All in the Family at "Best Christmas Pageant Ever"

My pal Dave Lavender files this excellent story about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which runs tonight and this weekend:

While Marshall University students are prepping for finals, the younger kids in the area have commandeered the bright lights of the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

The First Stage Theatre Company, Huntington's children's theater, and the Marshall Theatre Alliance have teamed up to present the rollicking show, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Co-directed by the husband and wife team of Justin and Sydnee McElroy, the one-hour play will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2 and 3, as well as 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4.

Tickets are $12 and $8 for children. Call the box office at 304-696-2787 for more information.

Based on the best-selling 1972 book by Barbara Robinson, "Pageant" tells the story about the six wild urchins in the Herdman family who come to church just for the snacks and stay to take all the roles in the Sunday School's Christmas play, giving the show a little bit of a twist.

Robinson adapted the book to the stage, and since 1982 it has been a solid community theater holiday hit around the world. The book was made into an ABC movie in 1983 starring Loretta Swit, of MASH fame.

The McElroys, who also co-directed the play back in 2005 for First Stage when they weren't married, said although they're both super busy, they couldn't pass up a chance to have another go at "Christmas Pageant."

"It takes about six years to wash away any bad memories, so we thought wasn't that a lot of fun," Sydnee McElroy said.

"Yeah, you know survivors of disasters are often drawn together," said Justin McElroy.

Seriously, though, both said they were drawn to the play for the fun of it and the chance to work with the First Stage family, which includes family of their own since Justin McElroy's dad Clint McElroy, and Sydnee's mom, Mary Smirl are the producers. Sydnee's sister Rileigh Smirl is also in the play.

"It's easy to get lost in everything you have to do, all the stress of the holidays but being around all of these kids they are just so excited and being out there and having fun celebrating Christmas is kind of refreshing and that is what it is all about," Sydnee McElroy said. "Everybody being together and sharing this time of year and it's kind of been a family affair for us."

In her third year of residency through Marshall University's School of Medicine at Marshall Family Practice, Sydnee McElroy had to not only direct, but had to step in to play the role of the Mother when someone dropped out.

"Strangely enough this is probably my biggest role and the most lines to do ever, which I didn't plan to do but I was going there every night any way and it's so rewarding and such a nice break," she said. "My job tends to be very serious so getting to go play with 50 kids every night is a great stress reliever. That is the best part for me. The kids are just little comedians, and since it's based on a children's book, it's their kind of humor and it's really hilarious and parents will think it is hilarious too."

Clocking in at just about an hour, the one-act "Christmas Pageant" is a great show to bring the family since it is fast-paced and has a nice message tucked in as well, Justin McElroy said.

"It's just a great show for people who don't see a lot of plays because it's structured a lot like a TV show with quick cuts and 30 seconds here and there and James (Morris-Smith) and the lighting has a lot to do with making that work," he said. "It's also only a one-act so it's good for smaller kids who maybe can't sit through a whole play."

Justin McElroy, who graduated from Marshall with a theater degree, said they've felt blessed to be able to come back to the home turf and get to utilize the professional talents of MU's award-winning staff such as Morris-Smith and Deborah Carder-Deem.

Clint McElroy seconded that emotion.

"When Mary Smirl and I, the co-producers, were putting together the deal with Marshall we were blown away that we would be able to use what is one of the best facilities and most creative theater programs in the region," he said. "Our kids are loving the experience, and there's a lot of connections inside the school too. Chris Crawford - one of the crew in the theater department - started out with First Stage and now he is in theater because he fell in love with it doing First Stage. It's fun to see it come full circle."