The holidays rock a whole lot harder than they ever have thanks to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. By infusing seasonal classics with rock flamboyance, a symphonic sense of scope, and an eye-popping visual presentation complete with lasers and pyrotechnics, what began as a side project for a veteran group of American hard rockers has grown into one of today's top-selling acts, with over 10 million concert tickets sold since 1999.
Now, to celebrate the band's 20th year on the road, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is mounting an all-new production of the show that first turned them into an arena-rock phenomenon. First performed in 1999 and recorded for a TV special – which became just as much of a holiday staple as ‘The Sound of Music' – ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Eve' was conceived by Paul O'Neill, TSO's original mastermind. A veteran producer for acts like Aerosmith and Savatage, O'Neill was inspired by the rock operas of The Who and the grandly theatrical concerts of Pink Floyd to create something that was even more spectacular. Together with Savatage members Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkel, and Al Pitrelli, O'Neill developed a unique project that married the spirit of the season with all the exhilarating sounds, operatic grandeur, and visual bravura that fans had come to expect of rock gods. After the massive success of TSO's first two albums, ‘Christmas Eve and Other Stories' and ‘The Christmas Attic,' O'Neill and his team took it on the road (and TV screens) with similarly blockbuster results.
Though TSO's repertoire would extend far beyond holiday songs to encompass the greats of classical music on ‘Beethoven's Last Night' and O'Neill's own original rock operas like ‘Night Castle,' their thrilling and highly singular take on seasonal music remains their trademark. Tragically, O'Neill's passing in 2017 robbed the music world of a true visionary. But his team of friends and collaborators in the Trans-Siberian Orchestra honor his legacy with a new production of ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Past' that both preserves and revitalizes a landmark merger of music, theatrics, storytelling, and seasonal cheer that yielded an international phenomenon.
