Spirit of the season represented live at Nativity
JEFFERSON TWP — Concordia Lutheran Ministries staff and residents will stage its sixth live Nativity scene Sunday in front of its Haven II building.
Connor Hagey, the director of retirement living and coordinator of the event, said, “We've got at least a dozen, if not more, cast members. They are all volunteers.
“They are Concordia employees and family members of Concordia employees. The narrator is Bob Kaltenhauser, a Haven III resident,” Hagey said.
He said another 18 or so employee volunteers will be behind the scenes helping with the lighting, sound and music.
As for the Nativity story characters, he said, “They're going to be in costume, and it's going to be outside, so people should dress warm,” he said.
According to Hagey, as in past years, the Nativity will be a stationary scene centered around a manger with different characters coming to the manger as the Nativity story unfolds.
The actors will be supplemented by animals, including an adult camel, rented for the evening.
Jan Marchezak, the owner of Barnyard Petting Zoo & Pony Rides of Eighty Four, said, “Concordia is renting a full set of Nativity animals including lambs and goat kids, donkeys and an adult camel.
“That's Clancy, our adult female camel. She was raised from a bottle. You won't believe how big she is,” Marchezak said.
She's been trained to lay down and walk in and out of doors for use in church pageants, she said.
She added a baby camel and goats from Barnyard Petting have taped a segment recently for the “Rachel Ray” show.
Hagey said Concordia residents will be represented by a taped choir of residents singing “Silent Night” at the end of the show.
Each of the three shows will last about 15 minutes.
Visitors will be invited inside the Haven II's dining room to warm up with hot chocolate and cookies while choirs provide seasonal music.
Hagey said last year's Nativity attracted a few hundred spectators despite the cold weather.
This year's forecast is for temperatures in the 40s. “You don't want it too hot or too cold,” said Hagey.
He said members of the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company will help with parking again this year.
He added the Nativity will pretty much be unchanged from last year's presentation.
“We tried to tweak the script for the first few years to make it flow better. Ultimately we want to tell the story of Christ's birth,” he said. “We change the music so that we have a mix of traditional songs with some songs that are popular right now.”
Hagey said, “We have had some pretty good success the last couple of years. We always are fortunate.”
But the Nativity crew doesn't leave everything to chance.
“We do a dry run Friday afternoon to make sure everybody remembers the lines and the equipment is working, that sort of thing,” he said.
WHAT: Concordia Lutheran Ministries live Nativity sceneWHEN: 4:30, 5:15 and 6 p.m. SundayWHERE: In front of Haven II, 148 Marwood Road, Jefferson TownshipINFO: Event is open and free to the public. For more information, call Connor Hagey at 724-352-1571, Ext. 8343, or visit Concordialm.org
