TSO: Not Just For Christmas Anymore!

On a late night in the spring of 1827 the city of Vienna is experiencing the largest lightning storm in its long history. Within a large disheveled room, Ludwig Von Beethoven is slumped over his piano and on the piano sits the just completed manuscript for his Tenth Symphony. It is his final, and he is certain, his greatest work. As the clock strikes midnight, Mephistopheles appears to collect the great composer’s soul. Looking into the abyss of eternity Beethoven is horrified but the devil has an offer and the bargaining begins…

So begins TSO’s inaugural performance of “Beethoven’s Last Night” in its entirety. TSO will be debuting songs that have never been performed live. Having just been named one of Billboard’s “Top 25 Touring Artists of the Decade” and coming off their massively successful Winter Tour, which played to over 1.2 million fans, TSO is not wasting any time and is gearing back up for the road. Bringing it back to where it all started, TSO is taking this engagement out on a limited 31 city run performing for the first time in years in an intimate theatre setting.

The legions who have come to enjoy their symphonic rock take on the classics will be thrilled to hear live this historic fictional tale of Beethoven’s last night on Earth. Combining 50% what happened with 50% of what might have happened, the story revolves around the tough choices the composer has to make with what will be his life’s legacy.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra creator, Paul O’Neill, who cites Beethoven as one of his greatest musical influences explains, “Beethoven was the world’s first heavy metal musician. The main theme in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony could easily have been written by Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. Later on, I discovered how he overcame the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of deafness, lead poisoning and manic depression to compose some of the most timeless music ever created. The fact that he himself would never be able to hear any of these compositions is in and of itself a mesmerizing story. Weave into that tale such characters as Mozart and the royal family of the Hapsburg Empire, all individuals that Beethoven knew personally, you have the basis of a story with limitless twists and turns. A story as riveting and relevant today as it was when it occurred three centuries ago.”

For the second half of the show, TSO will be playing selections from their recently released double album “Night Castle,” featuring the new single, “Believe.” Night Castle bowed at #5 on Billboard’s “Top 200” chart and was certified gold in less than 8 weeks. The response to “Night Castle” has been overwhelming with glowing reviews like:

“The vocals mix perfectly with the music’s throbbing percussion and guitars… “Night Castle” is a classic rock soundtrack that mixes real life heroism and history into a rock opera that is truly magical.”-The Washington Post

“It’s often the case that double albums feature only really one good album’s worth of songs, but ‘Night Castle’ is a definite exception to that rule.”-The News-Star

With “Night Castle” released and the “Beethoven’s Last Night” tour up and running, fans of TSO can expect the band to try and find more ways to push the emotional impact of their recordings and live performances further. O’Neill says “we always try to stay cutting edge and one step ahead of our fans’ expectations, trying to make the impossible possible and the yet unimagined real.”

For additional information, please visit www.trans-siberian.com

(Tour Itinerary Attached)

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Spring Tour 2010

MARCH

25 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre 7:30pm

26 Akron, OH EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 8:00pm

27 Cleveland, OH Playhouse Square Center 3:00pm & 8:00pm

28 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre 7:30pm

31 Providence, RI Providence Performing Arts Center 7:30pm

APRIL

1 Boston, MA Wang Center for the Performing Arts 7:30pm