Summary: In this musical, the actors and actresses will never have rehearsed, will not know their lines, and will be chosen the day of the performance!! The story of Jesus is told by an adult who is the travel "guide" on the story's path. As the story develops, the guide calls on unsuspecting "volunteers" to come up and take on the various roles of the characters in the story - providing hilarious but inspiring results! Throughout the story the children sing easy-to-learn, fun songs.
Style: Light-hearted. Duration: 30min (?)
Note: The full script, plus CDs with music tracks, can be obtained from www.lorraymusicals.com
Script
(The program begins with the narrator being introduced as followsJ
Introduction: “Tonight we are going to participate in a very special event - the telling of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. You, the audience, will have an important role in the telling this story - and we will be calling on you to help us throughout the evening. Don’t be afraid; we’ll let you know exactly what you are to do. We have a guide who will lead us; pay close attention to what he/she has to say. Our guide tonight is very skilled in storytelling and knows this story better than any story he/she has ever told. So listen carefully, and be ready, for tonight, the story of Jesus comes to life.”
(From here on, the narrator will be referred to as the GUIDE, and will be referred to as a “he” just for the sake of the script!)
(The GUIDE walks out on to the stage. He walks back and forth a few times in front of the audience, eyeing them up and “eyeballing” a few specific people in the audience. Finally, after a moment or two of this, the guide stops center stage.)
GUIDE: Children, are you ready?
Children nod heads enthusiastically, shout yes, etc.
GUIDE: Audience, are you ready?
Hopefully, audience will have picked up their cues from the children; if not, vamp until they get the idea!
GUIDE: All right, then. Let me begin. It all started many years ago, when world was very dark in sin and there was no light. Children, show us what it’s like to be in total darkness.
Children close their eyes and put their hands out like blind men trying to find their way.
GUIDE: That’s right, children, the world was blind in its sin. So let’s tell everyone (at this point music intro cues as the GUIDE continues to speak. . . this is most effective if music is cued just at the right time!) all about it in this song. . . a song that paints a picture of what the world was like before Jesus came. Listen as the children sing. . .
Lost in Darkness
The world was lost in darkness
The world was lost in darkness
The world was lost in darkness
and that’s when it was time.
It was time for God to send a light
It was time for God to send a light
It was time for God to send a light
And that light was named
That light was named Jesus
Jesus, Jesus
Light of the World
Jesus Jesus
Light of the World
Jesus, Jesus Jesus Jesus
Jesus is the
Jesus is the
Jesus is the
Jesus is the
Jesus is the light of the world
GUIDE: So God decided to give the world a clue. You know what a clue is, right? A clue is something that helps us figure something else out. And do you know what that clue was? It was a old man named Zechariah. Now we need a Zechariah from the audience. (GUIDE picks someone from the audience to come up to stage and be Zechariah. This doesn’t have to be a man and he/she does not have to be old. It’s funnier if they are not old or a man!)
Zecharaiah comes up on the stage and GUIDE says:
GUIDE: Zecharaiah was a priest and was going about his daily routine doing his priestly duties. Zechariah, do your priestly duties!
While Zecharaiah continues to do his priestly duties (whatever that may be - praying with hands folded works just fine!) the GUIDE continues:
GUIDE: All of a sudden an angel appeared to Zecharaiah. . . (GUIDE picks someone from the audience to be an angel) Once the angel is on stage, GUIDE positions angel near Zechariah)
GUIDE: The angel startled Zechariah (make angel do some silly thing to startle Zechariah) and Zecharaiah was gripped with fear! (make Zecharaiah show fear!)
GUIDE: The angel didn’t want Zechariah to be afraid, though, so he said to Zecharaiah. . . (Zechariah should be able to figure out that he needs to say DON’T BE AFRAID!)
GUIDE: That’s right! Don’t be afraid, John, because I’ve got some great news for you! At that point the ANGEL whispered in ZECHARIAH’S ear. (Angel whispers in Zechariah’s ear)
GUIDE: And do you know what the Angel said? He told Zechariah that he and his wife were going to have a baby boy! Zechariah was SHOCKED (Zecharaiah shows SHOCK)
and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And because Zechariah did not believe, the angel touched Zechariah’s mouth (angel puts a finger to the lips of Zechariah, or some such action) and Zecharaiah could not speak. Children, since Zechariah can not speak, we need to tell the audience all about John. (Music cues) Let’s tell the audience how John fits in to our story of the birth of Jesus.
