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The Friendly Beasts
• Create a traditional nativity setting with manger, stable frame and hay (or
substitute something to avoid allergies). These props and set can be moved
quickly into place by adults from backstage or from the sides. Or, this setting
could already be in place on the opposite side of the stage as the children.
• Find someone in your church or school who can make animal costumes and
create the characters of the donkey, the cow, the sheep, and the dove. If you
have enough children, you may also want to have a Mary and Joseph at the
nativity, and provide a doll as Baby Jesus.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• As this is the grand finale and involves everyone, the words
to this song are on the screen for the audience to see and
sing along with the children. You may want to select someone
to be the 'music director' for the entire audience, inviting
everyone present to sing along!
• Move the children from the side of the stage to their
front-and-center positions for this closing number.
Make sure that every child can be seen, and that
they can also see the director. This will be an
exciting moment when the children, parents and
audience actually sing together, so make eye
contact between the children and their
families, if possible.
Curtain Call/Bows: Joy to the World!
• This upbeat, joyful number can be used
as background music for a curtain call or
bows, or for exit music as your children
leave the platform. If you choose to
do bows, have the adults on stage guide
the children (in pre-assigned groups)
toward the front of the stage and
take their bows together. You may
want to consider having The
Friendly Beast animals bow
together, and any other
grouping that fits
your particular
performance.
