June 10, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Five questions with Ben Gilly of the ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’

Tonight at 7 p.m, The St. Joseph Church of Christ will present “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

We asked Ben Gilly, who is Bob Bradley, to answer five questions for us.

What can you tell me about your character?
I play the character of Bob Bradley, husband to Grace and father to Beth and Charlie; a
solid family man. Bob is begrudgingly tasked to help his wife with wrangling the kids together for
the pageant.

What has been your favorite part about the pageant?
I’ve enjoyed watching the children of the cast grow and develop their characters. Many
of them came in with little to no theatre experience and have really learned a lot and put
together a great show.

What do you hope the audience takes away from the story?
While presented mostly as a comedy, the core of the show is the biblical telling of
Christ’s birth. Audience members should expect to laugh, cry, and learn about the meaning of
Christmas. I hope everyone is able to see a little bit of themselves in the characters of the story.

What has it been like acting with your kids?
My daughter, Ellie, has loved every bit of this show. My wife and I have both always had
a soft spot for drama and theatre and it’s been awesome to watch our girl express herself and
learn how to have a stage presence. It’s been a real bonding moment for her and I too since we
have some inside jokes and stories that the rest of our family hasn’t been a part of.

What is your favorite part of the Christmas season overall?
I’m a sucker for classic nostalgia. I love driving around town looking at lights and
decorations, watching ALL the holiday movie favorites (including Die Hard), singing carols,
spending time with family; just all the traditions of the season!

Banner
Related Posts

Vendor profile: Tupperware with Aubree

August 8, 2024

August 8, 2024

1. Tell me about your business. Tupperware has been around for 79 years and is known for the bowls, kitchen...

Harper brings Wednesday Addams to life

April 2, 2022

April 2, 2022

The characters in the Addams Family are well known. But that didn’t stop the actors at St. Joseph-Ogden from putting...

It takes a Christmas village

December 10, 2024

December 10, 2024

Roberta Morris’ childhood dream was to be an architect. Instead, she worked as a pipe fitter at the Clinton Nuclear...

Birthday parade to celebrate Voges

April 28, 2020

April 28, 2020

St. Joseph resident Bruce Voges has seen a lot in his life. And Tuesday will be another first. To celebrate...

Planning underway for St. Joseph Festival

July 17, 2024

July 17, 2024

Carnival Arm BandsCarnival Arm Bands are for sale at Village Hall during business hours until August 7.The Arm Bands will...

St. Joseph Fall 2023 Garage Sale Lists

September 27, 2023

September 27, 2023

1. 2248 Churchill Saturday September 30th  7am to 3pm  2.  102 N 7th Street 3 family garage sale. 3. 1705...

Deadline approaching for Pageant

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

The deadline to compete in the Champaign County Fair Queen and Little Miss Pageant is this week. The Champaign County...

SJO to host event for seniors

April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

The administration at St. Joseph-Ogden High School wants to give their seniors some sense of normalcy.   “The decision to have...

Local towns schedule egg hunts

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

April 13 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Hunt The Chamber of Commerce stuffs 1500 eggs with candy, stickers,...

Willowdale Winter Wonderland to open tonight

December 9, 2020

December 9, 2020

The Willowdale subdivision north of St. Joseph has created a winter wonderland. Resident Lacey Smith organized the multi-night event which...

Christie Clinic Shootout in St. Joseph still on, but SJO won’t play

January 11, 2020

January 11, 2020

The heavy rainfall that hit St. Joseph on Friday night and into Saturday morning, along with the potential for severe...

St. Joe Auto giving back to community in multiple ways amid pandemic

April 17, 2020

April 17, 2020

Casey and Matt Phillips wanted to do something to brighten the St. Joseph community. So the husband and wife that...

Weekend family fun guide

March 22, 2019

March 22, 2019

March 22 Fire by Friction 2 to 4 p.m. Interpretive Center, Homer Lake Forest Preserve Before the convenience of matches...

Aden brings Easter joy to community

April 15, 2020

April 15, 2020

The Easter Bunny made sure children in St. Joseph had a happy holiday this past weekend. St. Joseph-Ogden Senior Lindsey...

Comments
Leave a Reply