Trans-Siberian Orchestra “GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE” PPL Center, Allentown, PA

By Josie Janci

A Christmas miracle. That is a phrase used by many groups for many different things all around the globe. Christians refer to the birth of Jesus as their Christmas miracle, children refer to Santa Claus as their Christmas miracle, and we music lovers can refer to the Trans-Siberian orchestra as our Christmas miracle!

Formed in 1993 by the late Paul O’Neill, transsiberian orchestra can be described as a hard rock band with classical influences. Since 1999 they have been entertaining arena crowds with their spectacular Christmas rock opera. The combination of the rock’n’roll guitars, the effervescent vocals, the phenomenal stage show, world class laser light show and pyrotechnics, all come together for a spectacular piece of performance art suitable for music aficionados of all ages!

The show begins with a spectacular opening of a silhouette of performers, complex stage setups, dozens of projection screens, and an explosion of laser lights. We are then introduced to the musicians who seem few compared to the depth of the music you hear. A couple guitars, a high energy electric violinist, some keyboards and a great drum kit is all that is needed to fill this arena with spectacular sound. Oh I’m sorry I forgot their counterpart – 10 of the most amazing vocalists I’ve ever heard.

The five male and five female vocalists were absolutely mesmerizing. They sang both in groups and individually; harmonizing perfectly with each other and showcasing both their range and pitch throughout the evening. The show is set up so that each person was able to either do a solo or duet in order to individually present their talents. they were flawless and I would be hard pressed to choose my favorite-rest assured it was an absolute aural sculpture.

Since TSO performs Christmas music, the window for them to have a live performance is rather small . Generally, they’ll perform in November and December. Billboard magazine has them listed as one of the top ten highest ticket selling bands and seeing that they only have stage shows a few months out of the year, makes that quite an achievement. Because they love their fans, they have 2 daily performances when possible. In fact the night that we went, we saw the second of two shows for the day and you would never guess that just two hours before they were finishing up a 2 1/2 hour performance.

The show was filled with energy from start to finish. At any given time your senses will be stimulated by either moving catwalks, rotating platforms , high energy performers, and a laser light show that is second to none. How do you finish up a show like that? Well, you bring in the pyrotechnics of course! After introducing all the band members, vocalists, stagehands, creators, etc., TSO finished the evening with a magnificent showcase of sights and sounds complete with laser lights, synchronized effects on the 2 \dozen projection screens, Pyrotechnics that heated up the arena, two ascending catwalks, and some rotating platforms…all the grandeur reserved for a Christmas miracle.