TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA'S WINTER TOUR 2024 — THE FINAL CHAPTER OF TSO’S CHRISTMAS TRILOGY WITH AN ALL-NEW VERSION OF "THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE."
NOVEMBER 30—ANAHEIM
The multi-platinum rock group, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), kicked off their 2024 monumental winter tour on November 13th, marking a triple celebration: 20 years of their beloved rock opera "The Lost Christmas Eve," reaching their 20 millionth concertgoer, and surpassing a phenomenal $20 million donated to charity, a testament to their ongoing commitment to philanthropy and remaining true to the vision of their late founder, Paul O’Neill.
This generosity is fueled on each stop of the 110-performance, 66-city tour by a local concert promoter or radio station, who supports their tradition of donating at least $1 from every ticket sold to a local arts programs, food bank or other charity.
And, this past Saturday, true to form, Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s performance at The Honda Center, Anaheim, featured fans turning out en masse to witness an electrifying spectacle packed with pyrotechnics, lasers, and the incredible storytelling synonymous with TSO’s celebrated fame.
TSO's long-time music director and lead guitarist, Al Pitrelli: “When I was working on “The Lost Christmas Eve” with Paul O'Neill, we talked a lot about time. He said that losing money or things wasn't as bad as losing time. Material losses can be recovered, but you can never get time back. That's why he always thought it was never too late to change. Never too late for forgiveness. People can make things right, forgive each other, and reconnect. 'The Lost Christmas Eve' is about that hope: it's never too late for any of us."
It's an imaginative story that resonates with people deeply over the holiday season. Alone on Christmas Eve, a bitter old businessman wanders New York City. Once a rising star, he’s traded love, family, and joy for a life of solitude and regret. The tragic loss of his wife has also hardened his heart, pushing him away from his infant son and into decades of isolation. Then, a chance encounter with a mysterious girl leads him to a life-altering reconnection. His son, who he abandoned decades ago, was indeed alive, a gentle soul caring for troubled newborns in a maternity ward. After seeking him out, the son gives a silent, forgiving gaze to his long-lost father, and as they sit together, comforting innocent infants, a new, reunited life begins again.
The show is split into two halves. The musical numbers include favorites like “Noel,” “The Lost Christmas Eve,” “Christmas Jam Siberian Sleigh Ride,” “What is Christmas,” “Wish List,” “What Child is This?” all presented in a Broadway style. There is an elaborate array of lights, lasers, torches and screens, images of cathedrals, churches, lightning bolts, fire and, of course, nutcrackers that march, helping to set the scene and be swept away by the story being told.
Upping the video quotient with five large screens looming above the stage and the band’s two risers that lift performers above the audience, projections sent the audience flying high above, through a snowy city to set the stage for the performance which seems even more expansive than before. The second hour is an extended concert from their hard-rocking, holiday-themed group’s landmark albums, including, “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” the 3x certified platinum album that launched the group to superstardom and spawned the bring-the-whole-family rock holiday tradition that has now played to millions of fans all across the nation. That, of course, includes TSO’s trademark song, “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24),” featuring a massive light show, lasers and pyrotechnics all in sync with the music.
This musical locomotive – a gloriously grandiose combination of classical music, hair metal and holiday feels – has already owned the road for about a quarter century. But even with TSO’s immense popularity, questions persist from interested fans, from the meaning of the group's name to their most popular songs.
According to Mr. Pitrelli, TSO spawned from Savatage in the mid-90’s, a progressive metal band. The group featured Johnny Lee Middleton on bass, Chris Caffrey on guitar, Jeff Plate on drums, and Zak Stevens on vocals. Mr. O'Neill produced and co-wrote with the band and Pitrelli played guitar. Savatage had scored an unlikely hit across multiple radio formats with the stirring guitar blaster “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” prompting O'Neill to spin off Savatage to record an album with a different band name and focus called Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Now, the name is synonymous with Christmas.
Although O'Neill is gone, he still has tremendous influence on the group as a whole. As a New York City native growing up with a wide-ranging world of rock musical influences, O’Neill soaked up sources such as Broadway musicals, Motown and singer-songwriters like Jim Croce and Harry Chapin, while authors such as Oscar Wilde and Robert Graves fueled his literary tastes. He began his career playing guitar for touring productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair,” then went to work in the late '70s for Leber-Krebs Inc., the Manhattan management company whose clients included Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Def Leppard, the Scorpions, the New York Dolls, and scores of others.
O'Neill helmed Aerosmith's Classics albums before beginning a fortuitous relationship with Savatage that led to conceptual pieces such as “Hall of The Mountain King,” “Gutter Ballet,” “Streets: A Rock Opera” and “Dead Winter Dead.” Producing introduced O'Neill to Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkel and Al Pitrelli, as well as reconnecting him with legendary studio engineer Dave Wittman, who all became key original collaborators in O'Neill's grand vision - Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
They took this idea to Atlantic Records which, surprisingly, financed the first installment of the Christmas trilogy, “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” album. Fueled by the socially conscious single "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," the album was certified double platinum. More platinum certifications followed with 1998's “The Christmas Attic,” and the final installment of the Christmas trilogy, “The Lost Christmas Eve” in 2004. In the midst of completing the trilogy, TSO released their first non-holiday rock opera, the gold certified “Beethoven's Last Night.” And in 2009, TSO’s album, “Night Castle,” debuted at#5, and was certified gold by year's end.
TSO’s first tour was only seven cities in 1999, debuting at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. But the popularity of that initial outing prompted O’Neill to staff two touring bands. Since TSO’s performance window is only about seven weeks during the holidays, time is imperative. So now there are two bands divided between the East and West coasts, rehearsing in the early years in New York, and making sure both bands sounded mirror image. “If you go to your favorite steakhouse,” Pitrelli says, “you want exactly what you like every time.”
Although this was a one day only event, if you didn’t get a chance to see TSO on their tour this time, make it down in your calendar. They will be back next year right on schedule. And I’m sure it will be a Christmas extravaganza you will never forget. With two stages, pyro, light and lasers on both sides of the arena, as well as in the crowd, there's simply no second-class seats at any Trans-Siberian Orchestra show.
Chris Daniels
Arts & Entertainment Reviewer
The Show Report
