Pandemic or Not, the Show Must Go on for PSO's Magic of Christmas

I think one of the most telling things about the spirit of not only Portland, Maine, but New England in general, is what Portland Symphony Orchestra music director Eckart Preu told me when I got to talk to him about this year's "Magic of Christmas" performance that PSO is known for.

"We knew right away that no matter what, we were going to still put on Magic of Christmas," he said.

Magic of Christmas, for a lot of Mainers (and New Englanders, too, because you KNOW people travel from away for this show), is the OFFICIAL kickoff to the Christmas season. It's a tradition. A staple. A can't-miss. Thankfully, that won't have to happen. And not only that, in a way, this year's Magic of Christmas has been enhanced.

How many times have we gone to one of the performances, enjoyed from start to finish, but once it's over, get that bummed feeling because "that's it" and you know you're not going to be able to experience it for another year? It's not like that this year, because we can experience Magic of Christmas all December long with The Magic of Christmas at Home.

Starting next Tuesday, December 1 and running all the way through December 31, The Magic of Christmas at Home will be streaming on the brand new PortlandSymphonyTV.com video platform, which basically gets you a year's worth of PSO performances everywhere from your computer to your mobile device and tablet.

You don't need the year subscription for The Magic of Christmas at Home, though. Tickets start at just $10, and you can watch it unlimited times.

Hear everything Eckart had to say about the planning process and execution for this year's The Magic of Christmas at Home below!

And to hold you over until The Magic of Christmas at Home drops next Tuesday, here's a little rehash of last year's show to hold you over!