet the Cast
Hallmark“Miracle in Bethlehem, PA”
Hallmark’s synopsis reads” “Successful and fiercely independent, Mary Ann Brubeck adopts a baby girl to raise on her own just before Christmas. Due to weather, she and the baby get stuck in Bethlehem, PA for the holidays. When there is no room at the inn, her only option is to stay with the innkeeper’s brother Joe, a quintessential bachelor who lives in a house that he treats like a barn. As Mary Ann learns the value of community by spending time with Joe’s family and participating in the local church’s Christmas events, Joe starts getting his act together with new motivation…and the two begin to see each other in a new light.”
Mary Ann is played by Laura Vandervoort. According to her bio, her career started when she was just a child and got background roles for Canadian commercials and TV shows. This eventually led her to Disney, where she took on prominent roles in Halloween movies and children’s series.
Additionally, Vandervoort has recently achieved another milestone by launching her debut children’s book, “Super-Duper Deelia,” which is now available on Amazon. She’s also part of the cast of the CTV/The CW series “Sullivan’s Crossing,” sharing the screen with Chad Michael Murray.
Benjamin Ayres plays Joe. According to his bio, he gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Cancer Cowboy in the CBC series “jPod.” This cult hit, adapted from the Douglas Coupland novel, earned him a Leo nomination in 2008. Following two seasons on the CTV series “Dan for Mayor,” Ayres transitioned to the role of Eric Blake in HBO Canada’s Gemini Award-winning series “Less Than Kind.” His performance earned him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award.
Ayres boasts an extensive resume, having starred in over 40 TV series and TV movies, such as Hallmark’s “Love by Chance.” His diverse credits include Syfy’s “Battlestar Galactica,” “Bitten,” and “Lost Girl,” as well as appearances on The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries,” CBS’s “Flashpoint,” ABC’s “Combat Hospital,” “Diamonds,” and “Impact,” and The WB’s “Smallville.” Notably, Ayres has recently taken on lead roles in Hallmark movies like “Field Day,” “Long Lost Christmas,” and “Color My World with Love,” the latter premiering last year on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Also starring, according to Hallmark’s press release, are:
- Amy Groening (Frankie)
- Teryl Rothery (Goldie)
- Kate Trotter (Hanna)
- Quinn Greene (Bob)
- Brandon Blair (Theodore)
- Angela Narth (Myrtle)
- Darcy Fehr (Shawn)
- Stephanie Sy (Naomi)
- Lauren Cochrane (Gabriella)
- Amanada Austin (Brooke)
- John B. Lowe (Gerald)
- Payton Gowdar (Single Mother)
- Candace Heyliger (Monique)
- Sarah -Lynne Otsuji (Choir Director)
- Jacqueline Loewen (Mother)
- Paul Essiembre (Pastor)
- Hazel Wallace (Choir Soloist)
- Duke and Bruno (Donkey)
- Marshall and Stevie (Dolly)
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