Holiday mayhem erupts at Asheville Community Theatre with the opening of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a comedy that’s both hilarious and sweet.

From a dress rehearsal that ends with the arrival of the fire department to a Wise Man who decides that a canned ham is a better gift than perfumed oils, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is not the typical nativity story. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever opens Friday, December 4 and runs through Sunday, December 20. Tickets are available online, over the phone, or in person at the Asheville Community Theatre Box Office.

“We produced The Best Christmas Pageant Ever two years ago, and it was one of our most popular shows ever,” said Susan Harper, Executive Director of Asheville Community Theatre. “Though this is the same script, it’s a brand new production, so even if you saw the show in 2013, we know you’ll enjoy seeing it again. And if you didn’t see it, now’s your chance!”

In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant are faced with casting the Herdman kids, six delinquent siblings who are the terror of their town. When they end up as the leads in the annual Christmas pageant, their interesting interpretation of the story (which they have never heard before) helps everyone rediscover the meaning of the holiday. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a terrific show for the entire family.

“Though it certainly has much to do with the Christmas holiday, we also love this show because of its very realistic portrayal of the power of arts participation for children,” said Harper. “The Herdmans have never been expected to amount to much of anything. Even the adults in town completely write them off. But when they are cast in a play, they begin to really think about their roles, and it ends up that these rough and unruly kids have a capacity for thoughtfulness, generosity, and joy.”

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was written by Barbara Robinson, and is based on her book by the same name. Asheville Community Theatre’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is directed by Lori Hilliard and stars a cast of community members, many of whom are making their ACT debut! This truly is a family show; the cast includes a grandfather/granddaughter pair (both making their ACT debuts), a husband and wife duo, a pair of sisters, a dad with his two kids, and a mother/son team.

Starring a cast of 31 including Tara Theodossis, William Ehrsam, Perry Berlin, Cas Cusic, Nora Flynn-McIver, Rohan Myers, and Elyse Bassett.

If You Go: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , December 4-20, 2015. Performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sunday afternoons at 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $22 Adults, $19 Seniors/Students, $12 Children
Asheville Community Theatre, 35 East Walnut Street, downtown Asheville. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (828) 254-1320 or visit www.ashevilletheatre.org.