CONSIDER YOURSELF INVITED I can t believe it s almost Christmas! Yeah, only two more days til Christmas and only one more day until we get to perform our show on Main Street. This is so cool. I bet we ll have lots and lots of people there cause the stores will just have closed. And all those people buying all those last minute gifts will walk over!! Speaking of gifts, does your family open presents on Christmas Eve or do they make you wait until Christmas morning? We open them Christmas Eve! Yeah! Oh, you re sooo lucky. At my house we have to wait until Christmas morning UGH!! We have to wait until all the grown-ups wake up. UGH!! And finish breakfast UGH!! And sip their coffee. UGH!! It drives us crazy! (music begins to I Hate to Wait For Christmas ) We ve all been waiting 363 days for Christmas! I HATE TO WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS (TOWARD THE END OF SONG) Speaker 1: Remain inactive until something anticipated Speaker 2: A strong feeling of distaste or dislike Speaker 3: To enjoy enthusiastically with great fondness Speaker 4: December 25 th to celebrate the anniversary of Christ s birth 1
All Kids: All Kids: Well, the good news is, Christmas is almost here! (comes running in breathless) You guys you guys there s terrible news! The town won t let us have our pageant in the square on Main Street the Mayor just decided! Now, now, now, wait a minute boys and girls. I don t want you telling your moms and dads that I said you can t have your pageant in the square tomorrow. So we can have the pageant tomorrow? Well no you can t. Huh? Why not? (thinking) I m afraid the town square isn t such a great idea. What? Why? Boys and girls I m gonna level with you. My latest polling shows that: One, I look better in red power ties, two, parking meters should be free on weekends, and three, your show is gonna cause a lot of traffic problems. Oh yeah, that s it traffic. But maybe next year you can if you make a few changes. You know, make it a bit more hip, happening, rad isn t that what you kids say? Huh? Why? Kids, you have to admit, the manger scene is a little bit too old-fashioned. Huh? What? You can t argue with public opinion, especially at this time of year with my re-election coming up. Sorry kids! (starts to leave, smiling and waving) Say Hi to your moms and dads for me! Oh, and remind them to be sure to get out and vote. Gotta run busy time of year! See ya later, bye. (exits) He can t do that! We ve been planning this for months and all those rehearsals! I guess he can cause he just did! We need to find another place! No, we can t. It s too late! I don t care what the polls said. I don t even know what a poll is. Let s get everyone in the neighborhood to help. You know to call the town hall and get him to change his mind! Yeah, good idea. But how do we reach everyone? Time is too short. Tomorrow s our show! Hey, I have an idea! Let s all go Christmas caroling right now. 2
Hey, yeah! We can go door to door and get all the neighbors to help. The show must go on!! Yeah!! Let s go!! (moves stage right) Let s start out on Main Street. We can get lots of people there. Our show has a message that God wants everybody to hear. Yeah!! Let s go to the right! (sees first house) Wow! Look over there that house has the fanciest decorations I ve ever seen! Look how bright and cheery it is. It s all decked out for Christmas! I m sure whoever lives there loves Christmas they would love our show! Well then, here we go. Somebody ring the doorbell. (music begins to O Holy Night ) (Fancy front door opens to reveal elegant upscale Lovey and Thurston. Kids keep singing quietly) Lovey: Thurston: Lovey: Thurston: Lovey: Thurston: Thurston: O HOLY NIGHT (begin ms. 8) Look, Thurston. Aren t they adorable? How quaint. (grumpy) Please, children, you re standing on the lawn watch out for the lights the gardener spent hours putting those up. Don t break them! Do you think they want money? Ah, give em five dollars and see if they ll go away. (waves bill) Here you are, little darlings. (amazed) We don t want your money. Don t want money? All kids want money at Christmas time. (music fades) All kids want money all the time. No, we need your help. We would like it if you would call the mayor and ask him to let us perform our Christmas show in the town square tomorrow. Did he finally cancel that thing? Good for him. I ve been after him for weeks to do that. Sorry kids, but the traffic your pageant would cause is a nightmare. 3
