‘A Great Awakening’ actor Jonathan Blair comes home to star in California Baptist University’s ‘A CBU Christmas’

CBU alumnus who portrayed evangelist George Whitefield on the big screen will tell the Christmas story at the ninth annual production Dec. 5-6 in Riverside

RIVERSIDE, CA, UNITED STATES, November 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — This December, actor and writer Jonathan Blair returns to his alma mater to tell the greatest story ever told as the special guest at the ninth annual A CBU Christmas, presented by the California Baptist University (CBU) Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts.

Blair, a CBU alumnus who played a leading role in the feature film “A Great Awakening,” will star in the second act of the biggest holiday production in the Inland Empire. More than 500 CBU music and theatre students will join him on stage for four performances Dec. 5-6 at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.

“I am honored to bring my heart for storytelling to CBU’s stage and share the Christmas story with the audience,” said Blair. “My hope is that every family in that room walks out feeling the wonder of Christmas a little more deeply than when they walked in.”

The homecoming caps a standout year for Blair. Produced by Sight & Sound Theatres, “A Great Awakening” tells the true story of the unlikely friendship between the Rev. George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin in the years before the American Revolution. Blair co-wrote the screenplay and brought Whitefield’s open-air sermons to life as the preacher who stirred a generation, a performance critics praised.

For Blair, the CBU stage is a family affair. His father, Dr. Daniel Blair, is a professor of deaf studies and the founding director of CBU’s Center for Deaf Studies, which he has led since 2006. That connection shaped the younger Blair’s work from the start: his filmmaking career began with “Found on South Street” (2015), a drama about a deaf man that he wrote, directed and starred in.

This year, Blair joins a holiday tradition that has grown into one of the Inland Empire’s signature Christmas celebrations. Combining music, dance and theatrical storytelling, A CBU Christmas brings the story of Christ’s birth to life through performances by CBU’s talented music and theatre students and faculty. This year’s production will explore themes of light, hope and the promise of Christ’s coming, featuring the nativity story, music inspired by Trans-Siberian Orchestra and powerful performances celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

“We are looking forward to showcasing the breadth of our students’ talent at A CBU Christmas this year,” said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts. “It’s meaningful to our CBU community that we have a special guest from our own CBU family to share in the splendor of this tradition.”

Performances are at 2:30 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6. Tickets are available exclusively at cbuchristmas.com.

About California Baptist University and the Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts
Founded in 1950, California Baptist University is the Largest Christian University in California. CBU offers more than 106 bachelor’s programs, 44 graduate programs and 11 doctoral programs, on campus and online. Affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention, CBU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities. The Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees across four divisions: music education and performance, worship arts, commercial music and theatre arts.

Kristeen Farlow
California Baptist University
+1 661-600-5050
kfarlow@calbaptist.edu

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Written By: EIN Presswire