2019 Christmas Pageant Cast List

Christmas Pageant 

It’s time to get ready for the 2019 Christmas Pageant, a rich and favored tradition for 100 years here at Unity Church. This year we are celebrating our centennial – our pageant was first seen in 1919! We are excited to invite you to register your child/children to participate in our once in a lifetime centennial pageant. 
 
Each year the service is held on Christmas Eve in the Sanctuary. The young people of our church perform the traditional story in tableau with our co-ministers, Janne and Rob Eller-Isaacs, narrating. Whether you are new to Unity Church or you have been around for many years, we hope that your child will want to participate in this meaningful and joyous event!
 
Registration is easy and starts today! The deadline to complete registration is Friday, December 6. Please use the form at right. All questions should be directed to Kelley Loughrey, pageant director, at 763-607-7520 (text or call) or kelleyloughrey@comcast.net.
 
The pageant cast and children’s choir will be posted online the week of December 9. Pageant participants need to be available for the entire rehearsal on December 23 and for both pageant performances on December 24. 
 
PAGEANT COSTUME FITTING
Sunday, December 15 • 10:15-11:15 a.m. and 5:40- 6:00 p.m.
Whitman Lobby (lower level by nursery and COA room)
The costume crew will be available to help cast members try on their costumes. Please plan to stay later or arrive early that day. There are no other fitting times and costumes remain at church. No costume fittings needed for children’s choir.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR REHEARSAL: Open to all children in grades 3-6
Sunday, December 22 • 10:15-11:00 a.m. • Foote Room
Kathleen Radspinner, director

ADULT CHOIR REHEARSAL: Open to all adults
Sunday, December 15 • 10:15-11:00 a.m. • Choir Room
Jeffrey Hess, director

Pageant Choir Songs:

• O’Come O’Come Emmanuel (Adult/Children at beginning)
• Lo How A Rose E’ve Blooming
• In the Lonely Midnight
• Glory be to God on High (*Both)
• Angels We Have Heard on High (Both)
• O Little Town of Bethlehem (Children)
• The First Noel (Children)
• Max’s Lullaby
• We Three Kings
• O Come All Ye Faithful (Both)
• Joy to the World (Both)
• Seven Fold Amen

PAGEANT REHEARSAL
Monday, December 23 • 1:00– 4:00 p.m.
Check-in begins in the Parish Hall at 12:45 p.m.
Please note that one parent from each family is expected to stay for the entire rehearsal on December 23.

• Check in starts at 12:45 p.m. in the Parish Hall. You’ll be asked to review your child(s) name for the program – please make sure to do this!
• At 1:00 p.m. we review the rehearsal plan and then the cast will go downstairs to their designated rooms. When the runners come to get you – be ready.
• We rehearse the first time without costumes; please no shoes or boots.
• After this run through the cast will go back downstairs and put on their costumes. There is NO eating/drinking (except water) once participants are in costume.
• We will meet back in the Sanctuary 2:15-2:45 p.m. for photos. This is when parents should take photos (photos and videos are not permitted during the pageant on Christmas Eve). 
• At 2:45 p.m., we will run through the pageant again with costumes as our final rehearsal. When your role is done, please carefully hang up costume in your room and come back up to the Sanctuary for a quick wrap up by 4:00 p.m.
• Please make sure to feed your child before the rehearsal. We move through this quickly and do not have a snack break.

 
CHRISTMAS EVE PERFORMANCES
All cast members are to be at the church at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24. The pageant services begin at 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.  Each service lasts just under one hour. Plan to arrive early for parking, etc. You can take photos with your family and child in costume downstairs after the second service, and then help with clean up. Official pageant photos will be made available online after the pageant. If you provide your email on the registration, we will send you the link.

PARENT VOLUNTEER ROLES
One parent from each family is expected to volunteer during one of the performances on December 24. We need your help to supervise cast rooms, assist with costume changes, and help with other behind the scenes tasks.
 
Special Note:  Parents of youth cast as Mary and Joseph are automatically assigned as the “Parent Chairs” for rehearsal and pageant performances. Parents of kings and angels are also expected to take lead parent roles (room parents, ushers, prompters) as given their years of experience, they are able to help coach “newer” parents. Thank you for your support.

New this year! Pageant cast t-shirts will be for sale early December and available by the rehearsal on December 23 to wear that day and get your cast and choir signatures. Available to all Unity Church members (a great holiday gift for pageant alumni). Watch for more info on the registration page coming soon.
 
Sincerely,
Kelley Loughrey, Pageant Director
763-607-7520

2019 Pageant Registration

PAGEANT REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Monday, December 23
12:30 – 12:50 p.m.: Check-in, Parish Hall, parent assignments are posted
1:00 – 1:15 p.m.: Welcome and pageant intro in the Sanctuary
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.: First rehearsal, no costumes, with lead parents coaching newer volunteers
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.: Costumes on, photos taken in Sanctuary
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.: Dress rehearsal
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.: Wrap-up, Sanctuary
 
PAGEANT ROLES
The children’s choir is specifically for children in grades 3-6 (this is the only role for these age groups). 

We ask everyone to select a first and second choice for the following roles. Please specify choices as 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice. Example: if your first choice is Blue Angel, your second choice might be King – not Pink Angel.
 
Roles for 7th-12th graders:

• Mary: 12th graders only and this is a gender specific role
• Joseph: 12th graders only and this is a gender specific role
• Angels (3 needed) – 10th, 11th, 12th graders 
  • Blue (Gabriel, visits Mary), White (walks with Heavenly Hosts), Pink (brings out Cherubs)
• Kings (3 needed) – 10th, 11th, 12th graders 
  • Red (1st, Gold), Green (2nd, Frankincense), Purple (3rd,  Myrrh)
• Big Shepherds (18 available) – 7th-12th graders
• Acolytes (18 available) – 7th-12th graders 

Roles for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders:

• Little Shepherds (3 needed, up to 5) – 1st and 2nd graders
• Heavenly Hosts (18 desired) – 1st and 2nd graders
• Kings Pages (4 minimum, up to 6) – 1st and 2nd graders

We will also need 4 runners:

•   Runners: must be at least 6th grade

 
Registration is not required for the role of Cherub. The two children who will fill this role are selected by Kelley and KP as they involve younger children (usually siblings of a cast member).
 
PARENT ROLES
Plan to be at the rehearsal on December 23.

• Parent chairs (Mary and Joseph parents): Assist director with parent check-in, training for ushers, room chaperones, prompters, and greeters
• Registration at rehearsal and pageant check-in (king/angel parents)
• Chaperone cast rooms (2 per room minimum required)
• Costume ironing: We always need to iron costumes during the first  rehearsal. Some may need slight mending/hemming. If you can bring an iron and/or board, please bring it to the Parish Hall on December 23. Thank you!
• Lighting assistance* (there is a core team, need 1 or 2 additional)
• Prompters* (must have 2, prefer to have the same 2 people for both performances, critical role for the pageant timing)
• Greeters: 4 needed, stationed throughout the church before each service
• Ushers*: 4 needed, head ushers will also assist with offering collection 
• Nursery care: Will ask families to sign up for nursery care
• Post pageant clean-up: Everyone helps, lead coordinator needed
• Room clean-up: One person responsible for ensuring rooms are cleaned both days

NOTE: We need greeters and ushers for BOTH services, 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. You will be able to watch both performances as these roles are needed before the pageant starts. Too often parents only sign up only for the 4:00 performance and we have to make adjustments so please consider this when registering.

​ *Key roles to pageant.  If you had this job in a previous year, and you are available to train someone this year, please let Kelley know.​