Last night, Trans-Siberian Orchestra played a double dose of rock opera at 4 pm and 8 pm at the Huntington Center. The TSO concert marks the first of many opportunities to enjoy events of the holiday season in Toledo.
TSO performed “The Christmas Attic” for the first time ever in concert. “Attic” came out in 1998 and is the second CD in the band’s famous Christmas Trilogy. TSO’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories is the first album in the Christmas trilogy with The Lost Christmas Eve appearing in 2004. On the band’s website, TSO founder Paul O’Neill explains why the band designed a brand new show. “’The Christmas Attic’ is the only rock opera from the trilogy that we have never performed live. The fans have been asking for it for years, so we have finally decided it’s time to put it into the arenas.”
O’Neill made an appearance in the second half of the show. “Thank you Toledo for supporting TSO all of these years,” he told the crowd. Toledo has typically been the starting place for TSO tours, and O’Neill showed his gratitude by donating part of the ticket sales back to the community. Before the concert started, TSO guitarist Chris Caffery with Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell of 101.5 FM presented a check to The Lucas County Children Services Holiday Gift Drive. The county will receive a donation from TSO for over $11,000.
TSO has performed in Toledo a number of times, and each year the band’s concerts typically sellout. In fact, Billboard Magazine has ranked the group as one of the top ten ticket-selling bands. Concerts contain a combination of rock, classical, and opera music which are all performed during one of the best pyrotechnic, light, and laser shows in the business. The group’s ambitious concert tour has over 100 shows planned in the United States.
Besides the annual TSO holiday concert, many other venues will be offering holiday events in the next few weeks. The Toledo Zoo kicks off their annual “Lights Before Christmas” display Nov. 14. This year, many new activities have been added including an ice slide. The Stranahan Theater will host “Christmas Rocks” on Nov. 15. The show mixes the most requested music of the holidays. The concert includes the artistic musical talents of Rick Everitt, The Divas, as well as other soloists and musicians from the area. On Dec. 1, The Oak Ridge Boys perform their Christmas Show. The Oak Ridge Boys sing Christmas favorites as only they can from rollicking Santa songs to heartfelt standards, plus they perform “Elvira” and “Bobby Sue” with many of their other hit songs. Over at the Valentine Theatre, the Ballet Theatre of Toledo will perform “The Nutcracker” on Nov. 28-30. Then on Dec. 5-7, Toledo Repertoire Theatre performs Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”. For full details about these holiday events, check the links included in this article.
