ST PAUL, Minn. — The Ordway is ready to help Twin Cities residents drum up some virtual holiday cheer, with help from the stars of a Christmas classic.
On Monday Ordway officials announced three new virtual holiday offerings, including "A (virtual) Christmas with The Griswolds: An evening with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo." Chase and D'Angelo were the stars of National Lampoon's "Vacation" series, which included "Christmas Vacation," a big-screen tale of a dysfunctional holiday gathering gone terribly wrong.
The event will stream live on Saturday Nov. 28. Tickets are $25, and go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. on the Ordway website.
Also on the Ordway docket is "The Hip-Hop Nutcracker," a contemporary dance spectacle set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless suite starring legendary MC Kurtis Blow. Just like the original, in "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visiting the land of sweets and learning the lessons of the holiday season. The production is performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ and a violinist. That event will stream live on Friday, November 27. Tickets are $20, and go on sale on the Ordway website Thursday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.
The third holiday experience is "A Virtually Celtic Christmas," featuring traditional carols, ancient Gaelic hymns and choirs that will allow viewers to bask in the glow of an Irish Christmas. It will feature leading tenor Michael Londra and a host of special guests. This show is offered in packages from $25 to $50, with each ticket including a donation to the Ordway. They go on sale Thursday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.
“Attending a holiday musical or concert at the Ordway is a tradition for so many families. While our theater remains closed this holiday season, we are delivering virtual holiday productions for families of all ages to watch together. We hope we can keep some of that family theater tradition alive through virtual events,” said Dayna Martinez, Senior Programming Director at the Ordway.
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, like many music and theater venues across the Twin Cities, is adapting to the realities of state guidelines that limit the size and proximity of crowds during the ongoing COVID pandemic.
For more information on the holiday lineup, check out Ordway.org.
