Okay. A fun one:
Were you ever in a Christmas pageant? And, if so, what part did you play?
Now, I want all the JUICY details.
If you were the donkey’s butt, I want to know!
If you got severe, bug-eyed stage fright, give it up!
If you bawled hysterically, you’d better tell!
If you were a 6-year-old Virgin Mary diva, come on, spill it!
And if you wet your pants and left a sad little puddle — well, I GUESS you can keep that to yourself.
Details, people, DE-TAILS! ;-0
Back when you could actually do a Christmas program that was a Christmas and not a “winter holiday” program, I sang a solo in the third grade. It was the “Mary” part of a version of “The Cherry Tree Carol”.
My parents were completely flummoxed by this distinction, as I could not carry a tune if you strapped it to my back with duct tape.
Years and years later, when my kids were in grade school, the second grade would sing and sign “Silent Night” for their part in the “Holiday Program”. Talk about turning an entire cafetorium of adults to mush…
Solo in 3rd grade?! Verrry impressive, Sal.
Well, in my grade school (k-12), we had “Mumming.” On the last day of school before Christmas, the Senior class, dressed in red choir robes and carrying candles, would process though the whole school. One by one, each class would fall silently in line and follow the Seniors to the auditorium.
At the front was a table where the Seniors placed the candles, and one by one, each class would circle around the table and sing a Christmas carol. Finally, the Seniors would come up and sing “Silent Night.”
As the Seniors sang, the curtains would draw back and reveal a living nativity, and then one Senior would read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke.
I got to read that story, and it is a memory I cherish to this day, 24 years later.
— R’cat
CatHouse Chat
In the fourth or fifth i played one of the three wise men. From what i remember, everything went well in rehearsal. Our director was the church superintendent, my very strict but loving Aunt. But at showtime one of the other wise men could not wait to get off the stage. We wise men were to file off after Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus. As soon as the last line was delivered, our stage frightened friend made a bee-line for the safety of the shadows in the back of the church, which caused a nervous glance to be passed between us two remaining wisemen. It took not a second for us to follow his lead. later on we asked him why he didn’t follow the program, he said, ” I had to pee so bad, I thought it wise to get the hell out of there”.
I grew up in a small country church of around 10 people in which I was the only kid. Imagine if you will me, myself, and I playing all the parts in the play where you spell out CHRISTMAS and have a saying for each letter. Pretty sad…
I also have a fear of matches due to burning myself every year lighting the advent candles at church.
I grew up in a small country church of around 10 people in which I was the only kid. Imagine if you will me, myself, and I playing all the parts in the play where you spell out CHRISTMAS and have a saying for each letter. Pretty sad…
I also have a fear of matches due to burning myself every year lighting the advent candles at church.
When I was a kid, we did a play called “Wise Guys and Starry Skies”. By the time I was in elementary school, you could go out and buy the script and scores for a play, and put it on, and this was one of those. I played one of the Wise Men…..uh, Melchior, I think. The one who brought the gold. I remember that because I remember one of my lines:
“The gift I hold, broke the mold
And I’m told it’s very old.
I will bring him gold – very old gold!
When he beholds this old gold
He thank me a thousand-fold.
For if I may be bold
He’ll love my gift of gold!”
-M@
R’cat — Sounds like a lovely program. What an honor for you.
Dougman — Hilarious! At least he didn’t pee onstage.
Diane — I canNOT believe that! I’m laughing just picturing “Diane’s One-Woman Christmas Pageant”!
Actors make big bucks on Broadway doing that these days. I think you were robbed.
M@ — “I will bring him gold — very old gold” — I’m sorry. The whole thing is just hysterically BAD. Every other word ends with “old”! I would have LOVED to have heard that one! 😉
I can’t think of a real Christmas pageant at church. I probably wore a choir robe and played an angel somewhere along the line, but I can’t be sure.
The one Christmas presentation I remember was in 3rd grade when I was one of two narrators for a Christmas program at school. This was the early 70’s in the Midwest, so you could actually mention Christ within 100 yards of the school building!
I remember memorizing my parts. I made no mistakes. However, I did have my script, folded lengthwise, sticking out of my back pocket during the performance…
So many stories! My family was really involved at a church with a very active music program, so I’ve been everything from Mary to the star of Bethlehem to Girl #3 to Head Angel to Tiny the Sheep. My favorite story, though, is based on the asking rather than the performing of a part…
One year, our music director called me at work to ask if I would be willing to sing the Mary solo for a choir Christmas musical. He began by telling me that he’d originally asked another girl (about my age) to sing the solo because she was someone the audience would be able to envision as being Mary: “young, and a virgin.” (I refrained from making a remark about how this girl was married, and so the latter definitely didn’t apply to her…) He went on to say that when Jeanette couldn’t do the solo, he thought of me: “Because you’re young….and a virgin…”
Barbara — I did a spit take! Seriously. Very funny!!
Very funny story Barbara!