Program Outline, Props, Costumes, Music, Resources

A GIFT FOR A KING

Program Outline, Props, Costumes, Music, Resources

Song 1/Nativity Scene: What Can We Give To The King?-- Kids sing

Costumes:

AngelsMarySheep

ShepherdsJosephOther Animals

WisemenStar Carrier

Props: Wood Manger with baby doll wrapped in white cloth. Prop back end up, tilting manger forward so audience can see doll. A pillow covered with tan cloth or real straw in a clear bag under the doll brings the doll to the top of the manger for better visibility.

Song 2: Away in a Manger-- solo, duet, or ensemble

(Kids exit and get out of costumes, go to seats in front row)

Scene 1: Living Room [Suze, Mother, Father]

Props:

Two cushioned rocking chairs
Newspaper for Father (script can be taped inside)
Red clipboard & pen for Mother (script can be on it)
Tub of toys for Suze (Duplos work well; script can be cut and taped around inside ends and front of tub)

Song 3: Silent Night-- Instrumental during scene change [great opportunity for school band student(s)]

Scene 2: Dining Room [Suze, Mother, Father, Uncle Bob]

Props:

Table (square) & 4 chairs
Thanksgiving tablecloth
Plates (scripts can be taped onto sturdy disposable-type plates)
Platter with stand-up picture of roasted turkey placed in center of table

Song 4: Local Choice Music-- during scene change

Scene 3: Basement [Suze, Mother, Father, Uncle Bob]

Props:

Two large cardboard boxes; top box filled with bears, one bear is fancy with date embroidered on foot. Script can be taped to inside of box flap, visible to characters when box opened. (After this scene that bear is transferred to one of the wrapped shoeboxes labeled "Jenna" for scene 5.)

Song 5/Offering: Local Choice Music

Scene 4: Packing Boxes [Suze, Mother, Father, Uncle Bob]

Props:

Table (2' x 4' rectangle)
Rolls of wrapping paper
A wrapped box on the table
Stack of 3 wrapped boxes off to side, labeled "Jenna", "Jenna's Brother", "Tyler"
Bible

Song 6: Little Drummer Boy

Piano
Floor tom-tom from drum set played by child, steady even beat corresponding with left hand of piano arrangement
Cymbal from drum set played by child, corresponding with upper high C when played in piano arrangement
Plastic Folger's coffee cans, filled with 2 cups of sand and lid hot-glued on. Cover the 3 label panels with sparkly adhesive foam sheets cut to fit (obtainable from Wal-Mart or many craft stores). Use child-sized 12" drum sticks (see Resources section)or make your own cut from dowel sticks. Children play drums during the "rum-pum-pums" and along with the rhymthic measures of the piano score between verses. Three verses sung by three child soloists; rum-pum-pums sung by all children as they play their drums.

Scene 5: Christmas Party

Enter first: Uncle Bob

Enter, grouped by families:

Suze, Mother, Father
Jenna, Jenna's Father, Jenna's Mother, Jenna's Little Brother
Tyler, Tyler's Mother

Props:

Decorated Christmas tree
Gifts under the tree -- 3 wrapped shoeboxes from Scene 4 (one with the special bear from Scene 3), one small box with key labeled "Jenna's Parents(a box that checks come in works well)
Punch bowl, couple trays of finger food (can use plastic food or stand up pictures).
Two business cards

Song 7: Go Tell It On The Mountain-- Congregational Singing (Kids go get into costumes)

Song 8: He's Still Workin' on Me-- Kids sing

Entrance Order & Costumes:

Two soloists (use microphones)
Child doing hand motions and singing
Clay Maker: child with modeling clay at a workbench creates human-shaped figurine while children sing
Sun -- Yellow or orange T-shirt (larger than the planets), iron-on letters, gold glitter fabric paint can be used to paint on rays.
Earth -- blue T-shirt with iron-on letters and big picture of earth on front and back (images can be downloaded from Internet or email to request what we used).
Jupiter -- White or gray T-Shirt with tanishhorizonal strips painted on with fabric paints, iron-on letters. Jupiter is the largest planet, so should be a bigger costume than Earth or Mars,
Mars -- red T-shirt with iron-on letters

[NOTE: Quilt batting can used between two shirts sewn together. Use iron-on transfers for dark shirts and ink-jet printer]

Moon -- Cut out two matching crescent moon shapes from white fabric, sew together, stuff with batting, sew onto black T-shirt.
Stars --
Obtain pizza boxes, spray paint outside black.
Draw/trace star on the outside box bottom. Outline star with white school glue, use paint brush to spread glue inside lines so entire star is coated with glue. Sprinkle glitter over glue area (silver with some colored flecks mixture looks great). Let dry overnight; dump off excess glitter.
Obtain battery operated Christmas lights, 20-light strands. Plan which corner the battery switch box will be in (see below). Poke holes evenly spaced along the inside edges of the star (a phillipsscrewdriver works for this job).The holes should allow for tight fit of light socket and not be spaced too far apart for the wires between sockets to reach.
Insert lights from the inside of the box with the bulb protruding out the glitter side.
From the inside, run a bead of white glue around each socket to adhere it to the cardboard; let dry overnight.
Close box, insert batteries and mount battery/switch box on lower outside corner of box flap with clear packing tape; do not cover the switch. Box opening should be at bottom, box hinge at top.

A different type of star can be made using a cardboard base, glue & glitter, battery operated lights, and a paint stick (5-gallon size) for a handle. This version was carried by the Star Carrier in the first song to lead the Wise Men.

Song 9: Go Light Your World-- Congregational Singing

(Adult hands battery-operated candles to kids as they exit stage from right steps, and follow Directordown right aisle, up middle aisle, spread out across front waving candles.)

T I P S

Scripts:

Provide the full script with color coded sections to your slides and audio operators.
Provide general script to minor characters with no speaking lines.
Provide edited version of this outline to your Prop workers. We had an area off-stage with the props for each scene grouped together. A chart was posted of items for each scene.

R E S O U R C E S

Child-sized 12" drum sticks: Item STK-11, $4.95/pair in quantities of 3+)

Angel costumes with feathered wings: IN-4/4673 fits sizes 4-8, IN-25/19240 fits sizes 11-14, $15.00 set

Music: Contact

What Can We Give To The King? Sheet Music

Words and music by Barry McGuire and Mike Deasy.

He's Still Workin' on Me Sheet Music

Joel Hemphill, Arranged by Tom Fettke.

The Little Drummer Boy Sheet Music

Words and Music by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simeone

Belwin Mills Publishing Corp., Melville, N.Y. 11747

This version worked very well with the children because of the nice steady chord beat in the piano left hand. It is simple enough that a young piano player may be able to play it.