Category: Comedy

Become a Patron of the Arts!

It’s OAC Membership Time!

It’s time to renew your membership in the Ozark Arts Council (or to become an OAC member for the first time) by visiting Join.TheLyric.org!

History has taught us that the most vibrant societies are produced by giving, not by taking—and the very most vibrant are those that have a thriving and active Arts community! Having such a thriving Arts community has always been a matter of patronage, and it is no different today.

It’s a New Season

In a time when many are still struggling, some may think the Arts a luxury, something only of which those with ‘extra’ time and money on their hands may partake. Often, people feel that it’s too lofty a pursuit for communities that are rooted in farms and factories and retirees. But both history and statistics tell us that these contentions are untrue: the Arts are what help such communities survive!

The very nature of the Arts is to be both welcoming and challenging, to bring you in and to lift you up…and in a time of upheaval and widespread dissatisfaction, isn’t that exactly what you want to encourage and support? The Lyric and the OAC’s Member Organizations provide a place full of experiences that put all of the noise of this world’s discontent aside, a place that welcomes you into a moment where you neither have to be consumed with the woes of the world, real and imagined—or even what you’re going to make for supper, or find on your next day at work. For all of the ‘escapism’ that television promised, it is no match for joining with the rest of your community in a place where all that divides us is set aside and a team of volunteers seeks to be their best selves and to help us, at least for a few hours, to be ours.

This is what membership in the OAC promotes, so please consider becoming part of a community that truly builds community…that welcomes, educates, enjoys, and feasts on those things in our culture that build better people, stronger communities, and the general promotion of love and joy: please join the Ozark Arts Council today!

Below, you can find the perks that come from being an OAC member (with some fun new swag!), but we also want to hear from YOU! What would YOU like to see as a perk from being an OAC member? Email in**@oz**************.org and let our Executive Director know!

Some OAC Membership Perks

  • Early Bird Ticket Sales: For most events, we are able to offer tickets to our members between a few hours and a few days before they go on sale to the general public, so you have a better chance of getting your favorite seat.
  • No Ticketing or Card Fees: We consider your investment in the OAC as what provides us the ability to have ticketing and card processing in the first place, so we give you a code to eliminate fees when you purchase online (and enter the code for you if you purchase them in advance in person or over the phone).
  • Super Popcorn Discount and Collectible Bucket: While we are introducing a new giant-size popcorn for anyone to save on popcorn (and on trips to the concessions stand!) on a per-event basis, we are also introducing a refillable and reusable bucket with our logo and our theme for the year on it. Buy a popcorn for all of the year’s events in advance!
  • Special Merchandise Offers and Discounts: Promotional and event mugs, shirts, window clings (and who knows what else?!) are being developed to help you help the Lyric to thrive and to allow you to remember and celebrate fun times at the Lyric once you return home.
  • Season Passes (and Discounts): All our members have been able to buy Season Passes to productions by the Theatre Company of the Ozarks…and now we’re adding Northark Drama and HHS Theatre productions, as well! Members who join at the $100 level or above also get discounts on season passes, with discounts growing along with membership donations.
  • The Arts Investor Appreciation Pass: Take the lead in providing plays, concerts, or both by making a Membership donation that helps us keep booking artists and paying rights and royalties, and we will provide you free passes that allow you to come and check on your investment.
    • A Theatre Investor ($500) receives a code for two free tickets to every play in our season!
    • A Concert Investor ($750) receives a code for two seats at every concert we produce.
    • An All the Arts Investor ($1,200) receives two tickets for every concert and every play we put on!

Please Note: There may be some events that we do not produce, those that are via a rental arrangement by an outside organization or that are a fundraiser for another nonprofit. We keep these to a bare minimum…and if we can work out a contract with them to get you seated for free, we will do so, and we will let you know in advance. Examples of such events: the recent Buffalo River documentary; the Ozark Rape Crisis Center’s lip sync battle; the Ozarks Dynacom Five Star Talent Contest.

Auditions Friday August 12 and Saturday August 13, 2022 at 6:00pm

Auditions!

We will have auditions for Wait Until Dark, on Friday August 12 and Saturday August 13 at 6:00pm. For more questions, please click to email us or call 870-391-3504.

