Scottish Rite Theater (Oakland, CA)
The 22nd annual Christmas Revels is a theatrical celebration of the Winter Solstice as told through the music, drama, dance and traditions of the 19th-century English countryside. This festive pageant revolves around the story of a "Songcatcher" whose purpose is to collect the songs, dances, and village traditions that mark the turning of the year. Comic actor Geoff Hoyle is the special guest artist.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last date listed for The 2007 Christmas Revels was Friday December 14, 2007 / 7:30pm. (view all dates)
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I only wish we could have seen it twice -- it was that good!
Tremendously entertaining, a treat for kids of all ages, and a great way to awaken the Holiday Spirit.
I went with 3 other adults and our kids, as a mom/kid outing. We all (adults and kids) found it dull and lacking in pizzaz and sparkle. One of the moms had been before (in some year past) and remembered it as a fun, lively and appropriate event for children. We were all sorely disappointed and left at intermission. For the kids it was deadly in its boredom. They couldn't understand the "ye olde English-y" style of speach, but worse than that, the dance, action and song were just flat.
Skip it and go to a Nutcracker production, any Nutcracker production (would be better than this)....
Spectacular and unique...an experience to be remembered!
great show - i definitely recommend it!
I loved this show!
My 7 year old daughter and I plan on returning next year. We are also going to find out about their Summer Solstice program.
We highly recommend it. Audience participation, great music, dancing, community feel.
Too lengthy and uneven talent. Geoff Hoyle saved it.
I really enjoyed it, but it was waaaay too long.
ACT I was fabulous, but ACT II got a little slow. The show was perfection with the singing, dancing and storytelling. Lots of fun!
It was a fun time--quite different. The venue was very cold.
Good energetic show; parking a problem though.
a great way to begin the yule season: in song and dance, with warmth and humor!
Fun for the whole family - great entertainment
The Revels had a jam packed agenda with songs & dance & stories. It was a great combo with wonderful costumes. It gets you excited for Christmas.
We have now gone for two years in a row - thanks to Goldstar. It's a family tradition and we all love it! Our 7 year old twins were totally involved through the entire performance. Highly Recommend!
An excellent production. Would have been better with a little editing and three short acts instead of two long ones.
We had a blast in a wash of celebratory holiday music, dance, and merriment. Geoff Hoyle is back, yea! His great stage personality ties the whole thing together. And the seats were terrific. Thanks for the great night out. Our five-year-old would concur!
I loved the show! The performance was great, very fun. There is not a bad seat in the house. Make sure you get a program as there is audience involvement. Our usher did not give us one and we had to wait til intermission. That was a dissapointment.
There was a wonderful spirit of joy throughout the performance.
Great event for the whole family! Lots of beautiful singing, dancing and humor! Highly recommended!
Lively, musical show with English 19th century theme. Enjoyed the pagaentry, costumes and singalongs. We went early and found street parking within 2 blocks.
We always love the Revels but this year was especially wonderful
My husband and both enjoyed the event. It's very much an Englesh event and uses old English so can be difficult to understand but a nice variation for the holidays. Parking is a pain. Most lots were marked monthly only and a very large parking structure closed at 7 pm. Go early and search - also take a flashlight since parking lots can be very dark.
It was interesting, and would be worth seeing again- but it was more of a scholarly appreciation than a real 'joyful' appreciation
I sat in the very back and had some trouble hearing everything
The annual Christmas Revels has been entertaining Bay Area families for more than two decades and is highly regarded to be one of the high points of the holiday calendar! For their 22nd annual season, the Calfornia Revels will journey through the 19th-century English countryside, led by the marvelous comic actor Geoff Hoyle.
This festive pageant revolves around the story of a “Songcatcher” whose purpose is to collect the songs, dances, and village traditions that mark the turning of the year. On his journey, the Songcatcher will encounter a variety of entertaining characters -- from church wardens to farmers, pub keepers, spinsters, and even the itinerant music hall performer. Each personality has a bit of traditional lore to share with him, and with the audience. And as they are every year, the beloved traditions of the Abbots Bromley Stag Horn Dance and the Sussex Mummers Carol will be highlighted in the pageant, and audiences will be invited to dance through the halls singing the traditional “Lord of the Dance” chorus.
Special guest artist Geoff Hoyle has clowned with Cirque du Soleil, The Pickle Family Circus, and Circus Flora. He performed his solos "Feast of Fools" and "The Convict's Return" (commissioned by Berkeley Repertory Theatre) in New York, San Francisco, Paris, London, and the former Soviet Union, and at various regional theatres in the U.S. and England. He has appeared in comic roles at the Berkeley Rep, ACT, Eureka Theatre, American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Arena Stage, and La Jolla Playhouse. He received five NEA grants and an ArtsLink grant to visit circuses in Latvia and Russia. He created the role of Zazu (Drama Desk nomination: Best Featured Actor in a Musical) in the original Broadway cast of The Lion King, and this year wrote and performed The First Hundred Years for the Berkeley Rep and the Arizona Theatre Company, performed the role of Vladimir in Waiting for Godot for Stanford Summer Theatre, and appeared in The Green Bird with Theatre de La Jeune Lune at Berkeley Rep.
California Revels promotes the celebratory and community-building power of the performing arts, pioneering a unique form of music theater that draws on diverse cultures and ritual traditions to embrace an audience of many ages and varied backgrounds. Each December since 1986, California Revels has produced "The Christmas Revels; A Theatrical Celebration of the Winter Solstice" at the Scottish Rite Theater in Oakland. Revels blends music, dance, ritual and drama, presented by a cadre of professional performers, designers and directors. With tradition bearers from every culture and a volunteer chorus of adults and children drawn from the community, Revels inspries a magical quality of audience engagement.