Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Christmas Eve & Other Stories” Illustrated Book

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s best selling rock opera, enjoyed as a musical performance and album by millions, is now a beautifully illustrated book.

With 78 pages, the book reveals the now classic story, through 31 powerfully moving paintings and exquisitely designed pages of the poetry and lyrics. Beautifully bound, on parchment style acid free paper, “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” is lovingly crafted as a book to engage the imagination of readers of all ages.

About the Author

Hot on the heels of their most successful year ever, the collective musical brain trust called Trans-Siberian Orchestra, have gone into high gear for 2002.

Paul O’Neill, along with Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva, head up TSO. And, with the recording of their two new albums, two simultaneous Christmas tours, a PBS Holiday special, the DVD release and plans for a premiere of the long awaited “Beethoven’s Last Night” tour, it’s a wonder O’Neill has time do his Christmas shopping!

Dubbed a “21st Century Renaissance Man,” O’Neill comments, “Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an all star team of talent, gathered from the worlds of rock, classical, blues and Broadway music. This cross-pollination of talent is responsible for bringing our fans TSO’s brand of creative and imaginatively staged rock opera.”

Last year’s critically acclaimed, record-breaking East and West coast-based touring companies, sold out 42 out of 65 nights across the nation – with an unprecedented eight advance sell out performances in Cleveland and Akron markets alone!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s chart-topping box office figures continue to place it in the Top 5 Live Holiday Entertainment attractions in the United States.

For the first time ever, this year’s TSO phenomenon will have more than a quarter of its tour dates moving up to arena size venues to accommodate the increasing demand during the limited, six-week holiday period from November 22nd through December 30.

Another first will be the national broadcast of TSO’s holiday TV special “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” co-starring Ossie Davis, Jewel and Michael Crawford as a major holiday fund raising event for PBS stations across the land as well as it’s release on DVD / Home Video.

Says manager / producer David Krebs. “Last year’s airing on PBS in Cleveland had an amazing audience reaction and it became a top fund raising event for the year. This special is destined to become a holiday classic.”

The live show centers on Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s critically acclaimed “Christmas Eve & Other Stories” (Lava/Atlantic), with story and lyrics written by Paul O’Neill and music by O’Neill and longtime creative partners Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva. This tale within a tale begins on Christmas Eve, when a lonely young man is visited by a stranger who tells a mysterious story…of an angel sent to Earth at Christmas and a lost child, helped by the kindness of strangers. A tale of faith, of the enduring human spirit and the power of Christmas magic, it is revealed through poetry and song lyrics and dramatic illustrations.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, whose exhilarating and compelling performances now attract fans from the age of 7 to 70, took the country by storm beginning in 1999, touring in support of their two holiday releases “Christmas Eve & Other Stories” and “The Christmas Attic” (Lava/Atlantic).

“Christmas has always evoked the most powerful emotions and passions in people,” says O’Neill, adding, “It’s those emotions that draws people together, and it’s this sort of music that serves as a conduit for the magic and spirit of the holidays.”

Previous tours have been heralded by fans and critics alike and defined Trans-Siberian Orchestra as the next generation of rock opera. It has been called “timeless…following in the vein of the now-classic Tommy and Jesus Christ Superstar.” TSO has managed to capitalize on its fluid line up – built around the creative studio forces of O’Neill, Jon Oliva and Robert Kinkel – adding additional charismatic musicians and singers as needed.

Plans are underway for TSO to debut their newest rock opera, “Beethoven’s Last Night” (Lava/Atlantic). Thei first non-holiday tour will again be a full scale, musical production, bringing together the stirring elegance of a classical orchestra along with the power and fury of a hard rock band surrounded by stunning lighting.

“Beethoven’s music is a wonderful inspiration,” says O’Neill. “I believe that anything that

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Product Details

Hardcover: 78 pages
Publisher: Northway Press (November 1, 2002)
ISBN: 0972610804
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Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,906 in Books
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