By Tina Hawley
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem is a musical masterpiece you won’t want to miss. Based on the stage play written by Barbara Robinson, this musical follows a small town church’s Christmas pageant that is thrown for a loop when the Herdmans (the town’s resident terror children) decide they want in on the action.
Though I’ve never seen the non-musical version, I’ve been a fan of the novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (also written by Barbara Robinson) for years, and I was so pleased to see the characters I love brought to life in such an honest and empathetic way, thanks to Michael Carrasco’s direction. The understated sets and costumes, designed by Shawn Mortensen and Deborah Bowman respectively, set the tone of a small town, an elementary school, and a church production. My attention was caught in particular by the ragtag authenticity of the Herdmans’ holey jeans and baggy shirts.
Child actors can be a gamble, but I’m happy to say that this production has drawn a good hand in casting the Herdmans’ star roles as well as the child ensemble parts. The Herdmans are complex characters that grow more nuanced as the story progresses, and these actors have risen to the challenge. Eli Hackworth as Ralph Herdman is the picture of a sulky teen/protective older brother. Anna Kocherhans plays Imogene Herdman with a vengeful rage, making her occasional moments of sincerity all the more striking. Leroy, Claude, and Ollie Herdman (Timothy J. Quesenberry, Caleb Riding, and Malcolm Smith) make a great trio of bullies, and Emme Chaffin as Gladys Herdman rules the stage with her sharp teeth and terrorizing antics. Chaffin’s solo bits in “Hey Mrs. Bradley” and “Die Herod Die” are well-sung and hilarious.
The music of this show is fantastic, with a mix of fast pieces like “The Horrible Herdmans” and “Take My Lunch” that showcase the cast’s voices and Brodee Ripple’s simple but well-executed choreography, and slower songs such as “Maybe” and “The Best Gift of All” that tone down the laughs and give the audience a moment to consider the story’s deeper message.
his message is displayed and carried to great effect by Julia Jolley in the role of Grace Bradley, who is forced to direct the pageant after the usual director (played by Ramona Samuels) breaks an arm and a leg before casting even starts. (No irony there. No, sir.) Jolley does an excellent job of playing Grace as first initially reluctant, then frustrated by the Herdmans’ antics and general ignorance of what the Christmas story is even about. While she does her best to include the Herdmans out of common decency, when there’s a fire in the church during a rehearsal and the pageant’s future is far from certain, Grace has to decide exactly how she wants to see the Herdmans–as children who deserve a chance, or as the terrors everyone has always assumed them to be.
While The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is rife with laughs and great music, its true value lies in the insights the Herdmans provide about the Christmas story itself and the meaning of Christmas overall. I’ve read the book time and time again because it reminds me to look for the good in people that’s sometimes hard to see, and I’m so grateful that SCERA took a chance on this show. They’ve done such a great job with it. If you’re looking for a play that your kids will love and you will never forget, this musical is the best show for you!
SCERA Center for the Arts Presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Book and Lyrics by Jahnna Beecham, Music and Lyrics by Malcolm Hillgartner, Based on the Play by Barbara Robinson
The SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 S State St, Orem, UT 84058
November 30 – December 15, 2018, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $14 Adults, $12 Seniors & Children 3-11, All Seats Reserved
SCERA Center for the Arts Facebook Page
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Facebook Event \
0 Comments