Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Photos & Story by: Kimberly Kanuck



Photos & Story by: Kimberly Kanuck

I finally had the pleasure of experiencing a magical performance of Trans-Siberian Orchestra this Saturday night at PPL Center in Allentown. TSO made a stop here on their 2018 Winter Tour, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” featuring “The Best of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.” To be honest, I really just wanted to see the light show, but what I got was much more than I expected. To start the show, members of TSO came on stage to present a check to a local charity, Keystone Military Families. TSO donates a portion of all ticket sales for each show to local charities. That really impressed me about them and I believe the audience gained instant respect for the band. The other fun fact that I learned was that the orchestra is comprised of local musicians at the different stops along the tour. What an honor it must be for these talented local musicians to be chosen to perform with TSO!

The first half of the show featured “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve.” This performance was created by TSO founder Paul O’Neill. Each song and the narration is a progression of the story of a runaway girl who finds herself entering an abandoned theater and eventually is inspired to return back to her family. In TSO tradition, there are amazing solo performances, light shows, and pyrotechnics along the way.

The second half of the show features the very best of TSO performances. There were so many superb songs that it’s hard to pick a favorite. Some of the songs that stand out are “Carmina Burana,”  “Requiem (The Fifth),” and the bluesy/rock/gospel song “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/The Three Kings &I.”  But my all time favorite would have to be their famous “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24).” This was the one song I really want to hear and they exceeded expectations.

Overall, this was an amazing show. It really puts you in the holiday spirit and I can see why attending their shows has become a yearly holiday tradition for many. When I reflect on the show, I think of wailing guitars, precise violins, beautiful singing, hard rock music, mesmerizing lights, outstanding pyrotechnics, moving and elevated platforms wowing the crowd, and heartfelt passion for the music by the performers, all wrapped in a Christmas theme. I highly recommend adding this to your list of shows to see during the holidays.

The Winter Tour began November 14th, with 65 dates scheduled into December. For more information, please visit: https://www.trans-siberian.com/index/home. For more exciting shows at PPL Center, please visit: http://www.pplcenter.com/