Courtesy Photo by Bronwyn Woolman The cast of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” gathers for a photo at a recent rehearsal. The play opens at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Alpena Civic Theatre, and all seats are $5 general admission.

ALPENA — It’s Christmastime in the city, and Alpena Civic Theatre is ready to welcome you to “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

The play, written by Barbara Robinson, opens at 6 p.m. on Thursday at ACT, 401 River St., Alpena. All seats are $5 general admission. It will show at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. on Sunday, and again Dec. 14 through 17.

Thirty-two children of all ages have been rehearsing since early November to prepare the festive production for audiences.

“The play is awesome,” said Julie Meyers.

She is co-directing the holiday play with Doreen Kriniak and Dani Ayotte.

“It’s the story of a group of kids in a school that are typical kids, and the majority of them go to a Sunday school program,” Meyers explained. “And, there’s this other family … They’re the rough, tough ones, and they’d just as soon beat you up as to look at you. And they’re rude, and they’re mean, and they push, and they shove. And they steal all the kids’ lunches.”

She said things get interesting when the rough family shows an interest in participating in the Christmas program.

“Well, the one day, Charlie (played by Evan Miller) tells them ‘I don’t care if you take my lunch because I get all the snacks I want at Sunday school.'”

So, the rough and tumble family shows up at Sunday school “strictly to get the snacks,” Meyers said. “But, when they get there, it’s time to decide who is going to be in the Christmas pageant.”

That family decides they are taking all the main roles, and none of the other children will speak up because they are afraid they will get beat up.

“People are very upset that the Herdmans are doing it,” Meyers said, referring to that family by name. “But, in the end, the Herdmans get the Christmas story. It finally dawns on them why they’re there, what the Christmas story is, and the other kids, kind of, go ‘I guess they’re not so bad,’ and ‘Well, they really didn’t know.'”

Meyers said the cast and crew have been working hard to present this play to the community.

“It always comes together at the end, no matter what,” she said, adding that co-directors Kriniak and Ayotte have done a phenomenal job through the rehearsals. “They’re two of the best people to ever have help out in a play. These ladies have been awesome.”

Cast members include Tim Hoggard as Bob Bradley, Samantha Rinhert as Grace Bradley, Fallon Gandulla-Ghekiere as Beth Bradley, Evan Miller as Charlie Bradley, Xavier Baldwin as Ralph Herdman, Nicole Hoggard as Imogene Herdman, Aria Neumann as Lee Herdman, Sevie MacNeill as Clare Herdman, Isabelle McCrimmon as Ollie Herdman, Summer Martin as Gladys Herdman, Lily Wheelock as Alice Wendleken, Zoey Clayton as Mrs. Armstrong, Hallie Keune as Mrs. Slocum, Callie Barber as Mrs. Clark and Dee Doe, Johanna Schuller as Mrs. Clausing, Lily Madison as Mrs. McCarthy, Delilah Bobolts as Maxine, Fletcher Bobolts as Elmer, Adalyn Scott as Hollie, Camryn Herman as Reverend, Ava Martin, Willow Shape, Irene Vivero, Emmy Adnan, Ava Fletcher, Ava Wickstrom, and Lila Crevier as angels, and Hunter Ellis, Fletcher Bobolts, and Felix Duthler as shepherds.

The outside sign was painted by Taylor Ayotte, and Scott Edgar will be running the lights.

She said the community will enjoy this holiday show.

“It’s just a great little Christmas story,” Meyers said.