TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – MOHEGAN SUN ARENA

The East Coast production of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays the Mohegan Sun Arena on November 26th.

I’m not one big on holiday pageantry. My parents used to take me to see the Disney On Ice shows at Madison Square Garden during Christmas when I was a child but even then I was always bored. I’ve kind of kept away from catching the Trans-Siberian Orchestra‘s holiday shows (or should I say spectaculars) at the Mohegan Sun Arena up to now but at the urging of my wife and friends, I totally succumbed. I did want to see how Joel Hoekstra fit into the mix. He’s an incredible guitarist and we have featured him in a prior post. In addition, I love Mohegan Sun. I can be a degenerate gambler when the moment hits.

The night started out great. Our seats were top notch. Right off of stage left. This production was entitled The Ghosts of Christmas Eve and the storyline was whimsical and enchanting. The staging and sets were all amazing. Tons of changing scenery and dynamic lighting. The musicians and singers had plenty of room to maneuver around and engage the audience. The accompanying visuals enhanced the entire production.

As to the musicianship, all can I say is wow. Joel Hoekstra and Chris Caffery on guitars delivered brazen riffs and sonic solos. They complimented each other well. Music director and keyboardist, Derek Wieland kept the entire show flowing with acute precision. Tony Dickerson on bass had a dynamic demeanor. At one point in the show, he ran into the audience to wild applause. Jeff Plate on drums was killer while violinist Roddy Chong flew around like a whirling dervish. Bryan Hicks as the narrator had a voice that fit the storyline to a tee.

The singers were just as talented. Caleb Johnson (of American Idol fame) was just one of the marvelous troubadours. Other males vocalists included John Brink and Russell Allen. On the female side, vocalist Mackenzie Meadows’ solo was ferociously ambitious. Gabbie Rae and Georgia Napolitano were a couple of the other female crooners. Beside all of the singers contributing to the chorus, many had vibrant solos. Each song came with divine cinematic effects.

The music was elevated and lofty. Christmas favorites like “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “O Holy NIght” segued into exuberant renditions of “Good King Joy” and “Christmas Dreams”. The first half of the show was dedicated to the The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve theme line while the second half was billed as the Best Of TSO with the ensemble playing favorites from productions past. Highlights included “Wizards in Winter” and “Christmas Nights In Blue”.

The true star of TSO is definitely the wild visuals, props and impressive pyro. At any moment, something beautifully audacious popped up somewhere on stage. Huge nutcrackers adorned the dias at certain points. The singers and musicians ran on a ramp directly above the audience. The most adventurous prop was a huge snowglobe that emerged above the soundboard in the rear of the arena with one of the vocalists inside singing and dancing to the crowd’s delight.

All in all, this was a wonderful evening of Christmas cheer and we actually broke even gambling which was another plus.

EAST COAST TSO MUSICIANS AND SINGERS
Chris Caffery – Guitar
Joel Hoekstra – Guitar
Derek Wieland – Keyboards, music director
Mee Eun Kim – Keyboards
Tony Dickinson – Bass
Jeff Plate – Drums
Roddy Chong – Violin
Bryan Hicks – Narrator
Caleb Johnson – Vocals
John Brink – Vocals
Robin Borneman – Vocals
Russell Allen – Vocals
Zachary “Zak” Stevens – Vocals
Gabbie Rae – Vocals
Gabriela Gunčíková – Vocals
Georgia Napolitano – Vocals
Kayla Reeves – Vocals
Mackenzie Meadows – Vocals
Natalya Rose Piette – Vocals

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