Music, Movement and Magic
Celebrating the holiday season with the arts in Kentucky

HOW do you celebrate the holidays in Kentucky? Let us count the ways: A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Messiah, to name a few. The holiday season is always filled with timeless tales and magical moments. From the traditional to the fantastic, whatever your heart craves at Christmas, surely there is a performance in Kentucky that will bring joy to your holiday season.

From Louisville to Lexington, The Nutcracker will be performed for appreciative audiences by the Lexington Ballet Company Dec. 10-12 at the Lexington Opera House; the Lake Cumberland Performing Arts Dec. 2 at Center Theatre in Somerset; Star Theater in Russell Springs Dec. 4-12 and the Louisville Ballet Dec. 11-23 at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

A Christmas Carol will be brought to you by the Lexington Children's Theatre Dec. 19; Playhouse in the Park in Murray Dec. 2-18; Actors Theatre of Louisville through Dec. 23; and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Dec. 3-30. In addition, Transylvania University Theater will present a reading of A Christmas Carol Dec. 10 in the Carrick Theater and the Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association will present Mr. Scrooge Dec. 2-11 at Woodford County High School.

Amahl & the Night Visitors will be performed this holiday season by the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati Dec. 3-5 at the Taft Theatre and the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre Dec. 3-12 at Lexington Central Library Theatre.

Those who look love Handel's Messiah can enjoy both a performance and singalong this season. The Lexington Philharmonic and Lexington Singers will present the Messiah Dec. 10 at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center and Eastern Kentucky University will present The Messiah Dec. 12 in Brock Auditorium. In addition, the Hazard Community College Civic Chorus will hold a Messiah Community Sing-along Dec. 12 at Bowman Memorial United Methodist Church.

A smorgasboard of activity

There will be plenty of other holiday events, from the stage to the art gallery, offered throughout the state.

Asbury College will present Sarah Wesley's Christmas Tree Dec. 3-4 at Doddridge-Holland Theater.

West T. Hill Community Theatre in Danville will perform The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever Dec. 3-12.

Actors Theatre of Louisville will enact A Tuna Christmas through Dec. 23.

The Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg will present a Kentucky Opry Christmas Show through Dec. 19.

The Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington will perform A Piano Christmas Dec. 12.

Eastern Kentucky University will give A Holiday Concert in Song and Dance Dec. 8-9 in Brock Auditorium.

Asbury College will present the Festival of Christmas Music Dec. 12 in Hughes Auditorium.

Campbellsville University Chorus will perform Vivaldi's Gloria.

The Appalachian Regional Chorale will share Christmas Joy Dec. 4 at New Hope Christian Center.

The Montgomery County Council for the Arts will present Advent Musicale Dec. 5.

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra will perform a Holiday Spectacular with the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers Dec. 10-12.

The Central Kentucky Youth Chorus will give its winter concert Dec. 12 at Central Christian Church in Lexington.

The Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra will hold its annual Holiday Benefit Concert Dec. 12 at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center.

The Lexington Brass Band will present ‘Tis the Season Dec. 5 at Calvary Baptist Church.

The Lexington Chamber Chorale will perform Nine Pipers Piping at Women's Club of Central Kentucky.

The Lexington Men's Chorus will present Home for the Holidays at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center.

The Lexington Philharmonic will give a Candy Cane Concert Dec. 19 at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center.

The Lexington Philharmonic and Lexington Singers will present the Kentucky Christmas Chorus at Rupp Arena Dec. 14.

The Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington will hold Undecorate the Tree, Christmas ornaments made by local artists.

The Tower Cerlan Gallery in Lexington will hold a Holiday Invitational Dec. 8-22.

The Speed Art Museum will present a Holiday Tree exhibit through Dec. 31 featuring dolls from Speed's permanent collection.

Whatever your fancy, Kentucky offers a feast for the senses during the holiday season.

Deanna Mascle is a staff writer for The Lane Report.

Back to Spotlight on the Arts Index

Back to December Issue

Copyright 1996-98, by Kentucky Business Online, LLC.  All rights reserved.

Editorial content is copyright 1998, Lane Communications Group
All editorial materials is fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without prior permission. 

Buzzword and the Buzzword balloon are registered trademarks of Buzzword, Inc.  The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.