March 6, 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

Food pantry in need of donations

August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019

The shelves are almost bare at the St. Joseph Community Food Pantry. The pantry, housed in the St. Joseph Church...

Chamber to sponsor Little Prince and Princess

June 2, 2021

June 2, 2021

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual Little Prince and Princess contest in conjunction with the...

Weekend Family Fun Guide

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

This post is sponsored by Island Travel Group and Events On Saturday, St. Joseph plays host to hundreds of runners...

Around Town: Feb. 25-March 2

February 25, 2019

February 25, 2019

If you want your event included please email us at stjosephrecord@gmail.com Feb. 25Senior Citizen Bingo 2 p.m. St Joseph Township...

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,...

Talk of the Town… Jim and Jen Wagner

August 6, 2019

August 6, 2019

Every week we ask a village resident or official three questions. This week we spoke to Jim and Jen Wagner...

Schott asks village for community Christmas tree

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Lana Schott wants everyone in St. Joseph to have a Christmas tree. The ten-year-old asked the St. Joseph Village Board...

CU Feed the Need to distribute food this week

August 26, 2020

August 26, 2020

CU Feed the need has even more food to distribute this week thanks to the St. Joseph Food Pantry. The...

2024 St. Joseph Community Garage Sale list

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

1.  202 S. Seventh.  8 – ? Thursday, 8 – 5 Friday, 8 – ? Saturday.  Men’s and ladies clothing....

4 Questions with Creations by De

August 12, 2023

August 12, 2023

Tell us about your business. Creations by De is a licensed home-based business. I do custom cakes, cookies and a...

Little Prince and Princess applications being accepted

July 1, 2019

July 1, 2019

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring the Little Prince and Princess event in conjunction with the St....

Pageant currently accepting applications

March 31, 2021

March 31, 2021

The Champaign County Fair Queen Pageant is now accepting applications.  The pageant will be held July 18 at 2 p.m....

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...

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...

Employees help co-worker during time of need

February 8, 2021

February 8, 2021

The staff at the St. Joseph Subway wanted to help April Patton. Manager Adam Porter said his co-worker said she...

Comments
Leave a Reply