Theater Review

While South Coast Repertory’s annual productions of “A Christmas Carol”

and “La Posada Magica” await in the wings along with OCC’s

yuletide-oriented melodrama, the honor of ushering in the holiday season

locally falls to the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse.

Barbara Robinson’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” not only carries out

the spirit of the season (in just over an hour’s running time), but it

also gives a dozen or so young people a chance to take the stage and act,

well, pretty much like kids.

Director Christopher Spencer has assembled an energetic coterie of

youngsters, not all of whom, unfortunately, possess the vocal magnitude

to reach the back row of the theater. Those who do, however, are quite

effective, and two in particular are very impressive.

The play focuses on a churchgoing family (at least three-fourths of it

is) thrust into a comically intense situation when the lady who normally

directs the church’s Christmas pageant is sidelined with a broken leg,

and it’s up to the novice Mom to keep the tradition alive.

What Mom (an empathetically energetic performance by Erin Lord) doesn’t

anticipate is the invasion of the six incorrigible Herdman kids, who show

up when they find out there’s free refreshments involved. The Herdmans

are on welfare and make ends meet by coercing other kids out of their

school lunches.

Naturally, the unwelcome newcomers latch onto the leading roles, saddling

the neophyte director with the additional task of instilling the spirit

of Christmas into these latter-day Dead End kids when the Wise Men more

resemble wise guys (wait till you see their interpretation of gold,

frankincense and myrrh).

Lord admirably reflects the frustration her character suffers on what

appears to be Mission: Impossible. Her husband (John Bolen) is as little

help as possible, not being the churchy sort, but manages to provide

adequate backup when the chips are down.

Narrating the show and offering one of the two finer performances by the

younger set is Rachel Reinert as the new director’s daughter with wisdom

beyond her years. Among her tasks is dragging her recalcitrant little

brother (Evan Weiner) into the shepherds’ flock.

Brandy Warden turns in the evening’s most memorable portrayal as the

elder Herdman sister who usurps the role of Mary and discovers it has a

tranquilizing effect on her pugnacious attitude. Another girl from the

back-street brood, Krysten Nicole White, is a particular kick as an

overactive angel.

The other Herdman kids -- Jason Kraft, Matthew Schneider, Alex Cetina and

Brian Ayala -- are credible as a disruptive lot, enacting their share of

ensemble mischief. Another bright spot is Laurielle Hofer’s turn as a

spoiled kid with an ax to grind.

Lynne Bolen oozes sophisticated outrage as the incapacitated regular

pageant director, while Marie Nussle and Bridget Ford sound some

comically sour notes as well.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” will strike a responsive chord with

parents who have shepherded their own young ones through such events. And

at an hour’s length, the little folks shouldn’t get too restive.* TOM

TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear

Thursdays and Saturdays.

WHAT: “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”WHERE: Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse,

661 Hamilton St., Costa Mesa

WHEN: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through

Dec. 19HOW MUCH: $10-$12PHONE: (949) 650-5269