The Requirements

Doors will open at 4:45pm. Only those auditioning may be present.

Auditions will consist of sides from the script, chosen by the director.

We will have auditions for Wait Until Dark on Friday August 12 and Saturday August 13 at 6:00pm for ages 18 and up ONLY. One part for a child aged 10-12 ONLY will begin at 5:00pm. For more questions, please click to email us or call 870-391-3504.

The Story

Wait Until Dark is by Frederick Knott. Cast is 8 people.

Show dates: September 29-30, October 1-2, 2022

Rehearsals begin: August 23, 2022–4 days per week

More info to come soon!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Almost, Maine, January 26–28 at 7pm, January 29 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Co. of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present:

January 26–28 at 7pm, January 29 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

 

The Theatre Co. of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council present Almost, Main performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater January 26–28 at 7:00pm and January 29 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children, when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$11 for children, $13 for seniors and students, and $15 for adults.

Welcome to Almost, Maine, a place that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town, because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it almost doesn’t exist. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.

“ALMOST, MAINE is a series of nine amiably absurdist vignettes about love, with a touch of good-natured magic realism…witty, romantic, unsentimental. A beautifully structured play, with nifty surprise endings (most but not all of them happy).” —NY Times. “Sweet, poignant, and witty. Nearly perfect. ALMOST, MAINE’s charm is real. [It] packs wit, earns its laughs and, like love, surprises you.” —NY Daily News. “Mega-hit ALMOST, MAINE lands somewhere between Norman Rockwell and Our Town. Unabashedly unhip. There is no pretense of an edge here—the show offers a sweetness and decency that’s become rare at the theater. At this point, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air.” —New York Post.

Join us at The Lyric for Almost, Maine, January 26–28 at 7:00PM, January 29 at 2:00PM #LiveAtTheLyric. Tickets on sale SOON for OAC Members! Tickets for non-OAC Members to open shortly after. Become an OAC Member at Join.TheLyric.org!

 

OAC Ticketing Link

White Christmas, December 1–3 at 7pm, December 4 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

NorthArk Drama, HHS Theatre Troupe 2715, and
the Ozark Arts Council Present:

December 1–3 at 7pm, December 4 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

 

NorthArk Drama, HHS Theatre Troupe 2715, and The Ozark Arts Council present White Christmas performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater December 1–3 at 7:00pm and December 4 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $12 for children, when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$15 for children, $18 for seniors and students, and $21 for adults. Veterans and Active Duty Service Members receive a discount by choosing the Veteran discount ticket.

Veterans Bob Wallace (Bannon Jones) and Phil Davis (Isaiah Wallis) have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters, Betty (Maci Bright, understudy Savana Tolbert) and Judy (Brinkley Brewer, understudy Ella Domino) Haynes en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander, Henry Waverly (Matt Hamblin). Though the General is retired, he must now contend with a failing inn, a has-been-but-still-aspiring actress, Martha (Jenna Wilson), and his precocious granddaughter, Susan (Allyson Hyatt). When Bob and Phil decide to bring their whole crew down to help the General out with a huge Christmas show, new romances will begin, old friendships will be rekindled, and everyone will learn that sometimes, things really can be fixed with a little Theatre in your life. Ensemble cast includes both veteran and novice students of Theatre: Malachi Baker, Jude Bilbee, Emma Bock, Angie Briggs, Valeria Carbajal, Camron Edwards, Lashayla Engel, Lilly Mangrum, Melissa Mao, Tracy Mao, Kamyron Lefebvre, Wyatt Mahoney, Brycen Myers, Andi Jo Parrish, Lexi Poor, Chasity Price, Natalie Sims, Eric Stubbs, Logan Wilson, Karma Wooten, and Rilee Young.

For those who love the movie, the play will give you a double treat, because of the sub-plots and character development, plus the greater involvement of beloved-but-minor characters (especially Susan and Martha!). With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards including “Blue Skies,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting musical that will surely get you in the holiday spirit!

Join us at The Lyric for White Christmas, December 1–3 at 7:00PM, December 4 at 2:00PM #LiveAtTheLyric. Tickets on sale NOW! Become an OAC Member at Join.TheLyric.org!

