Arts Boston Teams Up with MBTA For Pop-Up Performances to Kick-Start Holiday Cheer, Beg. 11/22

Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, ArtsBoston and Mayor Tom Menino invite you to kick-start your holiday cheer with some live entertainment as part of your evening commute. Starting promptly at 4:30pm on Friday, November 22, 2013, eight (8) MBTA stations will come alive with concurrent in-station performances lasting no more than 10 minutes by some of city's most Popular Productions this holiday season.

The events are presented by ArtsBoston, The City of Boston and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, in special partnership with the MBTA.

Beginning Friday, November 22, 4:30pm at MBTA Stations on the Red, Orange and Green Lines including:

- South Station - 2 locations (red line)
- Harvard Sq (red line)
- Kenmore (green line)
- Downtown Crossing (orange line)
- Government Center (green line)
- North Station (orange line)
- Porter Square (red line)
- Back Bay (orange line)

Live in-station performances propel #BostonHoliday spirit from the streets to the social sphere and invite all to enjoy a live arts experience this holiday season.

PERFORMANCE RUNDOWN:

Blue Man Group

DOWNTOWN CROSSING: near Orange Line outbound platform at the end of Green Line tunnel to Park Street

( Northwest side of Washington Street across from the entrance to the Macy's)

Nothing sets the tone for your daily commute like the percussive beats of Blue Man Group! You can score an up close and personal look at one of the Blue Man Group's classic show segments, performed like never before. www.blueman.com/boston

Tony Williams' Urban Nutcracker

SOUTH STATION: Commuter Rail Level, in central atrium near piano under the signboard

Tony Williams' Urban Nutcracker, Boston's original holiday classic, is back for its 13th season and packed with more magic for the whole family. Fusing Tchaikovsky's classic score with Duke Ellington's jazz interpretation, Urban Nutcracker puts a modern spin on the 19th Century fairy tale and transports the audience to an enchanted world not unlike their own. www.urbannutcracker.com

Back Bay Ringers

SOUTH STATION: Downstairs in T station on upper level just inside the fare gates

Back Bay Ringers is Boston's premier community-affiliated handbell ensemble, currently celebrating its tenth anniversary season. More information about the group can be found at www.backbayringers.org.

The Boston Pops

GOVERNMENT CENTER: Downstairs in the nook to right of escalator

Celebrate one of Boston's most acclaimed holiday traditions with a performance from the 2013 Holiday Pops! A brass band will provide a jolt of holiday cheer to evening commuters, sampling from beloved seasonal standards. www.bso.org

Handel & Haydn Society

KENMORE: just inside the fare gates before going downstairs to the platforms

Premiered in the US by Handel and Haydn (H&H) in 1818, Handel's Messiah is a dramatic masterwork that deserves a place on every holiday list. H&H trumpeters herald the arrival of the holidays and celebrate the 160th consecutive year of one of Boston's oldest and most loved traditions. www.handelandhaydn.org

The Christmas Revels

HARVARD SQUARE: on the landing between escalators via main entrance/exit to the Square

The Revels Singers, under the direction of George Emlen, will sing holiday carols, including one from the upcoming Christmas Revels performances in Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, which opens on December 13 and runs through December 27. Find out more at www.revels.org.

American Repertory Theater, The Donkey Show

NORTH STATION: just inside the fare gates on the upper level near tunnel connection to Commuter Rail

Harvard Square's celebrated smash hit The Donkey Show brings its ultimate disco experience to North Station. Put on your boogie shoes and get down to your favorite disco classics with members of the cast. "Oh yea!" www.americanrepertorytheater.org

Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker

PORTER SQUARE: at the bottom of the long escalator before arriving on Red Line platforms

Young dancers from Jose? Mateo Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker will present a festive vignette from Mateo's timeless Holiday classic. Clara and her friends bring the excitement and joy of the Season to life with a dance from the beloved Party Scene www.ballettheatre.org

New Repertory Theatre, Camelot

BACK BAY: along the north corridor near the fare gates

Lerner and Loewe's beloved bittersweet Tony Award-winning musical of love, honor, and duty. A revival for a new generation! At the 50-year anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, we remember the youthful idealism and a desire to create a better world. www.newrep.org

About Mayor's Holiday Spectacular: The 10th Anniversary of the Mayor's Holiday Spectacular presented by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) offers over 25,000 half-price tickets to more than 120 of the region's most beloved holiday performances as well as exclusive dining deals and gift ideas. The Mayor's Holiday Spectacular, created in partnership with City of Boston, the non-profit arts service organization ArtsBoston and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB), is the go-to resource for the complete Greater Boston holiday experience. The program runs November 1, 2013 through January 1, 2014. www.MayorsHoliday.com.