Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre will present three performances of the Christmas comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, December 13-15 on the mainstage in the Jeffers Theatre. This hilarious play will warm your heart and inspire you with the spirit of Christmas.
Laughs abound in this Christmas classic by Barbara Robinson, adapted from her bestselling novel. It’s time for the annual church Christmas pageant but things go awry when Mrs. Armstrong, who directs the pageant every year, breaks her leg. Reverend Hopkins pressures Grace Bradley to take it on and things go for bad to worse when the rowdiest kids in town, the “horrible Herdmans” show up for Sunday school and take over all the parts. Will this be the worst pageant ever?
Holley Dagenhardt plays Grace Bradley; her children, Beth and Charlie are played by Katie Grace DeHart and Luke Paruch, and Jack Verner is Mr. Bradley. The Herdmans are played by Addie Kehoe as Imogene, Sebastian Bannister as Leroy, Garrison Bennett as Ralph, Harrison Bogle as Claude, Spencer Bogle as Ollie and Vivienne Lane as Gladys. In the ensemble cast are John Bates as Reverend Hopkin, Harley Buff as Davis, Nate Buff as Elmer, Kennedy Case as Mrs. Slocum, Ashton Killian as Maxine, Morgan Laney as Hobie, Miriam McKee as Mrs. McCarthy, Lauren Mills as Alice and Emily Staples as Mrs. Armstrong. The members of the angel choir are Madeleine Echerd, Hadley Hager, Avery Hawley and Lauren Mills.
Performances are Friday, Dec 13 at 7:30pm and at 2:30pm on Saturday Dec 14 & Sunday Dec 15. Tickets for all performances are $10 each. Call the box office at 828-328-2283 or visit hickorytheatre.org to purchase tickets or get more information.
The Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! is produced by Sam’s Club of Hickory. A Cleaner World, Paramount Automotive, the City of Hickory and Sunbelt Xpress are the sponsors the 2019-2020 Season.
PHOTO: (Kneeling (left to right): Ashton Killian, Madeleine Echerd, Hadley Hager, Avery Hawley, Sadie Sapp, Harrison Bogle, Vivienne Lane, Spencer Bogle; Standing (left to right): Nate Buff, Emily Staples, Lauren Mills, Morgan Laney, Harley Buff, Luke Paruch, Holley Dagenhardt, Katie DeHart, Jack Verner, Addie Kehoe, Garrison Bennett, Sebastian Bannister, Kennedy Case; Not pictured: John Bates, Miriam McKee) are the cast for the Hickory Community Theatre’s upcoming production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! at the Hickory Community Theatre. Performances are this weekend, December 13-15. For show times and tickets visit hickorytheatre.org or call 828-328-2283. Photo by Heather Osterer.