 

OAC Ticketing Link

Wait Until Dark, September 29–30, October 1 at 7pm, October 2 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present:

Wait Until Dark, a Suspense Thriller

September 29–30, October 1 at 7pm, October 2 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council present Wait Until Dark, performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater September 29–30, October 1 at 7:00PM and October 2 at 2:00PM. Tickets are$12 for adults, $10 for seniors and

students, and $8 for children, when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$11 for children, $13 for seniors and students, and $15 for adults.

A sinister con man, Roat (August Gideon), and two ex-convicts, Mike (Joe Cotton) and Carlino (Lexi Knight), are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll, which they are much interested in, to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix (James Melton) and his blind wife, Susy (Katie Blessing).

Sam apparently had been persuaded to transport the doll across the Canadian border, not knowing several grams of heroin were sewn inside.

When the woman is murdered the situation becomes more urgent. The con man and his ex-convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susy that the police (Fred Lutz, Chasity Price) have implicated Sam in the woman’s murder,

and the doll, which she believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its location, and with the help of a young neighbor (Emma Pruitt), figures out she is the victim of a bizarre charade. When Roat kills his associates, though, a deadly

game of cat and mouse ensues between the two. Susy knows the only way to play fair is by her rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights leaving both of them to maneuver in the dark until the game ends.

Join us at The Lyric for Wait Until Dark, September 29–30 and October 1 at 7:00PM, October 2 at 2:00PM #LiveAtTheLyric. Tickets on sale NOW!

OAC Ticketing Link

To eliminate ticketing and card processing fees
become an OAC Member at Join.TheLyric.org!

Meet the Cast!

My name is Chasity Price and I’m excited to do this play…one thing that the people need to know is that I have autism and I have a love for theatre. Here’s to a good show!

Police woman #2 is the type of cop that is not afraid of anything and she doesn’t care who did what and as long as the killer is put up, every thing is chill.

Fred Lutz is very excited about being in this production. This is his first Lyric experience. Fred has had numerous acting parts but this is the first dark and serious play in which he has been cast. Fred wants to thank his wife Sue for her encouragement.

Policeman 1 is a typical New York policeman that is called out on varied calls to bring calm and restore peace out of chaos. He is taken aback by this call, however, by its darkness and bodies.

I’m Lexi Knight and my world is a stage!—well, since I was 7/8. Acting is my greatest passion and hope to one day see my name in lights! When I am not at home (the Lyric) I am educating and attending to the needs of tiny humans, or at my place of residence watching shows, reading, sewing, or yes blasting showtunes!

Carlino isn’t the sneakiest thief in the night. He is greedy, clusmy, and easily distracted. After all, he is a first grade dropout. He has an interest in photography and also loves food, so the worst thing he will do is raid your fridge, which is probably what got him arrested in the first place!

Joe Cotton says…

“I have been in a few plays, but this is my first non-musical, non-comedy play. Looking forward to my first drama. Acting in the Lyric always brings back good memories. Just remember that the actors are the face of the play, but nothing happens without the backbone of the play, the unseen movers and shakers that make the play happen.

“Mike Talman is your typical con-man, but he makes the unforgivable mistake of developing sympathy for the mark. This is the first film that truly scared the ‘you know what out’ of me that I watched back in the late sixties, at the historic Lyric Theater. Let the suspense begin!”

Today’s “Meet the Cast” is a special one. This person stepped into a role about two and a half weeks prior to opening night. He’s had less than half the amount of time to become his character than the rest of the cast, and we think he’s doing spectacularly! Meet James Ian Melton, playing the role of Sam Hendrix.

A Harrison resident all my life, I have participated in Theatre Company productions doing a variety of roles since I was about 14. My acting work experience was playing “Howard,” the Haint of Mutton Hollow, for about 16 years at Shepherd of the Hills, Branson, Missouri. After not doing acting for several years, I’m trying to get back into it.

Sam Hendrix is a loving husband, who married Susy after an accident had taken her eyesight. He is a perfectionist and a photographer, who wants to see the best in himself and everyone around him. When returning from a photography trip, a woman at the airport asks Sam to hold a doll, that he didn’t know was full of heroin, and she would get it from him later—which leads to other sinister activities.

