Bottom LR: American Festival Pops
Orchestra, Bria Skonberg
While it feels like we just put away our Halloween costumes, the winter holidays will soon be upon us. Join us as we get into the spirit of the season with a vibrant lineup of holiday fun from a variety of talented artists! Included in this celebration is festive programming from our Hylton Center Arts Partners. There’s something for all ages to enjoy this holiday season!
Ringing in our holiday performances is the inimitable Canadian Brass (11/30). This world-renowned ensemble has recorded more than 130 albums, and their signature style of bright, brassy arrangements of seasonal classics—infused with humor—is the definition of holiday merriment! If an eclectic musical blend of country, bluegrass, and gospel served up with seamless vocal harmonies is more your holiday scene, catch the Dailey & Vincent Christmas Tour (12/7). These Grand Ole Opry members and five-time Grammy Award winners last graced Merchant Hall stage in 2017, bringing what USA Today calls “the best of country, bluegrass and gospel this side of heaven.”
A local audience favorite, the American Festival Pops Orchestra takes the stage for an evening of jubilant works in Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season (12/12). Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Peter Wilson, this uplifting celebration of holiday music is fun for all. Can’t make their Hylton Center concert? Join them at our sister venue, the Center for the Arts in Fairfax (12/13). If you like your holidays with a little extra swing and groove, the Bria Skonberg Quintet (12/14) is just your tempo! With her smoky vocals, blistering trumpet, and compelling compositions, Skonberg stands out as one of the most versatile musicians of her generation on the jazz scene. Enjoy her hit cover “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Greensleeves (What Child Is This),” and more.
Our Hylton Center Arts Partners are also getting into the holiday spirit with family-friendly, seasonal offerings. Comprising some of the community's most vibrant arts organizations, the Arts Partners grace the Hylton stages not only during the holidays, but throughout the full performance season. Starting in December, The Creative And Performing Arts Center (CAPAC) takes a journey back in time to the first Christmas through the lens of African culture, featuring scripture, poetry, dance, and music in the modern and soul-stirring classic Black Nativity by Langston Hughes (12/5). Enjoy the Manassas Symphony Orchestra in Holiday in New Orleans with Doreen Ketchens (12/6), where Ketchens, a legendary New Orleans jazz clarinetist, will swing out to holiday classics in her exclusive Dixieland style. Prince William Little Theatre brings an American holiday classic to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (12/12–12/21). The Manassas Chorale sparkles with carols and treasured songs of the season in Merry and Bright (12/13), a musical holiday celebration accompanied by a 20-piece live orchestra. Of course, no holiday season is complete without The Nutcracker (12/17–12/23). Performed by the Manassas Ballet Theatre (MBT) and accompanied by the Manassas Ballet Theatre Orchestra, MBT dazzles in this enchanting Christmas classic with stunning scenery and costumes.
Make the Hylton Center part of your holiday tradition. Purchase tickets to your favorite holiday performance today!