Baby Jesus preps for his last appearance in Redwood City’s beloved Nativity spectacle
'I’ve seen people cry, I’ve seen people worship, or with their hands in the air fall to the ground,' a volunteer says about Bethlehem A.D., a annual re-creation of the night of Jesus' birth that may be in its last year.
Five-month-old Ronan Herrera coos in the costume room at Rise City Church in Redwood City, as he’s fitted for an angel-white onesie he’ll wear when he plays the role of a lifetime: Jesus in the manger on the night of his birth.
Ronan and his parents, Emily and Christopher Herrera, who are playing Mary and Joseph, will join hundreds of other community volunteers to mount a beloved holiday tradition on the nights of Dec. 21, 22 and 23. For the 30th year, these volunteers will transform a vacant 0.7-acre lot, across Middlefield Road from the church, into Bethlehem A.D. This 20-minute, walk-through Nativity spectacle reimagines life in the ancient Judean village where Jesus is said to have been born.
Sadly, this could be the last year for the show. The church needs to upgrade its building after a fire and has sold the lot to make way for affordable housing. Bethlehem A.D. organizers are discussing the feasibility of continuing their long-running extravaganza at another location, possibly another church. If nothing can be worked out, the show will become nothing more than a cherished memory for the Redwood City community.
Nearly every year — except 2020, when Bethlehem A.D. was virtual due to COVID-19 — the production has drawn thousands of visitors each night of its three-night run. Some come for the Cecil B. DeMille-style opulence, while others enjoy the live demonstration of history and a popular Bible story. For others, seeing the Nativity helps them reconnect with the meaning of Christmas — and volunteers say visitors from any faith can experience the sense of wonder and beauty it inspires.
“I’ve seen people cry, I’ve seen people worship or with their hands in the air, fall to the ground,” said Jeri Daines, a Redwood City realtor who has participated in Bethlehem A.D. with her family since she was 10 years old.
As visitors move through the village, they can catch the Three Wise Men search for the Star of Bethlehem; pet live camels, donkeys, sheep and goats; mingle with Roman soldier re-enactors in first-century armor; catch a children’s Hebrew lesson and make way for a cart bearing the despotic King Herod, surrounded by belly dancers and threatening to order “the massacre” of all male babies.
The journey through Bethlehem climaxes with the Nativity, the basis for the Christmas holiday. That’s where Ronan will enjoy his star turn. Above the manger, women dressed as angels will dance in elaborately choreographed routines set to favorite carols, while Ronan — and the two other babies playing Jesus this year — will smile for the crowds, cuddle in their parents’ arms or sleep peacefully in the cradle, oblivious to all the hubbub.
Ronan’s mother says he’ll probably handle the noise and attention just fine: “He’s a good napper.” But she understands the immense responsibility of representing the Holy Family. The family need to stay in the manger for the entirety of the 3½-hour show. For historical accuracy, they’ve been told, “no pacifiers please.”
Daines played Mary in 2011 when her son Brady was 7 months old. A Catholic, she found that being in the manger was “a beautiful, reflective space.” She channeled some of her new-mom bliss into portraying a young woman who would have been heavily pregnant when she traveled to Bethlehem and was told there was “no room at the inn” to give birth.
“After all that, she gave birth to Jesus, so there’s got to be some spirit in her,” Daines said.
This year, Daines returns to play the gold angel, who dances at the top of the manger wearing a set of elaborately constructed wings. She feels a sense of melancholy that this could be the last year for Bethlehem A.D.
“For our family, it is Christmas,” Daines said. Her late grandfather, Will Richardson, is one of Bethlehem A.D.’s co-founders and her airline pilot father, Jeff Richardson, helps look after the flock of borrowed animals who live on the property during the three-night run.
Like his daughter, Richardson said he’ll miss Bethlehem A.D. “Four of my seven grandchildren have played Jesus,” he said. He also recalls small “miracles” that have graced productions, such as the night storms raged through the Bay Area but let up by the time the show started at 6 p.m.
The loss of Bethlehem A.D. means a void in downtown Redwood City’s holiday calendar, said City Councilmember Diane Howard. The city has long supported the event with grants from its Cultural Commission, and city officials have been drafted each year to play “Wise People,” donning ornate robes and carrying the requisite gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The show has inspired a strong sense of community among volunteers — and some sweet stories. Akino Sili, who has played a fierce-acting Roman centurion named Maximus in recent years, got down on his knees to propose to his wife, Shaunice, in front of the entire cast and crew after the final show of the 2017 season.
And the event draws volunteers from further afield. For the last 25 years, San Leandro attorney Douglas Unsworth has brought members of his Roman soldier reenactment group, Gaesatae et Legio Roma, to set up a first-century military encampment near the manger. Meanwhile, the camels, four-horned Jacob sheep and other livestock come from the farm of Lloyd Pareira, a Merced County supervisor who played a shepherd in past productions. Pareira transports the animals in two horse trailers — the camels always attract attention from other motorists, he says. The effort is well worth it to be part of Bethlehem A.D., especially if this is the last year.
“It’s a really special place,” Pareira said. “In my world as a Christian, I can feel the holy spirit there.”
IF YOU GO
Bethlehem A.D. runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m., rain or shine, Dec. 21, 22 and 23 at 1300 Middlefield Road in Redwood City. Admission is free. Golf carts are available for people with mobility issues, and visitors can park for free at Kaiser Permanente, 1250 Veterans Blvd., and catch a shuttle to the display. www.bethlehemad.com/BethlehemA.D.