Emma Pruitt says…

“I am 12 years old and The Lyric is like a second home to me as I have been doing plays regularly since I was 5. I feel this is my biggest and most important role yet. I am excited and honored to be playing the part of Gloria. My dream, when I grow up, is to be on Broadway! Thank you to the directors and all the other amazing castmates! Here’s to a great show!

Gloria, the little girl upstairs plays a very pivotal role in the play. She is a headstrong, bratty, stubborn, and adventurous child. Although she loves Sam, she and Susy don’t always see eye to eye. Gloria gets them all into a big predicament when she takes a toy doll that doesn’t belong to her.

My name is August Gideon and I currently reside in the Branson area. I have always enjoyed art, especially music, but after accepting my first role in “The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama,” I became addicted to acting. After some encouragement from my friends and family, I decided to branch out to community theater. I am thrilled to be part of this cast and it is a true honor to share the stage with so many talented individuals.

Harry Roat, Jr. is a con man who takes great pleasure in manipulating people. He is a violent mysterious individual who will stop at no end to get what he wants. If you look past the manipulation and the violence you see him for what he really is, an actor who uses his talent for evil.

Kt Blessing is a sixteen-year veteran of the Lyric stage. You may recognize her from past performances as Rizzo (Grease), Philia (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), and Rosencrantz (Hamlet), among many others. Kt would like to thank the amazing cast and directors of Wait Until Dark for all their hard work, and would like to thank her family and friends for all their support during this whirlwind production.

Susy Hendrix is newly married and recently blind. She is still learning how to navigate the world in the dark. And in Wait Until Dark, she has to use her wits and resourcefulness to try to outsmart the conmen invading her home.

 
OAC Ticketing Link

Freaky Friday, July 1–2 & 8–9 at 7pm, July 3 & 10 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present:

Thursday–Saturday, July 1–2 & 8–9, 7:00PM
Sunday, July 3 & 10, 2:00PM

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council present Disney’s Freaky Friday, A New Musical, performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater July 1–2 and July 8–9 at 7:00PM, July 3 and 10 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children, when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$11 for children, $13 for seniors and students, and $15 for adults.

Based on the beloved 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, Freaky Friday, A New Musical hits all the right notes!

Teenager Ellie (Bri Coleman) is…annoyed. Her mother, Katherine (Shawna Cash), is in a frenzy planning her own wedding, her brother Fletcher (Landon Clements) is being his usual irritating, little-brother-self, and her soon-to-be-stepfather, Mike (Michael Amburn), is just too overbearing. When Ellie wants to go on a scavenger hunt with her friends (Lexi Poor, Emma Bock) instead of attending Katherine’s rehearsal dinner, she and Katherine argue and end up breaking a magical hourglass…which makes them swap bodies. When they realize they need another hourglass to switch back, they rush to find it, as they have just one day to put things right again!

Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on a classic. With a stellar cast of both new and familiar Lyric faces—including Ann Lemley, Bannon Jones, Liani Cash, Jerome Sweatman, McKenna Franks, Candace Lamberts, Delaney Bowie, Courtney Lantis, Becky Poor, Kinder Hinrichs, Marsha Franks, Jacob Howton, Patrick Franks, Julie Davis, and Joe Cotton—you’ll laugh riotously and be sincerely touched as you see two seemingly opposite people come to appreciate one another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.

As with any adaptation of a book to a live performance, we suggest a (re-)reading of the book both before and after the performance. We suggest this because it both prolongs the entertainment and makes the experience more enriching. By reading the book before and after, you are able to engage your own imagination of the characters and scenery, etc., or even of the nuances of the plot, then gain insight into the playwright’s imagination of the same, and then deepen and broaden your own imagination through the post-performance reading. You may agree or disagree with any playwright’s choices in an adaptation…and, maybe, if you disagree enough, another playwright will have been created!

To read the novel by Mary Rodgers, visit the Boone County Public Library or a library near you…or buy it online. If you follow our links to buy the book, you’ll notice that where ‘www’ normally is, it says ‘smile’, which means you can designate the OAC/Lyric to receive a portion of what you pay for the book (it won’t increase your price or take money away from creators or producers of a product, but comes out of Amazon’s profit).

