BY JOAN STOKER
While many students in Cazenovia were just kicking off their school year in September, some already had Christmas on the brain. Twenty-seven children from our community auditioned for this year’s St. James Christmas Play entitled Christmas at Bethlehem Gulch. A western inspired story about a group of children who think they are spending the night at a Christmas Dude Ranch. They find that while they did not get exactly what they wanted, the experience is something far more valuable than they could have imagined.
The show, created by Pam Andrews and arranged by John DeVries, was adapted by the directors Joan Stoker and Sue Rinaldo. It features eight original songs performed by the cast including solos by Bethany Omans and Max Reger.
Each year the St. James production donates all contributions to a charity of their choice. This year the cast has chosen to donate all proceeds to a local charity, The Haven at SKANDA animal rescue.
The cast would like to invite you all to come see their production; Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. at St. James Church. Admission is a donation in any amount to SKANDA. There will also be a raffle for a beautiful stuffed animal, Shep the Sheep Dog, featured in our play. Take a break from all your Holiday preparations and share the joy of Christmas with these talented young actors. We hope to see you there and look forward to sharing one of our Christmas Traditions with you.