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First Posted: 11/17/2014

It’s Christmas Eve. A young girl is whimsically filled with holiday spirit and curiosity. What will Christmas morning bring? That curiosity gets the best of her and leads the young lady to a night filled with enchanting mischief and magic.

The girl quietly sneaks up to the attic of her home. A place her parents tell her is off limits. She discovers a mysterious trunk which turns out to be a magical doorway to the past. The trunk is filled with beautiful ornaments, lovable toys, old records and bundles of handwritten letters.

She makes a startling discovery while reading the letters and soon finds herself on an unlikely adventure.

To find out what happens to the young girl get your tickets for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “The Christmas Attic.” The group launched their 2014 tour and will be in Wilkes Barre on Friday, Nov. 28 for two enchanting performances.

A Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert is a multi-sensory rock extravaganza and a holiday jubilee is no exception. Be prepared for soaring vocals, arena-shaking guitars, deafening percussion, Christmas explosions and eye-catching lasers.

As vocalists sing the narrative, the arena will fill with holiday spirit. The audience makes modern holiday memories and are reminded of their Christmases of yesteryear. According to lyricist and composer Paul O’Neil, this is the first time for some of the songs to hit the stage. He said, “The songs are never really completed until we perform them in front of a live arena audience.”

“We are at the beginning of our tour, having been on the road hardly a week,” said Derek Wieland, music director of the U.S. Eastern tour. “This is a brand new show with a completely new story.” When the music hits Wilkes-Barre, it will only be the orchestra’s 20th show of their tour.

The rock opera is the third part of the orchestra’s Christmas trilogy albums. O’Neill wrote “The Christmas Attic, in 1998 and the album will coincide with the tour.

“Even though the first half of the show is a brand new narrative, the second half will feature the orchestra’s iconic classics an fan favorites,” Wieland said. “The show has the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s elements and hits and is at the level that audiences have come to expect.”

The orchestra will play favorites such as “Wizards in Winter,”Requiem,” and “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24.”

According to Wieland, all Trans-Siberian Orchestra shows immerses the audience in all of its elements.

“From the music to the surprises on the stage and the lights and pyrotechnics, the audience is always engrossed in the show,” he said.

Mee Eun Kim, keyboard player, is an originating member of the orchestra and is back to showcase her talent this holiday season. Newcomer, Lisa Lavie, lends her vocals and adds her experience to the Eastern tour. These performers are the newest parts of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s constantly morphing group.

“All the talented individuals on the stage are always raising the orchestra’s level of play, ” Wieland said. “Everyone always gives their best because they want to be the best there is.”