Interview: Washington County Playhouse Will Present THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Christmas is coming to town..... and so are the worst kids in town, the Herdmans! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever opens this Friday at the Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater and Children's Theater in Hagerstown, MD.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on the novel by Barbara Robinson, tells the story of an unconventional Christmas featuring the worst kids in town, the Herdmans. Young narrator Beth tells the audience about the year when the Herdmans, an underprivileged, misbehaved group of kids, try out for the Sunday school Christmas pageant, only after learning there are free snacks at Sunday school. Much to everyone's surprise, the Herdmans are cast as the lead roles in the Christmas pageant and among all the mishaps and mayhem, they eventually learn and teach everyone else the true meaning of Christmas.

As a show focusing on a children's church pageant, many of the lead roles are played by child actors and the young cast quickly settled into their roles in rehearsal.

"This is a show with a large cast and watching everyone develop into the roles they're playing, especially the younger cast members, has been incredible. Some of the choices these young actors are making are incredibly insightful. You can see that they get the motivation and they understand exactly what they're supposed to be portraying. When you have an entire cast giving those kind of performances in every role, that's when magic truly happens" said Nate LaDow, who plays Father. "We have a lot of children in this show and each one of them brings something special to the character they've chosen to develop" said Katie Tolentino, who plays Mother.

"This is truly a family production. We have families in the show and working back stage. In a diverse cast, our audiences will be able to find someone in the story to relate to- whether it is the exasperated mother or the reluctant father who is dragged into working the pageant" said Gabrielle Tokach, who plays Imogene Herdman.

"The most enjoyable part of the rehearsal process is making new friends and meeting new and amazing people" said Andrew Pregartner, who plays Ralph Herdman. "The cast is enthusiastic and we can take corrections well and improve quickly" said Madalyn Johnston, who plays Alice Wendleken.

The show faced its own unique set of challenges with a large cast of child actors.

"The most challenging factor about the production was probably memorizing all of my lines from the script, and putting the blocking with it" said Carolyn Bowers, who plays Beth Bradley. "The costume changes are challenging because there are many in very little time" said Johnston

With a large cast of child and adult actors, director Laura J. Martin had several original opportunities while translating the novel to life onstage.

"I enjoyed watching our younger actors make discoveries on stage and develop their acting skills. Our younger actors have fantastic instincts and our director, Laura, has done a beautiful job of encouraging them to explore their characters" said Tokach.

"Laura has always been very supportive in theatrical endeavors. Learning from her and watching her direct is an opportunity not to be missed. She is a wonderful mentor, director and friend" said Christian Witmer, who plays Elmer

The cast is ready to present the heartwarming messages in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for an audience this Christmas season.

"The show is funny and it teaches a good lesson about Christmas" said Madelyn Ross, an Angel Choir member. "Everyone has worked really hard and its going to be a great show" said Emily Nye, an Angel Choir member. "I think it is a great show with a lot of good actors" added Jocelyn Merriman, an Angel Choir member.

"The show is funny, silly, and just all around fun for everyone. The Washington County Playhouse is an amazing place to enjoy amazing food, amazing shows, and amazing people" said Pregartner. "The kids are outstanding, hilarious, and will warm your Christmas heart" said Genesis Wilson, who plays David

"Audiences will love the fun that surrounds the traditional Christmas story! It's a show within a show and definitely one you won't want to miss!" said Tolentino "It is a great story that gets us all ready for Christmas. The Washington County Playhouse is a great place for good food and a fun show" said Gregory Freeman, who plays Charlie. "This production is for all ages and is a very special comedy. You can also get dinner with the show" said Bowers

"Audiences will truly enjoy this family show and hopefully walk away feeling blessed by the true spirit of Christmas. Commercialism runs rampant this time of year and this production hopes to slow the pace down and celebrate the true meaning of the season" said Christian Witmer

"In this day and age it's a rare thing to see movies, television, or theatrical productions that talk about the true meaning of Christmas. This is a timeless story about a group of underprivileged kids who learn the true meaning of Christmas in the most unlikely of circumstances. It's nice to see entertainment that is still willing to portray a positive, family-friendly message. Everyone in the cast is amazing, and the show is truly appropriate for all ages. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you'll want to see the show again" said Nate LaDow

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever cast also features Jordan Moore as Leroy Herdman, Arrick Smith as Claude Herdman, Jacob Wilson as Ollie Herdman, Katelynn Mueller as Gladys Herdman, Claudia Patterson as Mrs. Armstrong, Taylor Knapp as Mrs. Slocum, Vicki Johnston as Mrs. Clark, Sara Smith as Mrs. Clausing, Allison Banzhoff as Mrs. McCarthy, Siobhan Sungenis as Maxine, Caden Warner as Elmer, Devon Quarles as Hobie, Abby Moore as Beverly, Maverick McKee, Dan Ritchey, Russell Nye and Kevin Gross as Firemen, Brenna O'Reily as Shirley, Katherine Sungenis as Juanita, Ally Moore as Doris, Terry Moore as Reverend Hopkins, Taryn O'Reilly as the Baby Angel, Branden Quarles and Taylor Gross as Shepherds, and Ella Snyder, Emily Nye, Madeline Gross, Ciera Gross, Sage Gross, Ella Gross, Gaby Ekmark, Nadia Woolf, Olivia Woolf, Hanna Woolf, Alison Ross, Hannah Ross, Madelyn Ross, Abby Berger, Rebecca Berger and Kaitlyn Hudson as members of the Angel Choir.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever runs December 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18 and 19, with show only performances on December 10 and 17. Dinner hour will begin at 6:00 with the show shortly following at approximately 7:45 for evening performances and lunch hour for the matinee performances begins at 1:00 with the show following at approximately 2:30. For more information about the production or to make reservations, please call the box office at (301) 739-7469 or visit www.wcpdt.com.

Photo Credit: Washington County Playhouse

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