USA TODAY: Trans-Siberian Orchestra sets winter tour
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will take its The Ghosts of Christmas Eve rock opera on the road for the first time this year, playing 100 shows in 60 cities between Nov. 18 and Dec. 30.
Originally produced as a TV movie for Fox Family in 1999, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve relates the story of a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on Christmas Eve. The work includes musical highlights from the progressive-rock troupe’s three previous Christmas-themed rock operas,Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve.
“It was only supposed to be played once on TV; it has been played every year since,” says TSO founder Paul O’Neill. “It was never supposed to be released as a DVD; it went double platinum.
“We decided this year, let’s bring it live, take it to a whole other level, give the audience something different. Obviously, we’re going to bring out all sorts of new toys and special effects. We’re also going to be showcasing the album that’s going to be coming out this fall, Letters From the Labyrinth.”
TSO’s annual Christmas tours, which have run for nearly 20 years, are known for their extravagant lighting and pyrotechnic displays. In 2000, the group split into two companies, one touring arenas in the eastern half of the U.S., the other taking the western side.
At the time, O’Neil says, “I was afraid the fans would not get it. But we wanted everyone to be able to see the rock opera during the holiday season. We lucked out. The fans understood what we were doing, and it has become a tradition ever since.”
Last year’s winter tour played to nearly a million fans, grossing $51 million in 52 days.
“We’re always trying to break down the wall between the stage and the audience so the audience feels like they’re part of the show,” O’Neil says. Past productions have featured stages at opposite ends of arenas, catwalks descending from ceilings and robotic arms that rise from the stage to transport musicians toward the audiences. For this year’s tour, O’Neill says, “We have about five new things we’re testing right now, but I’m afraid to commit to them, because once we say them, we have to do them.”
Tickets will go on sale to the group’s fan club Sept. 9, with the public on-sale date following nine days later.
Letters From the Labyrinth, due Oct. 30, is the group’s first album of new music since 2009 and one of three large pieces he has had in the works for the past few years. Even though it’s set to be released in less than three months, O’Neill says, “The story keeps shifting. I haven’t finished it yet.” He says he’ll make final decisions about the album’s presentation in the next several days. “I have the decision of whether to present it as a rock opera or to make it our first regular album.”
November
18 – Erie Insurance Arena, Erie, Pa.
18 – Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa
19 – Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, W.V.
19 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa
20 – Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
21 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.
21 – Pepsi Center, Denver
22 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
22 – World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo.
24 – EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
25 – Santander Arena, Reading, Pa.
27 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
27 – Spokane WA
Spokane Arena, Spokane, Wash.
28 – Verizon Wireless Center, Manchester, N.H.
28 – KeyArena, Seattle
29 – XL Center, Hartford, Conn.
29 – Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
December
02 – KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky.
02 – Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, Calif.
03 – Allen County War Memorial, Ft. Wayne, Ind.
03 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
04 – US Bank Arena, Cincinnati
04 – Valley View Casino Center, San Diego
05 – Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
05 – Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario
06 – Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.
06 – Gila River Arena, Phoenix
09 – Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Va.
09 – Frank Erwin Center, Austin
10 – Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
10 – Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
11 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
11 – Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Fla.
12 – Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
12 – Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.
13 – Times Union Center, Albany, N.Y.
13 – Amalie Arena, Tampa
16 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.
16 – Gwinnett Center, Atlanta
17 – TD Garden, Boston
17 – North Little Rock Verizon Arena, Little Rock, Ark.
18 – Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.
18 – Toyota Center, Houston
19 – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
19 – AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
20 – First Niagra Center, Buffalo, N.Y.
20 – American Airlines Center, Dallas
22 – Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa
22 – InTrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kan.
23 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto
23 – Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City
26 – Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
26 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
27 – Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
27 – Scottrade Center, St. Louis
28 – Allstate Arena, Chicago
29 – The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit
30 – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
30 – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.