Join us at The Lyric for Disney’s Freaky Friday, A New Musical, July 1–2 and July 8–9 at 7:00PM, July 3 and 10 at 2:00PM #LiveAtTheLyric. Tickets are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Once Upon a Mattress, April 20–23 at 7pm, Live At The PAC!

ITS Troupe 2715 and
Harrison High School Theatre present:

Once Upon a Mattress

Wednesday–Saturday, April 20–23, 7:00PM

Harrison High School Theatre Dept. and International Thespian Society Troupe 2715 present Once Upon a Mattress, performed at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center April 20-23 at 7:00pm. Tickets at HHSPAC.org – $12 adult, $10 senior/student, $8 children (prices raise $3 if purchased at the door).

Once Upon A Mattress, based on the famous fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, is a hilarious retelling with quite the twist! Many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain (Jenna Wilson), aided by her loyal Wizard (Mandy Prpich), has decreed that no couples shall marry until her son, Prince Dauntless (Zach Jimerson), finds a bride. Her husband, King Sextimus (Donovan Walters), might have something to say about that…if he could do any speaking, that is. Princesses (Iria Delgado) come from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none can pass the impossible tests given to them by the Queen and Wizard.

The Knights and Ladies of the Court (Jude Bilbee, Lily Brockelman, Joseph Claus, Ellie denHollander, Mya Dodson, Ella Domino, Camron Edwards, Lashayla Engel, Michelle Gregory, Victoria Hudson, Cassi Johnson, Lilly Mangrum, Landon McKellep, Katey Sims, Natalie Sims, Maegen Sterling, Jerome Sweatman, William Tanner, Lydia Thomas, Serenity Yang) are distressed by the situation, but the most concerned are Lady Larken (double cast Faith Nix and Valeria Carbajal) and her handsome knight, Sir Harry (Hayden Allen). Sir Harry, determined to find a true princess for Dauntless, sets off for unexplored parts and comes back with a shy swamp princess, Winnifred the Woebegone (double cast V. Grae Smith and Rilee Young).

Meanwhile, the Minstrel (Addie Jones) and Jester (Brinkley Brewer) have their hands full trying to solve everyone’s problems and stay out of trouble themselves, but things become more complicated when it turns out that the Queen’s underhanded schemes are no match for a delicate thing like a Swamp Princess. When a pea is placed under 20 mattresses and a Nightingale (double cast Maci Bright and Faith Nix) is provided to sing Princess Fred to sleep, some side-splitting shenanigans are most definitely in store!

Harrison High School Theatre Dept. and International Thespian Society Troupe 2715 present Once Upon a Mattress, performed at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center April 20-23 at 7:00pm. Tickets are at HHSPAC.org – $12 adult, $10 senior/student, $8 children (prices raise $3 if purchased at the door).

OAC Ticketing Link

Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue, May 5–7 at 7pm, May 8 at 2pm #LiveAtTheLyric!

Northark Drama and
the Ozark Arts Council present Neil Simon’s:

The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue

Thursday-Saturday, May 5–7, 7:00PM
Sunday, May 8, 2:00PM

Northark Drama and The Ozark Arts Council will present Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue #LiveAtTheLyric Wednesday–Saturday, May 5–7, 2022 at 7:00pm and Sunday, May 8 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults

Edna and Mel are a struggling, middle-aged couple living in New York City. Mel has just lost his job, the walls of their apartment are much too thin, and the city is in the middle of a heatwave. Their troubles escalate when Mel suffers a nervous breakdown. Mel becomes slightly paranoid, the apartment is robbed, and their neighbors, well, they don’t help matters much. Throughout it all, Edna does her best to support her husband, even getting a job of her own after Mel is fired. Her efforts aren’t enough, however, and Mel’s siblings are called in as backup. Quickly, in a crowded apartment in the most crowded city in the world, all hell breaks loose, and it becomes apparent that the only thing Mel and Edna can rely on are the people closest to them.

Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue willl be performed #LiveAtTheLyric Wednesday–Saturday, May 5–7, 2022 at 7:00pm and Sunday, May 8 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail). Advance Tickets are priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

OAC Ticketing Link

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 2–4 at 7pm, December 5 at 2pm Live At the #HHSPAC!

