Record Numbers See 11th Annual Living Nativity at LDS Church
“Follow the Star, a Living Nativity”, attracted over 4,700 people from the surrounding communities in Rancho Santa Margarita. That is about 2,000 more people than the best attendance in the last 11 years. At one point on Sunday night, the streets were so crowded the hosts were afraid the police might show up and ask for a permit. Bonnie Andre, wife of the producer, said, ”I had to walk from two blocks away with our next door neighbor for the 7:30 show on Sunday.”
Shows occurred on the half hour and while waiting for the next show guests were invited to see the Crèche exhibit which included over 500 international nativities. From the traditional to the bizarre, you saw everything. A beautiful French nativity, that took up an entire wall that included over 30 townspeople coming to visit the baby Jesus. A five foot puppet nativity set and even a nativity made from kitchen appliances.
To keep young hands from touching the delicate displays, LDS hosts, handed each child a “Seek and Find” game with pictures of eight select nativity characters they were to find in the large room. Once families were done in the Crèche exhibit they headed down the hall lined with paintings depicting Christ’s life. Then they opened the doors and were welcomed back in time to experience the “Living Nativity”.
As the show starts I listen to four girls from different denominations perform “Mary, May I Hold Your Little Baby.” Then the magic begins with the simple story of Mary and Joseph making the long journey by donkey to pay their taxes. The lights direct you to the field with the heavenly angel telling the shepherds of Christ’s birth. Then you see Joseph turned away at the Inn. He leads Mary to the stable only to be greeted by three regal kings. The scene ends with the light on the beautiful baby in Mary’s arms. The cries of the real baby in Mary’s arms extend over excerpts of the Hallelujah Chorus.
The lights and sound are supervised by volunteers Ken Brown, an architect from Portola Hills, and Eric Hanson, a professional lighting designer from Rancho Santa Margarita. The temporary sound booth is created under a tent in the middle of the parking lot at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Rancho Santa Margarita behind Altisima Park. Creating the perfect lighting and sound outside is quite a feat with an outside performance. Ken Brown said, “This is the first year I remember having pleasant beach weather for the performance. On Friday and Saturday night you didn’t even need a coat.” In the cast room, they were prepared for cold weather with hot chocolate to keep the cast warm in between shows. This year it just wasn’t needed but that didn’t stop the children and young shepherds, in the cast, from piling on the marshmallows. No one seemed to mind.
Karen Lake
LDS Director of Media Relations
Santa Margarita Stake
