The Best Christmas Pageant Ever runs from November 29th to December 21st, 2024

Synopsis

In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively troublesome kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide head-on with the story of Christmas!

This delightful show is adapted from the bestselling Young Adult book, and has become a holiday staple for groups across the United States. The crowd-pleasing comedy features plenty of great roles for children and adults, a few favorite Christmas Carols, and lots of laughs.

Character Descriptions

The ages in the character descriptions indicate the approximate ages of the characters, not necessarily of the actors.

Father (Bob Bradley) – Solid family man. 35-38

Mother (Grace Bradley) – Trim, attractive, 35ish

Beth Bradley – The narrator, strong voice and presence, 10-11

Charlie Bradley – Traditional kid brother, 8-9

Ralph Herdman – Ragged, scroungy, slouching manner, touch of adolescent cool, 12-13

Imogene Herdman – Loud, bossy, crafty, 11-12

Leroy Herdman – Tough, sure of himself, 10-11

Claude Herdman – Tough, combative, 9-10

Ollie Herdman – Looking for trouble, Claude’s usual partner in crime, 8-9

Gladys Herdman – Small, wiry, feisty, 7-8

Alice Wendleken – Prim, proper, pain in  the neck, 10-11

Mrs. Armstrong – Managerial in voice and manner, 50ish

Mrs. Slocum – Pleasant, motherly woman, 35-60

Mrs. Clark – 35-60

Mrs. Clausing – 35-60

Mrs. McCarthy – A younger, less imperious version of Mrs. Armstrong, middle 40s

Maxine – 10-11

Elmer Hopkins – 12-13

Hobie – 9-10

David – 8-9

Beverly – 7-8

Fireman – 25-30

Fireman – 25-30

Shirley – 5-6

Juanita – 5-6

Doris – 9-10

Reverend Hopkins – Middle to late 40s

Ensemble – Extra angel choir members, shepherds

Not all of the above roles will be required to read at callbacks, if any.