‘The Christmas Revels: A 50th Anniversary (Virtual) Celebration’ – Written & Directed by Patrick Swanson; Musical Direction by George Emlen; Set Design by Andy Barnett; Sound Design by Kem Stewart; Costume Design by Heidi A. Hermiller; Video Production by Michael Kolowich; Virtual Chorus Effects by Sid Levin. Presented virtually by Revels through December 31st.
by Mike Hoban
In any other year, the setting would have been perfect. The snow fell (and stopped) just in time for the Revels, adorning the grounds of the Sanders Theater with a pristine blanket of white. Any other of the previous 49 years, audiences would stream in, maybe stomp the snow from their boots in the magnificent Memorial Transept that serves as a vestibule for the theater, and possibly order a hot chocolate or glass of wine to prepare for their journey to another culture for a celebration of the Winter Solstice. But this is the Year of COVID, and human interaction with those outside our immediate circles is now largely hidden behind masks or reserved for the internet, where the intimacy and energy of live theater lives only in our memories. And the Revels – in addition to being an antidote to traditional holiday fare – has always been a deeply felt communal experience, with the audience playing as large a role as any individual performer.
So how does the Revels fare as it transitions to a virtual experience?
Read more “Christmas Revels (Virtually) Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New Faces, Classic Clips”