With Hilarity & Heart, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” Comes to CTC Stage Dec. 9-18

The most inventively awful kids in history crash the church Christmas pageant, resulting in mayhem—and ultimately a revelation of the meaning of the season—in the hilarious classic THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, coming to the Chattanooga Theatre Centre stage December 9-18.

In this buoyant adaptation of the funny and touching holiday classic, the Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. So when they descent upon Sunday school and demand parts in the Christmas pageant, the whole town panics. There’s not supposed to be biting or cigar-smoking in Bethlehem, and while these kids have never even heard the Christmas story, they definitely have rewrites.

Soon everyone is calling for reluctant director Grace Bradley to cancel the whole thing. It’s up to the Bradleys and the Reverend to help their community see the Christmas story—and the Herdman kids—through new eyes.

This delightful comedy is adapted from the bestselling book of the same title by Barbara Robinson. First published in 1972, it was made into an enormously popular TV movie on which the play is based.

Directed by Chuck Tuttle, the Youth Theatre production features two casts of nine adults and 34 young actors who appear in alternating performances. They include Jeeter Aragon, Finley Aune, Haley Butler, Logan Chubb, Christina Clark, Sarah Crane, Brynn Domsic, James Earles, Piper Elliott, Christine Hamill, Ellery Hamill, Claire Hammond, Natalie Haney, Anita Harrower, Thomas Harvey, Ash Himrod, Ephraim James, Henry James, Penny James, and Will James.

Also, Charlestyn Johnson, Faith Larson, Amanda Legge, Aubrey Legge, Eli Pepper, Roberta Pepper, Benjamin Pipes, Katherine Pipes, Jenn Piroth, Jordan Quigley, Bentley Scoggins, Lily Sentell, Evie Sneckenberger, Jobari Snyder, Max Truett, Eliot Verporter, Lydia Wagner, Jack Wellman, Keegan White, Jessica Whitmire, Weston Whitmire, Dalton Williams, and Averie Wilson. Lee Larson is the stage manager.

Performances are Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

For tickets, call the CTC box office at 423.267.8534 or visit TheatreCentre.com.

Posted November 17, 2022