Lovey: Really, children, I m sure the pageant is sweet but it kind of belongs in church, not the town square. I m sure your moms and dads understand and you will too when you grow up. Not everyone is that religious at Christmas. Ta ta! (Kids turn away, disappointed) Lovey: Thurston: (closing the door) I hope they don t come back later and trample on our beautiful decorations. I ll sue them if they do. Wow! That was so weird. What do you mean? Why do they have all those decorations and lights if they don t like Christmas? Oh, they like Christmas it s Christ they have a problem with. (music begins to Glitz and Tinsel ) GLITZ AND TINSEL Okay, we ll just try harder, that s all. Right, pick ourselves up and get back at it next house! Wow! This house has lots of fun lights and flags and all different kinds of stuff. Go ahead, ring the doorbell. (music begins to O Little Town of Bethlehem ) (Brightly, secular decoration front door opens to reveal funky, trendy, Janis and Jimi. Kids continue singing softly) (begins ms. 12) How cool, it s a Christmas thing! What do they call that again? Oh wait, it s on the tip of my tongue. It s the Scrooge thing? No, Careening thing? No. Carousing thing? No, no, no. Wait, I ve got it! Caroling. That s it Christmas carols. They sound different when you see someone real singing them. (music fades) It s much better than the music at the mall. Ma am? Sir? We need your help. We are the kids who are supposed to perform the Christmas pageant in the square on Main Street tomorrow night. Oh, yeah. How cute. 4
Were you planning on joining us this year? Sure we will, Dude. We go to all the holiday events all around. We celebrate all of the holidays, too. Flag Day Earth Day Mardi Gras. Wouldn t want to leave any out Wouldn t want to hurt anybody s feelings! Besides, who knows which holiday story is right! Gotta keep your bases covered, Bro! Huh? What? Are you serious? Well, the mayor is tryingto keep us from doing our show tomorrow. Will you call him and ask him to let us do it? Please! That doesn t like, seem fair. Everyone should get to do their holiday thing no matter what they believe. Okay we ll call. Seasons Greetings! Buh bye, now! (shutting the door) Are you really going to call? Of course not. We don t want to get involved shhh. Wow! Those guys celebrate all of the holidays! I bet they get a lot of presents! But what do they believe? A little bit of everything But if you believe in everything you really don t believe in anything. I m glad I know what I believe. 5
(music begins to I Believe) I BELIEVE You guys, we gotta keep trying. It s obvious that a lot of people right here on Main Street don t understand or believe that Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas. Now I really want to put on our show! We need to! Yeah! Let s go! Hey, let s try this house. Maybe they will help us. I don t know this house only has a wreath on the door. It s pretty, but it doesn t seem like they re really into Christmas. You didn t just say that, did you? Did you pick up anything from the last two stops? The outside doesn t always match up with the inside. That s for sure. Only one way to find out ring that bell. (music begins to Away In A Manger ) (Simply decorated front door opens to reveal young Cathy, dressed as if she is making Christmas cookies. Cathy listens and tears up as kids sing.) AWAY IN A MANGER (begin ms. 21) Away In A Manger oh, that s my favorite Christmas carol. You guys sound so wonderful. Thank you for coming to sing for me. Are you all alone? Oh, no. My children are small so they re sleeping. They would have loved to hear you. Their daddy is in the Air Force so he can t be here this Christmas. And I couldn t put up all the lights all by myself. But, we re not alone and their daddy isn t alone, either. Somehow we feel together. I m sure that s because of Jesus, and you children just reminded me of that. (music ends) Thank you. What can I give you? Some hot cocoa? No, no, no. But we could use your help with something. What, children? What can I do for you? Well, we were supposed to perform a Christmas pageant in the town square tomorrow. Oh, yes. I saw the signs and we re planning on being there. Well, right now it s been cancelled. The mayor won t let us do it. What? 6
The mayor said that the square would be too busy too much traffic. He also said his re-election was soon and he didn t want anything with a manger scene. It isn t hip or happenin enough Oh my, no manger scene? But that s where Christmas began, with the birth of Jesus. He knows that! Will you call town hall and ask him to change his mind? I sure will. This is too important. Yeah, you just wouldn t believe how many grown ups don t know about Jesus. We ve just got to tell them! Yes, you do. I ll call there right now. Don t worry, I ve got a good connection down at town hall. Thanks, boys and girls. God bless, and I ll see you tomorrow night at the town square on Main Street! It s gonna take a miracle for that to happen. Christmas is all about miracles. Wow! That lady was so different than anyone else we ve met today. I liked her. Me, too. (music beings to It s Very Clear to See ) She sparkled. She doesn t need Christmas decorations on her lawn. She sparkles on her own. IT S VERY CLEAR TO SEE Come on, guys. Let s get the rest of the houses on the street. We ve got work to do. (enters sheepishly) Okay, okay, I give up! Mr. Mayor! Boys and girls, it wasn t bad enough that my phone has been ringing all afternoon and now you get my daughter to call? Your daughter? What do you mean? 7