The Harrison High School
Theatre Department,
ITS Troupe 2715,
and the
Ozark Arts Council
present:

The Best
Christmas Pageant
Ever!

Thursday–Saturday, December 2–4, 7:00PM
Sunday, December 5, 2:00PM

Harrison High School Theatre Department presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the HHS PAC on December 2, 3, 4 at 7:00pm and December 5 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available through HHSPAC.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. All performances will be held at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center (HHS PAC).

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is speeding merrily closer! What better way to get in the holiday mood than by going to a performance of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?

 

In this hilarious Christmas classic, a mother (Faith Nix) struggles to put on a church Christmas pageant with her husband’s (Joseph Claus) help, but is faced with casting the Herdman kids—probably the most inventively awful kids in history (Cookie Simpson, Jude Bilbee, Donovan Walters, Rilee Young, Lily Brockelman, Addie Jones), as well as wrangling her own unenthusiastic children Beth (Lilly Mangrum) and Charlie (Zachary Jimerson) into assisting.

When you add an unwilling menagerie of kids of all ages into the mix (Ricky Bates, Brinkley Brewer, Maci Bright, Mysteri Cotton, Liam Dupre, Victoria Hudson, Caden Lambert, Ethan Rouse), as well as some nosy busybodies who can’t wait to see it all crash and burn (Mandy Prpich, Jennafer Wilson, Iria Delgado, Camron Edwards, Laken Steiner, Elijah Ford), you’re in for one wild sleigh ride! You won’t believe the mayhem—and the fun—when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

This delightful comedy is adapted from the best-selling Young Adult book by Barbara Robinson, and will certainly put you in the mood to sing a carol, drink some hot chocolate, and pull your loved ones in close. 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be performed at the HHS PAC on December 2, 3, 4 at 7:00pm, December 5 at 2:00pm. Tickets available at HHSPAC.org and TheLyric.org (please note: all performances of this play will be at the HHS PAC; the ticket selection page will indicate accessible seating options).

Donations are also being accepted for Children’s Charity Ministry at each performance. If you would like to donate, please bring your donations to the play and put them in front of the tree at the entrance to the PAC.

The following are the items we need donated; please stick to this list, as it is what CCM is equipped to use:

  • Single-serve mac and cheese
  • Single-serve cereal
  • Single-serve oatmeal
  • Fruit/applesauce/jello/pudding cups
  • Granola bars
  • Beanie weenies
  • Vienna sausage
  • Ramen noodles
  • Snack cracker packs
  • Pull-tab Chef Boyardee pasta
  • Pull-tab soups

Hey, Herdmans…it’s a BOOK, too!

As with any adaptation of a book to a live performance—and our season is full of them this year!—we suggest a (re-) reading of the book both before and after the performance. We suggest this because it both prolongs the entertainment and makes the experience more enriching. By reading the book before and after, you are able to engage your own imagination of the characters and scenery, etc., or even of the nuances of the plot, then gain insight into the playwright’s imagination of the same, and then deepen and broaden your own imagination through the post-performance reading. You may agree or disagree with any playwright’s choices in an adaptation…and, maybe, if you disagree enough, another playwright will have been created!

To read Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (and the other two volumes of her series with the Herdman kids!), visit the Boone County Public Library or a library near you…or buy it online for under $6! A version to read on tablets (or with the Kindle app for Chromebooks and MacOS, Windows, and Linux computers) is available for FREE in the same place! If you follow our links to buy the book, you’ll notice that where ‘www’ normally is, it says ‘smile’, which means you can designate the OAC/Lyric to receive a portion of what you pay for the book (it won’t increase your price or take money away from creators or producers of a product, but comes out of Amazon’s profit).

Join us at The Harrison High School Performing Arts Center for a literary classic brought to life! Tickets for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 2–5 Live At The #HHSPAC, are available now through HHSPAC.org or here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, or calling the OAC office at (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

And for our next act…The One Where the Lyric Recovers!

Click/Tap the poster above to donate. Thank you!

And…if you can’t be with us at the Lyric for the FREE Live Entertainment, tune in on your radio, because it’s also an Old-Fashioned Radiothon
presented by The Original KHOZ!