-Brenda Hillegas
West Chester’s Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center kicks off its new theatre series with a unique take on the holiday story. The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Herod the Nut, & the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree by Tony Award-winning playwright and novelist William Gibson runs through 12/23. Make this theatre (and this show!) part of your family’s holiday traditions.
The Butterfingers Angel does tell a classic tale, but that tale is switched up and looked at from another perspective. Imagine if Mary (complete with a Madonna t-shirt, you know…”Like a Prayer”) doesn’t want a child? What if Joseph is just her much older admirer? How can an insecure, bumbling Angel convince the two of them to raise a child…together? Throw in the bratty man-child King Herod, a cherry tree, Mary’s crazy siblings, and a couple kings who seem to be lost along Pennsylvania’s highways and you’ve got yourself a whole new look on this epic origin story!
How do we know what really happened way back when in Bethlehem? The Butterfingers Angel tells audiences about the birth of Jesus with modern points of view. It’s heartfelt, a lot of fun, packed with laughs, and a great topic to discuss on the way home.
I recommend getting to the theatre early for a cup of hot cocoa or cocktail before the show too. Make a day of it by checking out the small businesses around West Chester- so many of them have great holiday window displays- and grab some food. I stopped by Stove and Tap for brunch before a Sunday matinee. They have a couple holiday themed drinks on the menu right now, but I went with the Frayed Knot which includes vodka, lemonade, lavender, and earl grey. The cauliflower and cheddar soup is a must, especially on a chilly winter day. The menu includes breakfast platters, sandwiches and flatbreads too.
For upcoming events at Knauer Performing Arts Center or to buy tickets to their theatre performances this season, click here. Please go support this theatre so we can keep coming back for holiday programming year after year.
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