By Tina Hawley
The Hive Collaborative’s production of Liken’s The First Christmas isn’t just a fun musical re-telling of the origins of Christmas; it also answers a surprisingly poignant question: If you suddenly learned that you had only an hour and a half left to live, what would you do with that time?
Adapted from the fifth installment in the Liken the Scriptures musical films (and the subsequent stage play that performed at SCERA in 2012), this small-stage performance follows Frank Baylor (Ed Eyestone), an elderly grandfather who has reached the end of his life’s journey, but convinces the angel who comes to take him home (played by Patrick Newman, also the show’s director) to give him just a little more time. What for, you ask? Why, to perform a full-length musical production of the Nativity with his entire extended family, of course. They’ve been planning it for a year, and after all, it is Christmas.
The angel, known as the Conductor for reasons shortly to be revealed, agrees to Frank’s proposal, on one condition: First, Frank will only have an hour and a half (including intermission) to complete his show. Second, Heaven will provide the costumes–and the choir. The Conductor then proceeds to lead the audience (yes, you read that correctly) in a short rehearsal with the help of his celestial tech Harold (Chris Peck, technical director). I was quite surprised at first, but honestly, being given permission to sing along to some of these fantastic songs was a blast. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a musical prodigy to have fun.
The entirety of the play takes place in the home of Frank and his wife Elsie (Pat Carr), with the family members moving furniture and props to create each scene. Ken Agle’s set design is beautiful; the minute I walked in, I couldn’t help getting nostalgic about Christmas parties at my grandparents’ house. And thanks be to Heaven (and costume designers Anna-Marie McDaniel and Natalie Burton), as the costumes are infinitely better than your typical family Nativity bathrobes and dish towels.
The costumes aren’t the only ambitious thing about the Baylor family production. The First Christmas covers the stories of the shepherds, Zacharias and Elisabeth, Mary and Joseph, and the Wise Men, culminating in the birth of Jesus.
Now, if this premise sounds a little patchwork, that’s because it is–and exactly what it’s supposed to be. The Baylor family dynamic is one of the most genuine portrayals I’ve seen onstage in a while. Eyestone and Carr are gently affectionate with each other, perfectly representative of a decades-long marriage, while their children and the children’s spouses are loving, teasing, and irritated by turns. Each family member dives into his or her assigned role with enthusiasm (with the entertaining exception of daughter Abbie (Jordyn Aspyn) when she has to wear the Wise Man’s hat), and while it’s clear they’re having a ton of fun, they also play their parts with sincerity and emotion when the scene calls for it. Further, when the scene changes get a little clunky or there’s a costume malfunction (I reviewed the preview performance), good-natured banter or a quick wisecrack feels perfectly natural and works well to keep the show moving. It’s all the good parts of a family Nativity, along with the bad parts that we remember with fondness nonetheless.
Frank and Elsie appropriately play Zacharias and Elisabeth, and Eyestone and Carr take to these roles just perfectly. In their song “A Hand to Hold,” their longing for a child feels all too real. The same goes for Merilee and her husband Devin (Esther Slaeker and Josh Durfey) in their portrayals of Mary and Joseph. Durfey also cameos as King Herod the Great and Fantabulous, and that title should tell you all you need to know about how hilarious that scene is.
The shepherds show up several times throughout the play with a storyline all their own. Max Baylor (Kaden Patterson) shines as the discontent Omar, a shepherd with a wool allergy and a penchant for breaking into song. While young, Patterson has a powerful voice that belies his years. I looked forward to every scene with him in it, and his stint as the fourth Wise Man with the longest name in the Bible is both funny and sincere.
Frank’s oldest son Rob (David Burton) plays the Angel Gabriel with dignity, but isn’t above sliding in a few snide comments when necessary. Rob’s wife Jeanette (Nicole McClellan) is sassy and energetic, and it shows as she jumps from shepherd to Wise Man to innkeeper to one of Elisabeth’s gossipy friends.
Slaeker is also the show’s musical director, and together with choreographer Sierra Crawford, she makes the musical numbers a joy to watch. I particularly enjoyed the shepherds’ crook dance in “Everything We Need.” All of the cast members are strong singers and several times I thought for a second that I was in a much bigger theater–the sound was that good!
As the play draws to a close and the audience joins the cast in singing “Silent Night” to the Christ child, watch Frank. What happens is so subtle that I might have missed it if I wasn’t watching carefully, but I’m so glad I did. I got so caught up in the fun and laughter of the story that I honestly forgot how it all was supposed to end. I almost teared up.
There’s something about the holiday season that inextricably connects it with our family and loved ones, for better or for worse. Newman’s vision of The Hive Collaborative’s Liken’s The First Christmas captures this idea in a way that strikes you to the heart. If I were put in the same situation as Frank, I can’t say I would have done anything differently. When it comes right down to it, you want to spend your last moments with the people you care about most, whoever that may be. This holiday season may not be your last, but don’t let that stop you from coming to the Hive and experiencing this lovely story for yourself.
The Hive Collaborative Presents Liken’s The First Christmas, Lyrics and Music by Aaron Edson, Book by Dennis Agle, with Additional Music and Lyrics by Don Blackburn and Ken Agle.
The Hive Theater, 591 South 300 West, Provo, Utah 84601
November 30 – December 22, 2018, 7:00 PM
Tickets: $15 Adults, $12 Seniors & Students, $9 Children 12 and under, $8 per person for Groups 8+. Please, no babes in arms.
Tickets: $7.50-$15.00
The Hive Facebook Page
Liken’s The First Christmas Facebook Event
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