Forget the tradition of Christmas ice shows and the Nutcracker each year and start a new one by stepping into the world of Trans-Siberian Orchestra instead; one of the most magical and joyous holiday experiences you could ever imagine.

For the first time ever, TSO are performing The Christmas Attic, the second instalment of their Christmas Trilogy. It is the story of a young girl exploring the attic in an old house on Christmas Eve who finds an old chest filled with a selection of toys, trinkets and old letters. Each of the old letters takes you on a different adventure  full of emotion and which, in the end, leaves you filled with hope, joy and the spirit of Christmas.

 

 

The packed house at the Air Canada Centre was a mix of young and old; families who celebrate together each time TSO are in town and those experiencing them for the first time. From the moment the narrator stepped onto the stage to tell the story and the old chest began to open up revealing a large screen, the drum kit and string section, there was magic in the air.

With so many performers involved it was hard to keep track of the exact number, but it was easy to estimate that at times there were close to twenty gracing the stage at once. The vocal group is a selection of some of the strongest voices in music and theatre, each so invested in delivering their message, it is hard not to feel the emotion and get wrapped up in the story.

Musically when you add members of the Toronto Symphony to a tight band including the likes of Chris Caffery (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Dave Z (bass),  Roddy Chong (violin) and Jeff Plate (drums), every single note is not only heard but felt. On a tour of 64 shows, it is amazing to see the level of energy and passion put into each performance.

 

 

All that before even beginning to describe one of the biggest and best stage productions around. The story is enhanced with moveable screens, HD video projection, 3D animations, thousands of LED lights and impressive laser and pyro. Tie all the elements together and the audience quickly is whisked away and lose themselves for a while; from the candle lit attic to star lit universes, being visited by a dragon, sitting inside an old cathedral or hurtling through the snow covered landscape on a train.

It can easily be said that TSO rank up there with the likes of Pink Floyd, RUSH, and U2 for production value. On a number of occasions band members were lifted high above the crowd on a rotating tower located at the sound board or stretched out 30 rows from the stage on far reaching platforms. With the wow factor in full force impressing both young and old, for many of the little ones in the crowd even fireworks and flames could not beat the indoor snow storm which occurred during 'Appalachian Snowfall'. Nothing is more magical and pure than the look of wonderment in the eyes of a child, and the grinning little faces among the crowd would put a smile on anyone's face no matter how bad their day may have been.

 

 

At the completion of 'The Christmas Attic', Chris Caffery took the time to introduce everyone on stage and offered a genuine heartfelt thanks to the fans. With a, “Let's jam,” they jumped into favourites 'Christmas Jam', 'Wizards In Winter' and 'Sparks' among others, before ending with 'Requiem (The Fifth)' an ode to Beethoven and 'Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)'.   

For over two and a half hours, Trans-Siberian Orchestra delivered a full on musical experience. Their flying V guitars shredding through the set while infusing the classics in homage to the master composers. TSO were once described as 'The Who meets Phantom of the Opera with Pink Floyd's lights on steroids'; a pretty good description of what to expect from one of their shows. Just add in a bit of Christmas cheer, a dash of hope and a whole lot of goodness.