That's the magic of community theater, and if you were a Lynden local last week attending The Claire Theatre's production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," you probably felt that magic.

I'd recommend you see the show, but unfortunately, it's already sold out. Instead, you can look at my story and accompanying photo gallery about the days leading up to opening night.

What I don't share in that story is the thought I had while driving to opening night the Friday after Thanksgiving. Traffic out of Seattle was terrible. My car was smoking from under the hood and yesterday's leftovers sat like a rock in my stomach.

The thought crept into my mind that this story about a small community theater in an equally small community would appeal only to a few readers. But the grumpiness began to fade as I went backstage and saw the now-familiar faces of the dozens of kid actors in the show, filled with nerves and excitement. As I lifted up my camera to take the first picture, I remembered why I was there.

It's a privilege to capture the cool, under-the-radar happenings, like this production.

So my advice is to find a neighborhood theater and maybe watch your mailman act his heart out. It's all part of what makes a community.