"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is coming to ANC!

ANC is thrilled to cast our holiday play, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!” 
by Barbara Robinson. 

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 awful 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 all the favorite carols, lots of laughs, and the true meaning of Christmas. 

The Bradley family–charged with putting on the Christmas pageant after the usual director (Mrs. Armstrong–junior Sarah Roscoe) is injured–will be played by seniors Porter Brown (Father) and Isabel Waelchli (Mother) with Durban Cooper (freshman) and Sofia Waelchli (sophomore) as Charlie and Beth. The infamous Herdman children will be played by senior Oliver Orthwein (Ralph, the cool teen), sophomore Sammy Hyatt (Imogene, the loud, bossy girl who nabs the part of Mary), senior Tait Asplundh (Leroy, the tough one), sophomore Robert Asplundh (Claude, the combative one), senior Isaac Rose (Ollie, Claude’s partner in crime) and senior Nicole Synnestvedt (Gladys, the feisty one who insists that “Shazaam!” belongs in the Christmas story). 

The incredulous church moms will be played by seniors Raelyn Arnott (Mrs. Slocum), Marley Hyatt (Mrs. Clausing) and Chloe Robertson (Mrs. McCarthy). 

Aurora Gruber will play Alice, the prim and proper girl who normally portrays Mary, and the pageant kids are rounded out by Abby Alden (Maxine), Abigail Odhner (Elmira), Zion Nobre (David) and Jacob Exarchos (Hobie). Tano Quigley will be the Reverend Hopkins and Mattias King will save the day as the Fireman.  

See the full cast list here. 

High school theater, including at ANC, is primarily funded by ticket and ad sales. ANC Performing Arts deeply appreciates our advertisers and patrons who make this program possible! Advertisements for the playbill can be purchased here. Performances for “The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever!” are December 5-6, and tickets can be purchased here. All information is on our website: ancss.org/pageant. 

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.