There’s no question about it: Manchester is well worth a visit this Christmas!
Every kind of event, show, or concert that you or the kids could desire will be on offer.
Live Shows
If you’re not going to be in Manchester over the festive period, you’ll miss out on some of the magnificent venues where these Christmas performances will be staged.
But if Manchester is too far away from you, don’t despair!
You can do just about everything online these days – download movies, play live blackjack, and even watch musicals from the comfort of your living room.
Many of Manchester’s shows and performances taking place in Manchester will also be available online.
There are three popular live shows touring the city in December this year: Hamilton, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Elf.
HAMILTON (11 Nov-24 Feb)
The award-winning Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of America.
The storyline follows Hamilton, starting from his early years on his Caribbean island home, and follows him as he journeys to The New World and becomes George Washington’s right-hand man.
Thomas Kail’s production of Hamilton is capably co-directed by Andy Blankenbuehler, the choreographer, and the set is expertly designed by David Korins.
As a musical, Hamilton is hard to beat, with a score inspired by jazz, hip-hop, and R&B – not to mention classic Broadway music.
The lyrics are witty, and the performances are passionate.
Hamilton is more than just great entertainment, though.
It has significant cultural, political, and educational implications as well.
Not quite so light-hearted as your typical Christmas fare, Hamilton continues to inspire and uplift its audiences over and over again.
Reviews
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, has created something really phenomenal with this piece.
Its subject matter – namely, the independence of the newly-founded United States of America – is hardly the kind of light-hearted fun typically served up at Christmas.
However, Miranda successfully manages to deliver a captivating show with elegance and style.
His gift for storytelling holds everything together.
Another thing that makes it work is Miranda’s gift for depicting emotion.
The ambition, the love, and the regret of the characters are powerful enough to move any audience.
A stellar cast completes Hamilton’s recipe for success.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (2-31 Dec)
The plot of this classic Christmas panto needs no introduction.
Everybody already knows that Jack will sell his cow for a magic bean, climb the magical beanstalk, outwit the giant, and bring home unbelievable riches.
Where the panto departs slightly from the traditional story is that, in the panto, Jack also ends up with the girl he loves.
A fairytale ending all around.
Aside from the great music by Robert Hyman, this panto features impressive special effects, and plenty of opportunities for the audience to participate.
These features make it perfect for both the kiddies and their parents.
Reviews
Critical acclaim for the panto was lukewarm.
The Guardian acknowledged its fun script, catchy, sing-along songs, dazzling costumes, and great performances by the all-star cast.
However, there was nothing in particular that made this rendition of the popular fairytale stand out.
ELF: THE MUSICAL ARENA SPECTACULAR (23-24 Dec)
This musical, based on the popular 2003 film, has already enjoyed four very successful tours.
The story is about Buddy, who was raised as an elf at the North Pole but who is actually a human.
He crawled into Santa’s sack of presents when he was a baby, and nobody noticed until the sleigh was already back at the North Pole.
Like many adopted children, as Buddy gets older, he becomes curious about his true identity and sets off on a mission to find his birth father.
His quest takes him to New York City, where he feels himself to be out of place among people who don’t seem to be taking Christmas at all seriously.
Reviews
The piece is supposed to help the audience rediscover the joy and wonder of the Christmas season, but critics feel it doesn’t really succeed in this.
However, the light-hearted humour in this show is generally enjoyable, and some of the music and lyrics are remarkable.
The Candlelight Concerts
There is more on offer in Manchester this Christmas than musicals. Music lovers around Manchester are also in for a treat this Christmas!
The Candlelight Concerts are intended to make classical music affordable and accessible to all types of music lovers, even those who don’t normally patronise classical music performances.
A wide range of musical genres will be represented, as will and so are many popular and modern artists.
According to Riannon Moss, coordinator of the Candlelight Concerts, they try to choose venues like churches and cathedrals that are not in everyday use, such as the beautifully restored Hallé St Peter’s church.
The Nutcracker
Even lovers of the ballet will be able to find something to their taste.
One of the Candlelight Concerts features Tchaikovsky’s entrancing music from the Christmas-themed ballet The Nutcracker.
Written in 1892 in Russia, the Nutcracker tells of a family and their friends decorating the tree on Christmas Eve.
The little girl, Clara, receives a nutcracker for a Christmas present, and it magically comes to life when everybody has gone to bed.
The nutcracker leads Clara on some wonderful adventures.
A mouse army battles an army of gingerbread soldiers, until the Mouse King seems to be about to kill the wounded nutcracker.
Clara manages to throw her slipper at the Mouse King, and the nutcracker then manages to kill him.
When the mice have been beaten, the nutcracker changes into a real live prince.
As he shows Clara around his kingdom, they pass through the pine forest and the land of sweets.
In the final scene, Clara and the prince fly off in a sleigh, drawn by reindeer.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Manchester will be offering lots of Christmas performances to get everyone into the holiday spirit this December.
Jack and the Beanstalk and Elf are especially well-suited to families with small children.
These families would probably prefer to skip the Candlelight Concerts in favour of something more energetic – but for almost everybody else, these superb seasonal celebrations are particularly well worth seeing.
