The BSO presents A Christmas Carol in Concert, a new twist on Dickens' classic tale performed as a concert with a full symphony orchestra on Friday, December 16th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 17th at 7:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Featuring the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Amy Duran, this time-honored tale of Mr. Scrooge comes to life with a choir, a rock/pop rhythm section, a narrator and soloists. Please see below for complete event details.
In a new score written by the co-writer of Too Hot to Handel, Bob Christianson, and lyricist Alisa Hauser, A Christmas Carol in Concert incorporates musical styles that range from classical and gospel to blues and Broadway. Follow Mr. Scrooge's journey as he is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve in this special Christmas concert intended for audience members of all ages.
Bob Christianson, composer & arranger
Bob Christianson is a composer, arranger, keyboard player and conductor. He is honored to have the Baltimore Symphony premier his new piece, A Christmas Carol - The Concert. This is the second of his orchestral works that has been performed by the BSO, the first being Too Hot To Handel which he co-arranged with Gary Anderson from an original concept by Marin Alsop.
His new musical, Take Me America (book & lyrics by Bill Nable) has just opened for a two month run at the prestigious Village Theatre in Seattle, which was the original home of the hit Broadway shows Next To Normal and Million Dollar Quartet.
Bob was the most called upon composer for the HBO series Sex And The City. He was nominated for an Emmy for his music for ABC Sports, and has scored many series for the Discovery family of networks, including Secrets Of The National Parks and The Blue Angels-A Year In The Life. His television credits also include this season's Mysteries Of The Museum (Travel Channel) and the "NCAA Basketball Theme" for CBS. He has also scored Life Is Wild (for the CW), The Equalizer (CBS), Gimme A Break (NBC) and The Winter Olympics (CBS). Bob has written over 25 award winning sports themes for CBS, ESPN & ABC.
Mr. Christianson received his bachelor's degree from SUNY at Potsdam (Crane School Of Music), and has done graduate work in composition at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After college, he started his career in New York as musical director/conductor for such Broadway Shows as Godspell, Gilda Radner-Live From New York and The Magic Show.
As a successful studio synthesist, he has recorded with such producers as the late, great Arif Mardin, and has recorded with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Jan Hammer, Judy Collins, DiAnna Ross & Rupert Holmes.
His orchestra works have been performed by The Baltimore Symphony, The Colorado Symphony, The Concordia Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, and others.
You can visit Bob on the web at www.bobchristianson.com, or the website for A Christmas Carol-The Concert at www.achristmascaroltheconcert.com.
Alisa Hauser, lyricist & book adaptation
Alisa Hauser is an alumnus of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop where she met many of her fantastic collaborators including the amazing Bob Christianson. For the theatre she has written the short musical The Weather Man with composer Philip Palmer, which had its world premiere at the New Works Festival at Clear Space Productions in Delaware. She also wrote an original song (music and lyrics) for the Weston Playhouse production of Stuart Little. For television she has written lyrics, with composer Stephen Sislen, for the Disney Channel's Johnny And The Sprites. Her cabaret songs have been performed at various venues around New York City including Ars Nova, Joe's Pub and the Shag Carpet Festival. Alisa is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with a degree in musical theatre and worked for many years as an actress where she appeared on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Grease, and Disney's Beauty and The Beast.
