The 24th Annual Christmas Revels December 12, 2009

California Revels presents:
The Christmas Revels
A Theatrical Celebration of the Winter Solstice with the music, dance and folklore from 19th-century Bavaria

Tickets: $12 - $50 general; special discounts on balcony seats for opening night - Friday, Dec. 11 @ 7:30pm and Sunday, Dec. 13 @ 5pm: side balconies are $12; and the Center balcony is $19

Box Office: (510) 452-8800 and calrevels@calrevels.org

Celebrate the holidays with family and friends at the 24th annual Christmas Revels, a beloved Bay Area holiday tradition. This year’s homage to the frosty season will feature music, dance and folklore from 19th century Bavaria as California Revels explores the very roots of modern Christmas, with song, dance, storytelling, and the blessings of children and laughter.

The talented ensemble of more than 70 performers includes Revels’ Artistic Associates, Shira Kammen on fiddle and song-leader Wendell Brooks along with an adult chorus and children’s chorus, the Revels Brass Ensemble and the Golden Ring Morris Men. Sankt Nikolaus (Robert Sicular) and his sometimes alarming and always-unpredictable helper Knecht Rupprecht (James Galileo) are sure to make an appearance, and of course the audience also gets into the act!

One doesn’t just “go to” the Revels; they participate throughout the entire performance! Each year, Revelers of all ages come together to sing 3-part carols and rounds, enjoy grand chorale works, Morris dancing, a German Sussex Mummers play and more – and then dance out into the lobby with the cast for The Lord of the Dance, Revels’ signature piece and a highpoint of every performance.

The California Revels have brought since 1986 the unique theatrical, participatory arts-form founded by singer, author and music educator John Langstaff in Cambridge, Massachusetts to the audiences of the Bay Area. Crossing religious and ethnic boundaries and appealing to young and old alike, Revels blends traditional music, dance, ritual and folk plays, presented by a large volunteer chorus of children and adults drawn from the community, and a number of highly talented professional actors, musicians, artists, directors, and “bearers of tradition” from many cultures. It is a winning combination that is personally uplifting and theatrically engaging – the critically-acclaimed Christmas Revels has been named among the “Top 10 Theater Events of the Year”.

Official Website: http://www.californiarevels.org