‘Starry Night, Noisy Night’ at GO EXL Academy

On the evening of Dec. 17, the students of GO EXL Academy presented the Christmas musical production “Starry Night, Noisy Night,” telling the story of Jesus’s birth from the point of view of the stable animals who witnessed it. Students were dressed in costumes representing all the traditional characters from the familiar story of the first Christmas, with an increased emphasis on the animals who would have been there.

As the story opened, Mary and Joseph arrived in the busy town of Bethlehem, bustling with visitors. Distracted and confused, the animals almost missed the miraculous events unfolding before their very eyes. Through music and humorous references to modern distractions, the audience members were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. The performance concluded as the animals reflected on how the most important moments happen quietly and unexpectedly.

Parents and grandparents filled OLSHACS’s main meeting room to watch their children perform. The cast of characters included Mary, played by Karissa Woods, and Joseph, played by Michael Carson. A trio of angels played by Lilly Leavitt, Sophia Catalano and Charlotte Law provided the narration and a beautiful vocal rendition of “What Child is This?” The various animal parts were filled by students representing each grade level.

Monica Scott and Angie Killian performed a vocal duet of “Witness of Christmas and Christ.” Other vocal numbers performed by the entire cast were “Starry, Noisy Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Sounds, Sights and Stars,” “Away in a Manger,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Still, Silent Night.” The audience was invited to join in the singing of two songs. The music was directed by Nancy Staton and accompanied by school director KaeLyne Pendelton. Mary Lou Whitney provided special flute accompaniment.

After the performance, the children enjoyed a special visit from Santa Claus, who listened to requests for gifts and handed out a treat to each child. Family members lingered afterward, enjoying refreshments, congratulating cast members and taking pictures. This year’s play reminded the audience that even the humblest witnesses can help tell a timeless story.

A video of the cow and pig circulated social media after the play, and was picked up by Channel 3 news in Las Vegas, dubbed the ‘Bethlehem Brawl’. GO EXL Director KaeLyne Pendleton had this to say: “It was entertaining, however, I’m not sure that is the message we were trying to portray. It’s crazy how a few seconds can change everything. I am very grateful for my staff who tried to control everything while I played the piano. Honestly, I could not see what was happening, so I didn’t find out until afterwards. Our kids worked very hard learning their lines and the music. It was meant to be a comedy – the story of Christ’s birth as told by the animals. The Bethlehem Brawl took it to a different level, no doubt.”