“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” opens Dec. 1st at ACT
November 21, 2017
Holiday mayhem erupts at Asheville Community Theatre with the opening of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a comedy that’s both hilarious and sweet. From a dress rehearsal that ends with the arrival of the fire department to a Wise Man who decides that a giant ham is a better gift than perfumed oils, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is not the typical nativity story. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will open at the downtown theatre on Friday, December 1 and run through Sunday, December 17, 2017 with performances on Friday nights at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm. An additional evening performance is scheduled for Saturday, December 16 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available online at www.ashevilletheatre.org, over the phone at 828-254-1320, or in person at the Asheville Community Theatre Box Office.
In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids, 6 delinquent siblings who are the terror of their town. When they end up as the leads in the annual Christmas pageant, their interesting interpretation of the story (which they have never heard before) helps everyone rediscover the meaning of the holiday. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a terrific show for the entire family.
“This is our third time producing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” said Susan Harper, Executive Director of Asheville Community Theatre. “We love that families are making this show part of their holiday traditions. We also love having a Mainstage production that involves so many local children!”
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was written by Barbara Robinson, and is based on her book by the same name. Asheville Community Theatre’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is directed by Elliot Weiner and stars a cast of 32 community members, many of whom are making their ACT debut! This truly is a family show; the cast includes three generations of one family, a mom/daughter team, a dad with his two kids, and two sisters who encouraged their mom to get onstage (she’s one of the firefighters).
“We also love this show because of its very realistic portrayal of the power of arts participation for children. It’s a real testament to the concept of letting more people in,” said Harper. “The Herdmans have never been expected to amount to much of anything. Even the adults in town completely write them off. But when they are cast in a play, they begin to really think about their roles, and it ends up that these rough and unruly kids have a capacity for thoughtfulness, generosity, and joy.”
For more information about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or about Asheville Community Theatre, please visit www.ashevilletheatre.org.