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Just about everyone knows the story ‘Twas the Night before Christmas. Do you know the story of Clement Moore, the man who wrote the poem? Virginia Repertory Children’s Theatre of Virginia’s ‘Twas the Night before Christmas teaches you all about Clement, his family, and the famous poem.

I saw the play Sunday afternoon with my mom and two great friends. I had in my mind that the play would be targeted for young children, maybe too young for me. Within the first few minutes my mind was quickly changed. Children come in all ages of the heart, and this play is fun for everyone!

The play is funny, cheerful, and very light-hearted. I am usually not one for smiling and laughing at a play. When I watch a play, I like to understand it and get a feel for all aspects of it from the cast to the set, lights, etc. I found myself simply enjoying everything; the cast and the set make the entire experience fun.

The only issue was the microphones. The mics were attached to the actors and varied in pitch. When Santa (John Hagadorn) was talking to Clement (P.J. Freebourn), Clement’s voice was loud and Santa’s voice was soft, making Santa harder to hear.

The lighting, by K. Jenna Ferree, is excellent — especially the projections in the back showing weather and time of day changes. The set, by Ron Keller and Jacob Sailer, is absolutely amazing with sliding doors and painted floors. The set totally pulls you right into the scene. I really liked the chimney and the fact that Santa does actually come up and down it!

If you’re looking for a happy holiday show, take your family to ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Perfect for the kids, perfect for the adults, and perfect for teenagers (who I admit sometimes think we are not kids any longer). I recommend this show to children of all ages!

Photo Gallery

Pamela Shaw, P.J. Freebourn, Jessi Johnson, and Ashlee Heyward	Sophia Bunnell and Audrey Snyder
Jessi Johnson, P.J. Freebourn, Pamela Shaw, and Ashlee Heyward	Audrey Snyder, Laney Yoo, Sophia Bunnell, and P.J. Freebourn
P.J. Freebourn and John Hagadorn

Photos by Jay Paul

Cast

• Clement C. Moore: P.J. Freebourn
• Eliza Moore: Audrey Snyder
• Charity Moore: Sophia Bunnell or Audry Kate Taylor
• Margaret Moore: Laney Yoo or Adelaide O’Connor
• Kris Kringle: John Hagadorn
• Diana Mouse: Jessi Johnson
• Sugar Plums: Ashlee Arden Hayward, Pamela Shaw
• Children’s Company: Donathan Arnold, Rebekah Blackburn, Christopher Chavez, Claire Daniel, Evelyn Dumeer, Avery Edmundson, Brandon McKinney, Scott Neely

Crew

• Stage Management: Rebecca Brooks
• Costume Design: J. Theresa Bush
• Light Design: K. Jenna Ferree
• Set Design: Ron Keller & Jacob Sailer
• Music Direction: Paul Deiss
• Direction and Choreography: Jan Guarino

For This Production

• Assistant Costume Design: Shea O’Neil
• Scenic Painter: Greig Leach
• Cover Art Illustration: Robert Meganck
• Sound Engineer: Emily Clarkson
• Deck Crew: Maggie Peterson, Zach Baumann
• Light Board Operator: Rebecca Brooks
• Wardrobe: Sarah Grady

Disclaimer: The reviewer volunteered at the theater as an usher for this review.