Review: THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER at The Studio Theatre Brings in the Holiday Season with this Uplifting Classic

It's that time of year where we wish everyone good cheer, become a little more giving, and the holiday shows roll out to put you in a festive mood. To start the merriment off, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is being performed at The Studio Theatre, 320 W. 7th St., in Little Rock, through December 11. Based off the bestselling novel by Barbara Robinson, the story is funny, touching, and the young actors will make you smile as they tell the tale of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.

Directed by Hillary Bell, the play begins when the regular director Mrs. Armstrong (Tiffany Shettles-Tull) is injured and can't be at church to run the Christmas show. The other moms decide Grace Bradley (Kayley Shettles) is the best choice to step in, and she allows "the worst kids in the history of the world," The Herdmans-Imogene (Brooklyn K Swindle), Ralph (William Daniels), Leroy (Elijah Poe), Claude (Wyatt Huddleson), Gladys (Cecilia Zachary), and Ollie (Garrison Gilmore) to take over the main parts of the pageant. Grace's children Beth (Darby Bradley) and Charlie (Shepard Zachary) are not thrilled with this idea, the other children, including Alice (Kimmie Ham), the one who normally plays Mary, and the preacher's son Elmer (Walt Wenger) are afraid of the Hermans, and Grace's husband Bob (Dakota Mansfield) doesn't even want to go. Practice is chaotic, and though the Herdman kids originally came for the food and caused quite a bit of havoc at the church, including smoking cigars in the restroom, alerting the firemen (Erik Swindle and Rickey Thompson), they learned about the birth of Jesus and decided that church was a good place to be.

This show has an overload of cuteness. I could feel the frustration from Grace (Shettles) as she tried to wrangle the kids into practicing for the program. I was impressed with how Haddock guided the show with her many monologues, I enjoyed watching Swindle take her character from a rough delinquent to a softer, more sincere young lady, or at least for her role of Mary, and watching kindergartner Alice Leftwich fidget around on stage was darling. Also, the out-of-tune piano, played by Music Director Emily Burris, for the Christmas pageant was a nice touch.

There is nothing more precious than watching young actors enjoy being in a show of this caliber. According to Artistic Director Justin Pike, there were 23 actors new to The Studio Theatre, and 12 actors new to the stage. This was a true community theatre experience that brought together veterans and newbie performers to tell a Christmas classic.

Currently, the Studio Theatre is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to upgrade the lights, sound, and front of building signage. They began with Filling the Boot at KINKY BOOTS, then Stuffing the Brain at 13: THE MUSICAL, and now they are Stuffing the Stocking. To help with their technical needs, go to https://the-studio-theatre.square.site/?utm_source=sqmktg_email and check out their merchandise, or just give money out of the kindness of their heart.

Broadway World would like to thank Matthew Sewell Photography for the use of these fabulous photos. If you need headshots or family pictures, this is the place to go. Visit his website at https://www.msewellphotography.com. We would also like to give a shoutout to the bartender James Linker who makes the tasty signature drinks for each show. This one has a fruit punch base and is super sweet. It is sure to perk you up.

With so many kids in this production, this show sells out quickly, so if you would like to bring your family to this darling show to ring in the holidays, it's best to get tickets online at centralarkansastickets.com/organizations/the-studio-theatre.

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