Ornament comes to Mishler for last show
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Tickets are selling fast for the final on-the-road performance for Ornament, a Trans Siberian Orchestra tribute band that's been wowing local audiences since 2018.
Chris Nunes, Ornament assistant director since 2004 and producer since 2006, promises Altoona fans a night to remember at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Mishler Theatre.
The Boston-area rock orchestra is brought to the area by P&J Productions, composed of Neil Port and Will Jones. About 200 tickets remain until it's sold out, Jones said.
"It's really become a holiday tradition for many people," Jones said. "This is people's last chance to see them. It's been great for the community, for us and for them."
Altoona resident Dean McKnight looks forward to Ornament's performance each holiday season.
"I'm a big fan," he said. "It's very unusual and it gets my attention and brightens the holidays."
Ornament is a musical production complete with a full sound system and a light show consisting of dozens of lights, strobes, lasers, fog machines and snow machines. The 11-member orchestra plays traditional holiday carols and songs set to rock, blues and gospel music and tells the tale of a real Christmas story -- a story of wishes being answered -- and is designed to inspire.
In trying to explain the Ornament experience to someone, McKnight said he described it this way: "Pretend a symphony orchestra and ZZ Top are attending a Christmas party and a lightning bolt hits and everyone is electrified. You get great music in a format you've never heard before. You almost can't describe it. It's so refreshing. I look forward to this concert and the display of expert musicians putting out their best."
"This year's show features a few songs that we haven't done in a long time," said Nunes, during a phone interview with the Mirror. "We've changed up a few traditional songs to the way TSO does them live versus their recordings so we're doing a few songs in that style."
The band enjoys playing at the Mishler.
"It's always been outstanding. From the first time we saw it and played there we knew it was going to be fun. It's a beautiful theater. I'm not sure what it is about central Pennsylvania but they really welcomed a bunch of people from Boston. They embraced us. It's always a great show because it sells out or nearly sells out. It makes the 8.5 hour drive easier to swallow."
Especially when they return to Massachusetts on a Sunday and have day jobs on Monday.
The musicians have been on the road during the holidays doing a dozen shows between November and New Year's for 18 years and have decided this will be their last tour.
"It just seemed like the right time to wrap it all up," Nunes said. Five of the band members are music teachers or work in education and the tours fall during school concert season. All play with other bands and others are involved in the performance arts in addition to full-time day jobs that range from teacher to pharmacy professor to logistics analyst, electrician and house painter.
"We really appreciate everyone -- all those people who have been coming multiple times or if this will be their first time. We appreciate them. We love to do it and we'll give it everything we have," Nunes said.