CHRISTMAS CELTIC SOJOURN Returns to Hanover Theatre

A highlight of New England's holiday performance calendar, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn once again returns to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, Monday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale to theatre members and go on sale to the public Monday, August 14 at 10 a.m.

Brian O'Donovan's A Celtic Sojourn has entertained and enlightened radio audiences since 1986. Now celebrating a decade and a half of holiday performances, the Christmas-time live version of the show draws on Celtic, Pagan and Christian traditions to celebrate the music of the season. A Christmas Celtic Sojourn reflects the compelling and diverse offerings of the weekly national WGBH radio program, plus the excitement of a live show featuring the Celtic world's best singers, dancers and musicians.

The 2017 production promises to be one of the chestnuts of the region's holiday offerings. Paula Plum directs for the fifteenth straight year. Music director Seamus Egan of Solas and assistant music director, Maeve Gilchrist from Edinburgh, lead a phenomenal fiddle section that includes 15-year old phenomenon Haley Richardson. In the rhythm section, percussionist Ben Wittman rejoins the cast after a six-year hiatus and Chico Huff returns on bass. Virtuosic Uilleann piper Joey Abarta makes his debut and the show welcomes back extraordinary cellist Natalie Haas.

Mairi Cambell from Scotland performs as featured singer in the 2017 edition of A Christmas Celtic Sojourn. As one of her country's most sought-after singers, Mairi gained fame as the voice for an extraordinary version of the new year classic "Auld Lang Syne" in the movie "Sex and the City!" The four-part vocal harmony group Windborne will also join the show. These wonderful voices combine with those of host Brian O'Donovan, his wife Lindsay, and Maeve Gilchrist, to bring particularly strong choral and harmony singing to this year's show, along with individual performances throughout.

Dance director Kevin Doyle received a national fellowship from the NEA in 2012 and has regularly performed with the show. He will be joined by Lord of the Dance star and choreographer Maureen Berry. The Harney Academy of Irish Dance from Walpole also returns with their special brand of Christmas joy.

Tickets to A Christmas Celtic Sojourn start at $45. Discounts are available to members of The Hanover Theatre, students, children and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available online at TheHanoverTheatre.org, by phone at 877.571.SHOW (7469) or at The Hanover Theatre box office located at 2 Southbridge Street in downtown Worcester.

About The Hanover Theatre

The Hanover Theatre continues to draw over 197,000 patrons annually with world-class performances and headlining acts including Broadway hits ("Les Misérables," "Kinky Boots"), comedians (Dave Chappelle, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld), musical acts (Neil Young, Aretha Franklin, John Legend, Tony Bennett) and everything in between ("A Christmas Carol," Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Alton Brown, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson). POLLSTAR consistently ranks The Hanover Theatre as one of the Top Theatres in the World. After nine seasons, the award-winning, historic theatre continues to establish its place as a world-class performing arts venue, acting as a catalyst for the economic development of downtown Worcester. The Hanover Theatre's recently acquired 551 Main Street houses new function space, offices, rental space for a restaurant on the ground floor and The Hanover Theatre Conservatory for the Performing Arts on the lower level.

Worcester Center for Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts and Conservatory. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.