Entertainment : From the Front Pew of the Church: \'Best Pageant Ever\' brings inspiring chaos

Imogene Herdman (Hannah Seitz) holds Baby Jesus during the Christmas Pageant.

ACT 1's version of 'Best Christmas Pageant Ever' opens at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Friday.

Firemen clear the church during a scene of 'Best Pageant.'

Christmas chaos: 'Best Pageant Ever' tells story of how one family impacted a church.

Alex Maynard as Alice Wendelken and Molly Cummings as Beth Bradley discuss Imogene's language.

The 'Church Ladies' discuss their concerns about having the Herdmans in the Christmas Pageant.

Nancy Beckman, Dani Neilson, Shelley Haisman as Mrs. Slocum, Mrs. Clark, and Mrs. Clausing

Imogene (Hannah Seitz) challenges Mrs. Bradley (April Seitz) about the Christmas story.

Gladys (Raeganne Neilson) and Mrs. Bradley (April Seitz) read the Biblical Christmas story.

Gladys tells Mrs. Bradley what she thinks the angel should say about the birth of Jesus.

Joey Anderson, Helane Cummings and Monet Elwick rehearse for 'Best Christmas Pageant Ever.'

Nathan Frank and Molly Cummings rehearse for 'Best Pageant;' The pageant is set in 1960.

Mrs. Bradley (April Seitz) uses an old typewriter to make the pageant programs.

Nathan Franck as Charlie, telling Austin Dougherty as Leroy Herdman, about Sunday School treats.

Reverend Hopkins (Kevin Ahrenholz) tells Elmer (Nathaniel Seitz) why he should be Joseph.

ACT 1 moves its stage to Bethlehem Lutheran Church for its new show, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," which opens Friday.

The Story

Every year, the Christmas Pageant was the same. Same Story. Same Songs. Same children from the same respectable church families playing the roles of Mary, Joseph, the angles, shepherds and wise men.

Every year, the stern Mrs. Armstrong directs the play.

But then came Christmas, 1960.

Mrs. Armstrong (Mary Jo Hainstock) broke her leg, and spent December in traction in the hospital, only able to communicate with church members via the telephone. Mrs. Bradley (April Seitz) was the only church member who would dare fill Mrs. Armstrong's shoes.

The project seemed daunting enough for Mrs. Bradley, until one of the church kids told one of the Herdmans that there are free refreshments at Sunday School.

The Herdmans -- all six of them -- grew up in poverty, and never attended Sunday School. They show up for the refreshments on the Sunday that Mrs. Bradley announces the Christmas pageant, and immediately want to participate.

Mrs. Bradley faces the challenge of directing the event while the Herdmans are challenging the facts of the Christmas story, and the mothers of the church are afraid to let their baby be Jesus because of their fear of the Herdmans, led by the the cigar-smoking, foul-mouthed, irreverent Imogene.

The chaos which the church members had feared did come, but so did an inspiring pageant that had a surprising impact on the actors, and the audience.

Why you should go

For one thing, it gives you a chance to explain to your child what a "broken record" means. The play is set in 2011, but flashes back to the Christmas of 1960, when typewriters were manual and records were vinyl. The set includes an old record player that still plays 45s; there is also a beautiful turquoise transistor radio on the set (but not turned on); I wondered if it still works. (It does, said Director Steve, whose parents bought it in 1962.)

But the story is also worth seeing, and worth the $10 admission price. We get to see how people react to hearing the Christmas story the very first time. Do you remember the first time you heard it?

"We're still a bit rough," Director Steve told me after the show. But any parent who has seen a Christmas play or pageant knows that "rough" is usually how the teacher feels after seeing the kids stand in front of the congregation, forgetting their words, wandering off the stage and dropping the letters that spell "Merry Christmas."

Raeganne Neilson brings a sense of playful energy to the role of Gladys Herdman, who wants to play the angel. The older kids in the cast also have an energy that makes their words and feelings seem quite familiar to anyone who has ever taught a Sunday School class -- or a Herdman.

What you should know before you go:

There is no rating for plays but I suppose this one would be PG. Imogene shocks the Sunday School class by exclaiming, "My God! They want to kill Jesus?" and shocks them even more when she uses the P-word. (Remember the days when it was taboo to mention a woman's impending motherhood in one word?)

My favorite part:

The last two lines, one an observation about Imogene, and another, an impromptu message from the angel.

See director Steve Arnold's summary HERE. For ACT 1 ticket information and show times click HERE.