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Picketwire Players Kick Off the Holidays with Dual Christmas Productions in La Junta This Week
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Description: Celebrate the season at Picketwire Theatre in La Junta with The Little Town of Christmas and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, live December 11–14. Get tickets now!
It’s a Wonderful Christmas Time at Picketwire This Week
Christmas time is here. It is the perfect time to think of joy, cheer, compassion, and friendship. Perhaps the best place to be reminded of that is this week at Picketwire Center for Performing and Visual Arts in La Junta. Picketwire Players get the holidays off to a rousing start with their dual Christmas productions of: “The Little Town of Christmas” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. The show open this Thursday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 at 2:30 p.m.
The Director for this fun production is Julie Meiklejohn, with Assistant Direction by Katie Merewether. You’ll soon be tapping your toes and singing along. Actually, just walking into the theatre and seeing the imaginative and festive set will get you in the mood for Christmas before you even sit down. Applause to set designers: Tom Seaba and Katie Merewether.
“The Little Town of Christmas” is a series of sketches where you meet many different characters that are full of wit and humor. In fact, anything goes in this opening of Picketwire’s holiday production. I think the actors are having as much fun as the audience – which makes it all the more enjoyable for each theatre goer. Along with the fun, the message of giving and kindness is clear throughout – a lovely message to find in each of the six delightful sketches.
There were a few notable performances during the sketches and some clever casting as the mayor of Little Town was played by La Junta’s own mayor, Joe Ayala. Lanee Glee acts as the announcer throughout all six sketches. She is cheerful and informative as she tells the audience that Christmas town is not much different from your own town. Of course, Santa, played by Jonathan Colson, is an impressive, playful figure. Natalie Summers as Mrs. Claus is absolutely enchanting as she reads letters sent to her from around the world. She makes each letter seem important, and teaches a charming lesson with each.
The three young girls (Farrah Borton, Rilyn Hollis, Clara Janes) in the “Window Shopping” sketch are sweet and a little mischievous as they deliver each line with perfect comedic timing. Little Farrah Borton shows a stage presence beyond her years. There just might be a future star there. All three convey a good lesson that it is “better to give than receive.”
The sketches end with a modern take on “A Christmas Carol." This sketch is full of both veteran and new actors who develop a good rhythm together, keeping Dickens’characters lively – with a bit of a twist – from Scrooge (Cody Rogers) to the sassy child at the end (Edie Borton) who questions Scrooge’s request and says: “I have my own life, you know.”
The second part of the production is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. It centers on the annual church Christmas pageant that hasn’t changed in 75 years. But change is on the horizon when a new director takes over after a freak accident sidelines the long-time, rigid director. The show adapts Barbara Robinson’s beloved book, in which the young pariahs of a town – the Herdman children – transform the staid annual Christmas pageant while they, themselves, are transformed by the original Christmas story of Jesus’ birth.
The Bradley family keeps it together, despite many obstacles, as they support their mother through the trials of being the new director. Phoebie Sullivan plays the Bradley daughter, Beth, who guides us through the commotion. Her brother Charlie is played adorably by Quinn Janes. Father Bob (Jonathan Colson) is roped into helping with the pageant even though he would rather stay home in his bathrobe. And Molly Borton gives a stellar performance as the mother, Grace, as she tries to wrangle dozens of children and the dreaded Herdmans through rehearsals.
The telephone scene between Grace and injured, former director, Helen (played by Heather Pidcock-Reed) is absolutely priceless. Watching two veteran actors play against each other is a pleasure to behold.
The Herdman family is comprised of young actors: Ezra Collins, Briley Mayhoffer, Skylar Finkner, Gideon Wallace, Carter Salzbrenner, and Adrianna Ayala. They all are good at portraying the annoyance and fear the Herdmans spread throughout the school and church. Everything they do and say is loud, brassy and sometimes hurtful. Yet, in the end, they are genuinely moved by the tenderness of Jesus birth. As with all pageants, there is plenty of music to warm your heart. The audience is invited to sing along with the actors, making it great fun for all.
The crew includes stage manager Heather Pidcock-Reed, lighting designer Jason Fazio and costumes by Natalie Ridgwell and Heather Pidcock-Reed. All cast and crew brought together a great Christmas experience. Both productions are wonderful holiday entertainment for kids and adults, and a perfect outing for families to get into the Christmas spirit.
The play opens Thursday December 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Picketwire Theatre in La Junta, Colorado (802 San Juan Avenue). Subsequent play dates are December 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and December 14 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office or online: https://www.picketwireplayers.
