This blog was written by Smarty Blogger, Caris Malone.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical
Nov. 23 to Dec. 29, 2018
McColl Family Theatre
Recommended for all ages
By Jahnna Beecham & Malcolm Hillgartner Adapted from the book by Barbara Robinson
What better way to feel the Christmas spirit than to see it performed on stage. The talent of Charlotte Children’s Theatre brings to life The Best Christmas Pageant Ever the musical! This is a show that will give you, and everyone in your family, all the feels!
The very first scene captured my girls (3yo and 6yo) attention. The first song introduces “The Perfect Little Town”, that 
seems to be filled with perfectly manicured Families whose children all love Sunday school. We quickly learn that there is a family in town, The Herdmans, that are not necessarily welcomed into their community with open arms. It only took until the middle of this second song for my big girl to look at me wide-eyed and say “This is the BEST show EVER!!” It was also at this point that I noticed my 3 year old sitting on the edge of her seat and not moving. Which if you know this child you know is VERY rare. What is even more rare than this scene is my sweet Husband actually sitting back, relaxing and enjoying his surroundings without having to worry about running or shushing after said 3 year old. Because this is such a rare occurrence I quickly documented the scene as I knew it wouldn’t last for long.
The audience learns that Mrs. Armstrong, the director of the Christmas pageant has broken her leg. She will need a replacement. Mrs. Armstrong’s pose, who have a strong resemblance to the Supremes, convince sweet Grace Bradley that she is the only one who can do it. Her children and (especially) her Husband are not excited about the situation. The once perfectly organized pageant gets thrown a loop when the dreaded Herdman family decide to take the lead rolls. At first the goal of the Herdman’s is to take advantage of the snacks, but once they learn the story of Christmas their tune changes. We begin to see a softer side to this family who has known little kindness. The touching rawness of the solo song by Imogene Herdman brought such a calmness over audience, that I am sure I wasn’t the only one who got chills.
By the last song, that is filled with upbeat music and lots of dancing both of my girls were standing up and dancing along. It was then that I realized this was the first time either of them left their seats, and Hubs was still awake. It was a Christmas miracle!!!
Although the true meaning of the story might have been lost on my 3 year old, the fast paced transition from song to dance kept her entertained and happy. The story, did however, open the door for some very meaningful conversations with my 6 year old.
I believe this time of year is a time to reflect on the meaning of kindness and love; and hopefully we can all hang on to those thoughts throughout the year.
Grab your little smarties and head to the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and see this amazing musical! See a sneak peak below:
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
Located at ImaginOn
300 E. Seventh St.
Charlotte, N.C. 28202
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