It started with just three shows, a makeshift set and a rented auditorium.

Actors scurried from trailer to trailer putting on costumes and makeup, while barnyard animals -- including goats, horses and chickens -- waited in a parking lot corral until their cue to head onstage.

The Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant, a spectacle with Broadway-style musical performances and a biblical portrayal of the life of Jesus, wowed crowds when it had its debut in 1984.

And it's an even bigger hit 24 years later.

''Each year it's just a little bit better,'' said Sandy Casteel, the pageant's longtime coordinator, who now makes costumes for the show. ``One thing that has never changed is that it's still a gift to the community as to what the real Christmas is.''

The extravaganza, put on by First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, draws about 50,000 people each season, airs in 41 countries and is shown to U.S. military personnel overseas. This year's 25th edition pageant opens Friday and runs through Dec. 14.

The show kicks off with traditional Christmas carols performed by a choir and orchestra, with couples dancing the swing, the waltz, and high-energy musical theater numbers.

A group of small children also have their chance to sing onstage and are followed by teens breaking it down with step moves as they chant a message about Jesus' life to thumping hip-hop beats.

Then the stage is transformed into Bethlehem for a musical drama about the Nativity and the life of Jesus -- complete with live animals, including camels, lambs and goats.

''The pageant offers something for everyone -- old traditions and new surprises,'' said the Rev. Mike Jeffries, whose roles in past shows include Santa Claus, a shepherd and a toy maker. ``For a lot of people, this is the event that rings in the Christmas season.''

LIFE-CHANGING

Mac McConnell plays the disciple Simon Peter and narrates the story of Jesus -- from his birth to the Last Supper, his crucifixion and resurrection.

McConnell, 63, first became involved in the production in 1989, when he was asked to be an understudy for the pageant's narrator.

Within a few years, he landed the role permanently.

McConnell loved acting so much that he sold his successful picture-framing studio in Fort Lauderdale and began traveling to churches worldwide, teaching biblical lessons through drama.

''Everything I am right now I owe to the pageant,'' he said. ``It has changed my life.''

When the pageant premiered 25 years ago, it was a modest production at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale's Holiday Park.

Just days before opening night, tractor-trailers delivered the set and volunteers scrambled to get everything done in time.

With no place inside for actors to get ready, they scurried through a back lot, running from trailer to trailer putting on their costumes and makeup.

When it rained, the actors had to cover themselves with garbage bags as they ran into the auditorium.

Child performers, dressed in character, were bused in from the church just minutes before showtime.

Behind the auditorium were food tents and corrals for the animal actors, including camels and goats used in biblical scenes.

The production, which was put on by hundreds of church members who volunteered their talents and brawn, featured laser lights, an orchestra and flying angels.

Over the years, the number of shows increased, tickets sold out and the pageant became a holiday tradition for many South Florida families.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@