Children sing:
John, John, John, John,
a most unusual man
John, John, John, John,
he was part of God’s great plan
To prepare the world for what they would see
In the one who hailed from Galilee
John, John, John, John,
a most unusual man!
John, John, John, John,
a most unusual man
John, John, John, John,
he was part of God’s great plan
His clothes were strange and his food was too
He told the people what they should do
John, John, John, John
a most unusual man!
John, John, John, John,
a most unusual man
John, John, John, John,
he was part of God’s great plan
He paved the way for the infant king
He showed the world what God would bring
Oh John John John John
most unusual man.
John, John, John, John,
a most unusual man
John, John, John, John,
he was part of God’s great plan
He came before God’s son was born
He came to preach and pray and warn
Oh John, John, John John
A most unusual
most unusual
most unusual man
GUIDE: So Zecharaiah went home (Guide directs Zechariah to go back to his seat) but the angel’s work was not quite done. God had his eye on a young maiden named Mary. (GUIDE picks a Mary from the audience and brings her onstage next to the angel) Mary was just hanging out one day, you know, doing her nails, brushing her hair, etcetera, when the angel appeared to her. Mary was a little afraid. . . (Mary shows some fear)
but the angel told her not to be afraid. (Angel tells Mary not to be afraid)
GUIDE: The angel had some big news for Mary! The angel told Mary that she was going to have a baby! Mary looked very worried. (Mary looks worried) The angel looked very confident (Angel looks confident) The Angel told Mary not to worry, because God was with her, and that the child she was going to have was to be named JESUS. Children, I think we should sing the song that Mary wrote about this visit. (cue music) You remember, it’s the song that she wrote after hearing that she was to be the mother of the infant savior.
Children sing:
My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed
From now on all generations will call me blessed
From now on all generations will call me blessed
for the Mighty One has done great things for me
Yes the Mighty One has done great things for me
Holy is his name.
(REPEAT ALL)
GUIDE: Well the angel went away (GUIDE sends angel back to his seat) as Mary grew and grew. Soon she was very big. She waddled when she walked. Mary, show us how you waddled. That’s right! She couldn’t even bend over. Watch Mary try to bend over and touch her toes. (Mary attempts) See? She couldn’t do it. But that’s OK, because Mary had help. You see, Mary was engaged to be married to a wonderful man named Joseph. (Guide picks a Joseph from the audience) Joseph comes to the stage and GUIDE positions him right next to Mary. Joseph was strong (make Joseph show his muscles) and was able to help Mary get around. As a matter-of-fact, they had to take a long journey. They walked and walked and walked ( Mary and Joseph walk in place) a long way from home until they were so tired they had to stop at an Inn in a town called Bethlehem.
GUIDE: There was a grouchy old innkeeper who ran this inn. (GUIDE picks an innkeeper from the audience) When Mary and Joseph got to the inn they knocked on the door (Mary and Joseph knock on innkeeper’s door)
The innkeeper didn’t answer. He just stood there with his arms crossed looking very mean and grouchy. (Innkeeper stands looking mean and grouchy)
So Mary and Joseph knocked even harder! (Mary and Joseph knock harder!) Finally, the mean and grouchy innkeeper swung open the door.
GUIDE: Joseph pleaded with the Innkeeper, saying “please give us a room, please give us a room” but the mean and grouchy innkeeper just shook his head NO, NO, NO.
Joseph pleaded some more. (Joseph pleads with the innkeeper)
Finally, the innkeeper relented a little and pointed to a smelly sheep stall at the back of the inn.
Mary and Joseph looked over at the stall and looked back at the innkeeper. They pinched their noses with their fingers and shook their heads, please no! please, no!
But the innkeeper just kept pointing.
