Whether you’re someone who has been eagerly awaiting the holiday season since July, or someone who dreads the chaos the season brings, one thing everyone can agree on is the joy of a Christmas song. Even the Grinch was a sucker for a Whoville carol. And when it comes to Christmas songs, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a tough act to beat.
Toledo is fortunate to host the first stop on this year’s winter tour at The Huntington Center. Best known for their rock ‘n’ roll interpretations of traditional holiday songs as well as classic originals, this group brings the excitement of Christmas to a new level.
The orchestra began in 1996 with Paul O’Neill’s ambitious goal to create a band that redeveloped the genre of rock operas, combining elements from various classic rock bands to develop a unique concert experience. Bands such as The Who, key developers of the rock opera, provide a major influence for how the Trans-Siberian Orchestra shares a story through its performance. Queen and Emerson, Lake & Palmer also influenced the group’s classical and rock combination, with theatrics and a light show inspired by Pink Floyd.
Lighting up
The light show is a key aspect to the overall Trans-Siberian Orchestra experience. With two full stages, the production requires much more lighting equipment than a typical rock concert, allowing for an impressive concert-going experience. According to O’Neill “Basically, every special effect company, every [pyrotechnics] company knows that if they come up with a really great special effect that’s insanely expensive, there’s one band dumb enough to buy it, and that’s us.”
Apparently the investment is worth it, because the band has sold over $280 million in concert tickets and more than 10 million albums. This year’s tour will be the first time their album, The Christmas Attic, is performed live. The album tells the story of a child who discovers treasures in an old attic. She finds a trunk with letters from years ago that provides glimpses of holidays past and hope for the future. According O’Neill, “like all my rock operas, it has a happy ending. If you want sad endings you don’t need me. Just read the paper.”
O’Neill’s hope is to create a show where people leave their troubles at the door. “Basically, that’s the job of the arts… to inspire people, give people escape when they need it, help them calm down when they need calming down, get them excited when they need to get excited… People need escapism, and so we just wanted to give them a great escape story.”
For tickets, visit ticketmaster.com, call Ticketmaster Charge By Phone at 800-745-3000, or visit The Huntington Center to buy in person. Tickets from $32. Performances at 4pm and 8pm on Wednesday, November 19.
