A Child is Born is a poetic Christmas drama in one act by Stephen Vincent Benet. First presented on radio on December 21, 1942 as part of the anthology program Cavalcade of America, the production starred the famous husband-and-wife team of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Later, it began to be presented on television, in productions which starred such actors as Gene Lockhart and Fay Bainter.
Largely written in rhyming verse, the play relates the story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of an innkeeper and his wife. The drama was presented on television many times during the Golden Age of Television, on such anthologies as Actors Studio, Lux Video Theatre, General Electric Theater and Kraft Television Theatre, but has not been seen on American television since 1956.
The song "A Child is Born" was written in 1969 by the jazz trumpeter Thad Jones and Alec Wilder. It has been recorded by a number of musicians including Tony Bennett, Richard Davis, Kenny Burrell, Bill Evans, and Hank Jones.
Famous quotes containing the words child and/or born:
“A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and will share the inheritance as one of the family.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Proverbs 17:2.
“Since every man who lives is born to die,
And none can boast sincere felicity,
With equal mind, what happens, let us bear,
Nor joy nor grieve too much for things beyond our care.”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)