By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Hope — that’s what I did on November 30th. I sat in my house and hoped I would make it to Hope Village’s Christmas show. The weather was not suitable for unnecessary driving on Interstate 45, and I hoped it would improve.
I watched the water filling the street in front of my house. I watched the water fill the empty vases on my porch. I listened as the wind picked up speed. My phone app showed it would all slow down by the early evening and I needed to be on the road no later than 5 p.m.
Hoping I could make it was all I could do. When the rain and wind stopped, I decided I could make the drive. Leaving my home at 4:45 was barely going to allow enough time to make it to the show, my GPS said.
The drive was going well on I-45 heading north till near Dickinson. Then rain started coming down harder, and there wasn’t much light in the sky, though it wasn’t dark enough to be nighttime. Fog along with blowing rain were obscuring my view.
Some cars pulled over to the shoulder, and I thought to myself that I too should pull over. But I kept going slowly, carefully, and I made it to the auditorium at Hope Village in Friendswood.
When I got there, I found a community of people who were smiling and excited to see the annual Hope Village Christmas show. The auditorium filled up with men and women, boys, and girls dressed in their rainy-weather-going-to-church outfits.
Some of the audience gathered were staff of Hope Village, and they had brought their friends to show support to the residents. Some were from Friendswood Baptist Church, where the villagers attend worship services once a month.
The yearly event is sponsored by Amoco Federal Credit Union. Kevin Venable, community development manager for Amoco has been working with Hope Village to promote the show for ten years. He looked relaxed and happy. There was no sign of tension as he coordinated the food service.
“The show is always amazing,” Kevin said.
Ginger, who also works at Amoco Federal Credit Union saw the show last year. To this year’s show, she brought a friend. “I love the show, it’s very heartwarming,” Ginger said. “It gets you in the spirit of Christmas.”
I was quickly whisked backstage, where I met the people who would be sharing their Christmas joy through music and acting. Though they were all adults, some with silver hair, their spirits were that of children. Each of them has some form of disability.
Hope Village is a residential facility for adults who are not able to live on their own due to various cognitive limitations.
According to the executive director of Hope Village, the villagers have been putting on a Christmas show for 48 years, and they look forward to their tradition. They love performing on stage.
While I was backstage, I met Mary and Bill, who played the parts of Mary and Joseph. They have held their roles for going on two decades. The two are considered a couple themselves within the village.
I also met Lindsey. She can’t talk, but she knows how to communicate. She showed me her name on a cubby and photos of herself in the rehearsal area. She played the part of an angel for the first act.
I met the Star of Bethlehem, who was able to remember my name, and I met the Wise Men, shepherds, an astrologer, a lamb, and the Little Drummer Boy.
Keith Neubauer volunteers as the director and accompanist for the show and has been doing so for about 20 years. His eyes were full of happiness as he explained that the villagers had been practicing the songs since August.
“The staff here work with them on memorizing the songs,” Neubauer shared.
Neubauer is popular with the villagers, and he knows them each by name.
Mary, one of the more senior villagers, opened the show. “Take your time driving home,” she said. “You all be careful. It is wet out there.”
Then she bowed her head and prayed a prayer filled with thanks for her life at Hope Village and gratitude for the people who had come to see the show.
The show began with a traditional lineup of angels and shepherds on stage, along with a humble thatched stable. A hush and reverence came over the audience as Margret with her soft but clear voice sang “O Holy Night.”
Several more carols were sung by the entire group, and Mary and Joseph made their appearance on stage, inquiring at inns for a place to sleep. Of course, there was no room for them at any of the inns.
The show was narrated by the village executive director.
A tall villager strolled across the stage ringing a diner bell proclaiming, “Pay your taxes.”
The audience responded with laughter.
Finally, Mary and Joseph found shelter at the thatched stable.
The Little Drummer Boy came to visit baby Jesus and so did the Wise Men who were bearing gifts.
After an intermission, the villagers returned to the stage to deliver a comical version of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” There were two Astros gloves, four calling birds with each flapping their feathered arms, and five folded jeans amongst other twists on the lyrics.
The 900-pound hippopotamus was a crowd-pleaser. The villager in the costume was 58-year-old Mike. His sister Lois lives in Santa Fe, and she is grateful that there is a place such as Hope Village for her brother.
“He loves it here; he is a king at Hope Village. We couldn’t provide him with what they do here. In fact, after I’ve taken him out for an outing, as we get closer to the village, he gets really excited, as he calls the village home. He loves being able to perform in this show,” shared Lois.
A third costume and set change gave the audience a second intermission. Then came the finale with the villagers singing Christmas songs to entice Santa Clause to join them. Suddenly, there was a clatter and a ringing, and the audience knew Santa was nearby.
Santa circled the auditorium. He was perched on a cart attached to the back of a bicycle with Rudolf in the driver’s seat. The audience rose with their cell phones to capture the hilarity in videos and photos.
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” was sung by all, and then farewells and thank you for coming were offered. The audience’s mood shifted from lighthearted laughter to a warm, embracing respect and love for the performers and the show they had just presented.
The 48th Annual Christmas in the Village was free to the public but funding sources to support the village come in many forms.
In the words of the Hope Village website, “Hope Village relies on annual contributions from generous individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations.”
The website continues, “The average annual cost per resident at Hope Village is $34,800. Average annual tuition payments are $16,000, with the average subsidy from the Foundation being $18,000 per individual. Hope Village does not receive federal or state funding.” from Hope Village website.”
For more information on how you can become a donor, volunteer or place a family member at Hope Village, you can find them at https://hope-village.com/ or send a direct e-mail to info@hope-village.com or call (281) 482-7926.
