‘The Christmas Revels: A 50th Anniversary (Virtual) Celebration’ – Written & Directed by Patrick Swanson; Musical Direction by George Emlen; Set Design by Andy Barnett; Sound Design by Kem Stewart; Costume Design by Heidi A. Hermiller; Video Production by Michael Kolowich; Virtual Chorus Effects by Sid Levin. Presented virtually by Revels through December 31st.
by Mike Hoban
In any other year, the setting would have been perfect. The snow fell (and stopped) just in time for the Revels, adorning the grounds of the Sanders Theater with a pristine blanket of white. Any other of the previous 49 years, audiences would stream in, maybe stomp the snow from their boots in the magnificent Memorial Transept that serves as a vestibule for the theater, and possibly order a hot chocolate or glass of wine to prepare for their journey to another culture for a celebration of the Winter Solstice. But this is the Year of COVID, and human interaction with those outside our immediate circles is now largely hidden behind masks or reserved for the internet, where the intimacy and energy of live theater lives only in our memories. And the Revels – in addition to being an antidote to traditional holiday fare – has always been a deeply felt communal experience, with the audience playing as large a role as any individual performer.
So how does the Revels fare as it transitions to a virtual experience?
Pretty well, actually. While it lacks the warmth and excitement of an in-person theatrical experience (as does most Zoom theater), the timing is somewhat fortuitous, given that the revered institution is celebrating their 50th anniversary. So a retrospective featuring some of the best performances over four-plus decades by the original performers almost seems appropriate. Or a t least a reasonable consolation, given the circumstances.
This year’s Revels opens with a re-creation of what an audience member would experience if they were actually attending the show minus the crowd, with an opening shot of the historic Victorian Gothic architectural gem that is Sanders Theater (completed in 1877). We’re led inside to the cavernous transept, with its marble floor, black walnut paneling, stenciled walls, and stunning stained glass windows before entering the Sanders theater itself. Once inside, we meet the statues of James Otis and Josiah Quincy (played respectively by Boston favorites Paula Plum and Richard Snee), who’ve come to life in anticipation of the start of the Revels on “the shortest day”. To their dismay, there is no audience, no music, and no singing and dancing performers.
The archived material that follows features clips from shows from 1977 to 2019, where we see iterations of Revels mainstays like “The Sussex Mummers Carol”, “Abbots Bromley Horn Dance”, English Morris dancers, and the audience participation favorite “The Lord of the Dance”. There’s also a brilliant version of “Go Tell It On the Mountain” which combines footage from the 1990 show (featuring the legendary Stan Strickland on saxophone) with vocals by this year’s chorus. Special guest Yo-Yo Ma performs the classic peace round “Dona Nobis Pacem” on the cello before being joined by the entire chorus in a gorgeous version of the piece. And of course, there are clips from my personal favorite segment of the Revels, the comic mummers plays, which typically feature local acting standouts like Steve Barkhimer, Noni Lewis, Richard Snee and Billy Melendy. During its best moments, Christmas Revels: A 50th Anniversary compares favorably to a stellar episode of PBS’ Great Performances.
I watched the digital edition of Revels with a friend, and was concerned that the show may have diminished appeal for someone who was not familiar with the format and material, but she thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did I. As entertaining as virtual Revels was, however, we can only hope that next year we will safely return to the Sanders Theater, where we can raise our voices and rejoice once again, together. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.revels.org/shows-events/virtual-xmas/
Thank you for writing about the Christmas Revels, which is a very special part of the winter holiday season for many of us.