The Best Christmas pageant Ever play near me

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Overview

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Settings

Period, Contemporary, Multiple Settings

Time & Place

1970s, 1980s, contemporary, the bradley home, a church, a hospital

Ideal for

Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Elementary School, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Religious Groups, Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA)/Children's

Casting Notes

Mostly female cast
Includes child, adult, early teen, mature adult, young adult characters

Synopsis

Beth Bradley’s church’s Christmas pageant is predictable every year -- the angel choir wears too much lipstick, the shepherds are all in their father’s bathrobes, the minister’s son is permanently cast in the role of Joseph -- hardly “four-star entertainment.” But when seasoned and authoritative pageant director Mrs. Armstrong breaks her leg, it is up to Beth’s inexperienced mother Grace to step in. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the rambunctious Herdman children, a rough and tough group of siblings from the wrong side of the tracks, descend upon the pageant, lured by the promise of free dessert at Sunday school, and determined to win all the lead roles for themselves. The Ladies’ Aid Society members are beside themselves with disapproval, all the shepherds quit because Gladys Herdman “hits too hard”, the show is briefly re-titled “Revenge at Bethlehem”, and the church catches on fire. But Beth and her community watch in surprise as the same old Christmas story is rejuvenated by the creativity, energy, and unexpected sincerity of a misunderstood young family. Mary Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on her novel of the same name, is a widely beloved Christmas tale, warm and incredibly funny, full of characters both relatable and utterly unique. The large cast and age range make this show a community favorite, in which a varied, multi-generational group of performers can come together.

Lead Characters

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever guide sections

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

• Cast SizeCast Size

  6f, 4m, 9girl(s), 8boy(s)

• DurationDuration

  60 minutes (1 hour)

• SubGenreSubgenre

  Adaptations (Literature), Theatre for Young Audiences, Christmas/Holiday

• AudienceTarget Audience

  Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary

In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids--probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won't believe the mayhem - and the fun - when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

This delightful comedy is adapted from the best-selling Young Adult book, and has become a holiday staple for groups across the United States! Features plenty of great roles for children and adults, a few favorite Christmas Carols, and a lot of laughs!

History

The first professional production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was given by the Seattle Children's Theatre on November 26, 1982.

Performing Groups

• Elementary School / Primary
• Jr High/Primary
• High School/Secondary
• Community Theatre
• Dinner Theatre
• Professional Theatre
• Shoestring Budget
• Large Stage
• Church / Religious Groups

FATHER (Bob Bradley) - solid family man, 35-38
MOTHER (Grace Bradley) - trim, attractive, 35ish
BETH BRADLEY - the narrator, strong voice and presence, 10-11
CHARLIE BRADLEY - traditional kid brother, 8-9
RALPH HERDMAN - ragged, scroungy, slouching manner, touch of adolescent cool, 12-13
IMOGENE HERDMAN - loud, bossy, crafty, 11-12
LEROY HERDMAN - tough, sure of himself, 10-11
CLAUDE HERDMAN - tough, combative, 9-10
OLLIE HERDMAN - looking for trouble, Claude's usual partner in crime, 8-9
GLADYS HERDMAN - small, wiry, fiesty, 7-8
ALICE WENDLEKEN - prim, proper, pain in the neck, 10-11
MRS. ARMSTRONG - largish woman, managerial in voice and manner, 50ish
MRS. SLOCUM - pleasant, motherly woman, 35-60
MRS. CLARK - 35-60
MRS. CLAUSING - 35-60
MRS. MCCARTHY - a younger, less imperious version of Mrs. Armstrong, middle 40s
MAXINE - 10-11
ELMER HOPKINS - 12-13
HOBIE - 9-10
DAVID - 8-9
BEVERLY - 7-8
FIREMAN - 25-30
FIREMAN - 25-30
SHIRLEY - 5-6
JUANITA - 5-6
DORIS - 9-10
REVEREND HOPKINS - middle to late 40s
Extra angel choir members, baby angels, shepherds

• Time Period Present Day

• Setting A living room / dining room and a church.

• Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes

• Additional Features No intermission, Physical Comedy, Play w/ Music

• Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)

• Cautions

  • No Special Cautions

Media

Music

• Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)

• Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

• Minimum Fee: $125 per performance

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Authors

Barbara Robinson

Barbara Robinson wrote several popular books for children, including My Brother Louis Measures Worms, The Best School Year Ever, The Best Halloween Ever, and the enormously popular bestselling novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, first published in 1972, which was made into ...

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