(Santa and the starring cast of Hurrah for the Holidays. Photo by Elena Grace Photography courtesy of Hurrah Players.)
By Jim Roberts
Hugh Copeland has a simple piece of advice for anyone considering producing back-to-back theatrical performances: “Don’t do it.” Yet after 41 years of serving Hampton Roads, the Hurrah Players have built the talent, staff and stamina to pull it off. This December, they’ll stage “Hurrah for the Holidays” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on consecutive weekends. There’s only one rule, Copeland says: “You can audition for both, but you can only be in one.”
“Hurrah for the Holidays”
The season begins with “Hurrah for the Holidays,” a revue that turns the stage into a winter wonderland. Copeland calls it “a big musical revue … in the style of Radio City Music Hall.”
Audiences can expect a 20-foot Christmas tree, a sweeping, three-tiered staircase and a cast of more than 50 performers spanning generations. “It’s one of our biggest shows we do all year, and it’s all ages, because we’re celebrating the holidays and Christmas and family,” Copeland said.
The show mixes tradition with surprise. “‘We Need A Little Christmas’ is always in there,” he said, “but it’s a different opening every year. Some brand-new songs, but also the traditional ones like ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas.’” This year’s lineup will also feature contemporary hits from Kelly Clarkson and the Jonas Brothers.
A highlight is the “Lisa Wallace Kick Line,” a rite of passage for Hurrah students. “The kids get really, really excited when they’re finally either old enough or at the level where they’re asked,” said Jennifer Saunders, Hurrah’s managing director and, in fact, a former Radio City Rockette. “It’s a big honor for the holiday show.”
The finale seals the magic: the entire cast dressed in white, candles in hand, filling the theater with light. “It’s very inspiring and meaningful,” Copeland said.
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”
If “Hurrah for the Holidays” dazzles with spectacle, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” wins audiences with comedy and heart. Based on Barbara Robinson’s classic book, the play follows the unruly Herdman children who unexpectedly take over a church Christmas pageant.
“The Herdmans are the unruly, unkempt, mean family in this small town who have never been to church,” Copeland said. “They all get the parts because they threaten other kids. The church is in an uproar. But the whole beauty of this play is when they actually put on the play, the Herdmans realize for the first time the meaning of Christmas.”
The show has become a Hampton Roads tradition. “This is the 33rd year we have done this show,” Copeland said. “We sell it out for school shows, we sell it out for the public. It’s a family tradition. People come every year.”
One performer has become inseparable from the production. Peggy Young has played Helen Armstrong—the indignant church lady—for every single run. “She’s the gossiping lady in the hospital bed who can’t believe they’re letting the Herdmans do the pageant,” Copeland said. “It’s a comic role, and she’s played it every year we’ve done it.”
Saunders said she believes the show’s longevity comes from its heart. “It’s a really strong story of what this time of year means,” she said. “It’s about giving back to everybody and seeing everybody—and just the heart of the season.”
Performance Details
The Hurrah Players will perform “Hurrah for the Holidays” at 7 p.m. Dec. 5, at 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 6, and at 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Susan S. Goode Theater at Virginia Wesleyan University. Tickets are $30. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” follows at 7 p.m. Dec. 12, at 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 13, and at 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Hugh R. Copeland Center in Norfolk. Tickets are $27 plus $4.70 in fees. For tickets and more information, visit hurrahplayers.com.