Well, you kids must have gone Christmas caroling at every house on Main Street today. We got to as many as we could. Well, I sure got a lot of calls. That wasn t the worst part, though when my daughter called and asked me to let the pageant on. She likes all that shepherds, wise men, manger stuff. She says it s an important part of her faith. I just can t say no to her, and especially this year, with her husband away in the Air Force and all. That pretty lady is your daughter? Good lucks run in the family. (aside) Well, where did they run when they came to him? (Kids giggle) My pride and joy. She said that all she wanted for Christmas this year was to see me at the pageant in the square. Well, I know I m gonna lose a few voters for this, but it s back on. You guys can use the square! Yeah! Hooray! Awesome!! (music begins to Go Light Your World ) Thank you, Mr. Mayor! (Kids exit right of town square) (Some video thing we re probably skipping this let me know if that s wrong) J GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD ( Vanna White enters stage right carrying a sign tht says Christmas Eve ) (Kids peak around set corners after her exit) (Mayor and Cathy are seated on a bench. Cathy has a baby and stroller.) I m so excited today is finally here! We get to do our pageant! I can t believe there are so many people here! And look there s the mayor and his daughter right in the front row! It s another Christmas miracle! Stage Mgr.: (kid with clipboard) Hurry up, everybody! Do you have your wings? Brandon, where s your myrrh? I wonder how many people that we sang to yesterday will actually come? How many people are there? 8
(begins counting slowly) One, two, three (impatiently) Gazillions! Come on, let s get started! Stage Mgr.: Places! Places everybody! Three, two, one go Announcer Kid! Announcer: (small child announcing to the audience) Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to our Main Street Christmas Pageant. The birth of Jesus took place over two thousand years ago, and they didn t have cell phones or pages, so turn them off, please. Merry Christmas! (music begins to Birthday Of The King ) Narrator 1: Narrator 2: Narrator 3: Narrator 4: Narrator 5: Narrator 6: All Choir: BIRTHDAY OF THE KING (begins ms. 4) Now this is how the birthday of Jesus came about. There was a census taken of the entire Roman world and everyone went to his own city to register. So Joseph went up to Bethlehem, the City of David. He went there with Mary who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a Child. While they were there the time came for the Baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks by night Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were afraid. Fear not, the angel said, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you. You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of heavenly hosts appeared praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to men. (music segues to O Come, All Ye Faithful ) (Kids enter in costume during the song to create a nativity scene) THE CHRISTMAS STORY O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL (Mayor and Cathy come on stage clapping. They are gushing with compliments.) Well, Mr. Mayor did you really like it? 9
(tears in his eyes) I think it been twenty years since I actually listened to that story since my own daughter was little and was in these things. I ve gotten distracted by the malls and the music. It seems like all of that stuff starts earlier and earlier every year. You know why that is, Daddy? Why, Baby? Because this old world is so hungry for the message of Christmas that they can t get it soon enough. One of these years the malls are going to decorate for Christmas right after the 4 th of July! The world just gets the message of Christ confused by the shopping and gift-giving thing. But boys and girls, you just made the Christmas story sparkling and crystal clear tonight! I don t care if I do lose voters over this but I think the community needs to hear this message every year. Boys and girls, you know what? Next year, I want to be in the pageant! I want to be a Wise Man! Can I audition? Hooray! (laughs) Well, it s Christmas Eve and I bet your families are waiting for you. And you know what? No gift could be nearly as precious as what you boys and girls just gave to us tonight. You stood up for what you believe and you told us all what we needed to hear! (music begins to Miracle of God with Joy To The World ) I think we just witnessed the real miracle on Main Street! Another incredible, wonderful, beautiful Christmas miracle! MIRACLE OF GOD WITH JOY TO THE WORLD MIRACLE OF GOD CURTAIN CALL 10