I have had the great pleasure of getting to direct and choreograph The Best Christmas Pageant Ever the Musical at Town Hall Theatre. Performances run through December 17 – get your tickets now!

Working on this production has been a fun, full-circle moment for me. I was once a kid on the Town Hall stage. Back in my Wright State days, my first touring gig was for Town Hall – and look how that turned out! It’s really been a delight to share that experience with these students.

And whoa, this production team is top-notch! My flickr page has been updated with beautiful production photos by Ben Remke. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work with Andrea Bublitz (music direction), Chesapeake Dalrymple (scenic design), Rachel Robinson (lighting designer), Deb Sortman (costume designer), Jessica Detty (properties), Ben Remke (sound design), and Molly Anderson (stage management). Their work, and the efforts of their teams, brought this story to life in lovely detail.

One of the most exciting aspects of this production is that most of the crew are also students! It has been really impressive to see them take to a variety of backstage tasks. The production team, and our adult crew chiefs, have been especially good about training even our youngest crew members. That’s an opportunity that does not come up at every theatre!

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the chance to work on a holiday show. Even though it was odd to be in Christmas-y design meetings in August, this production has really helped me find my holiday spirit. At its heart, this story is about a community coming together to make something new. That collaboration is not without its challenges – just like in real life! – but everyone is made better when they recognize perspectives different from their own. What a delightful message to develop with some talent young people, and what a gift to get to share it with our community as we look towards what 2024 will bring.