Children, let’s sing that song that tells about this part of the story - No Room in the Inn
No room in the inn for Jesus
No room for the infant king
Just a manger stall
And some hay that’s all
nothing else in this song that we sing
Chorus:
No room for Jesus
No room for Him
No room for Jesus
No room for the infant king
No room in the inn for Jesus
No place for the babe to lay
And no warm cozy bed
Where he’d lay His head
No place for a baby to stay
Chorus
There’s room in my heart for Jesus
There’s room in my heart today
I will let Him come in
He’ll forgive all my sin
And take all my burdens away
There’s room for Jesus
There’s room for Him
There’s room for Jesus
There’s room in my heart for Him
There’s room in my heart for Him
GUIDE: So the innkeeper went back to keeping his inn (send innkeeper back to his seat) as Mary and Joseph tried to get comfortable in the stall. There were some sheep and cows in the stall. Children, who wants to be a sheep or a cow? (GUIDE picks some children to be sheep and cows - no more than 3 or 4 or it’s too distracting!)
GUIDE: While Mary and Joseph tried to rest the sheep and cows made lots of sheep and cow sounds. It was as if the animals were announcing something special. . . for it was that night, and in that stall, that the baby Jesus was born. Mary rocked the baby in her arms, while Joseph looked on proudly. Mary wouldn’t let Joseph hold the baby because he was a little rough and clumsy, being a carpenter and all.
GUIDE: So while the sheep and cows laid down to sleep, Mary and Joseph settled in and rested. Mary continued to rock the baby and Joseph continued to look on proudly.
GUIDE: But there was something else going. Something big - something bright - something loud, out in the fields. There were shepherds in the field. (GUIDE picks two from audience to be shepherds) The shepherds were taking care of the flock that night, when something very unusual happened. . . angels appeared in the sky!
(GUIDE picks two angels from the audience) The angels were SINGING (Angels, sing!)
and the shepherds were TERRIFIED! (Shepherds look terrified)
Children, it’s time to sing the song of the angels! Quick, before those shepherds faint on us!
Children sing:
Glory to God in the highest
Glory to God in the highest
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men
and on earth peace to men
Glory, glory to God, singing
Glory, glory to God, singing
Glory, glory to God, and on earth,
Peace to all men (repeat)
Glory to God in the highest
Glory to God in the highest
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men
and on earth peace to men
GUIDE: As soon as the angels had finished singing they pointed the way towards the stall where the baby Jesus had been born. (Angels point) The shepherds came to the stall and knelt down and worshipped the infant king. (Shepherds kneel and worship) Then they got up and left (Send shepherds and angels back to their seats) and went away amazed at what they had just seen and heard.
GUIDE: Meanwhile, Mary kept rocking the baby Jesus and Joseph kept looking on. Mary still wouldn’t let Joseph hold the baby. But Joseph was still very, very happy.
GUIDE: We’re almost to the end of the story. But there was one more important group of visitors who wanted to see the baby Jesus. There were three wise men from far away in the East who had seen a star in the sky and followed it all the way to where the child was. (GUIDE picks three wisemen from the audience and brings them on stage)
GUIDE: These wisemen, whose names were Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar came to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. The wisemen kept pointing to the star (wisemen point to the star) for that is exactly how they found the baby Jesus. Each one came and presented their gift to Mary and Joseph. The gold symbolized the kingly role of the child, the frankincense symbolized the priestly role, and finally, the myrrh symbolized the sacrifice that this child would someday make in giving his life.
GUIDE: After they had given their gifts and worshipped, the wisemen returned to their homes and Mary and Joseph went to Egypt, for they heard that the wicked king Herod was going to try to kill the baby Jesus. (All characters now return to their seats)
GUIDE: And so, we come to the end of the story. But it’s not really the end of the story. It’s really just the beginning. For you see, the story continues today. It lives in the hearts of everyone who believes that the infant Jesus came to be our savior. He grew up, lived among us, and then was brutally crucified on a wooden cross. But that’s not the end of the story, either! For 3 days later he rose from the dead, and now he lives forever, and is preparing to come back to take us home. He came to save us from our sin. He came to bring us new life. The Bible says that “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. As we conclude our story tonight, let’s sing about that great gift of God as we sing together JOY TO THE WORLD.