The Minnesota Orchestra presents the world premiere of an all-new holiday program with two performances of Home for the Holidays on Thursday, December 21, at Orchestra Hall. The 75-minute full-Orchestra concert, deeply rooted in Minnesota holiday traditions, features an ensemble of talented local singer-actors including Twin Cities writer-storyteller Kevin Kling, whose original stories and adaptations form the narrative of the entire program. This new production, combining classical music, theater and storytelling, was conceived and directed by Peter Rothstein, the Founding Artistic Director of Theater Latté Da. Creatively integrated into the theatrical landscape, the Minnesota Orchestra plays original music by Robert Elhai, plus favorite holiday classics and sing-alongs, and a special performance of Heart of the Heartland with Emmy-winning composer and mandolin player Peter Ostroushko.

“We’ve assembled some of the State’s most cherished artists to create a unique celebration of story, song and nostalgia,” says stage director Peter Rothstein. “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with the Minnesota Orchestra on this new holiday show.”

Concerts are performed at the Orchestra’s home venue in downtown Minneapolis, Orchestra Hall, on Thursday, December 21, 2017, at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $30 to $75. More information is available at minnesotaorchestra.org and by phone at 612-371-5656. For further purchasing details, refer to the information section at the conclusion of this press release.

Sarah Hicks, conductor

Sarah Hicks, the Minnesota Orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall, has led a broad range of programs since joining the Orchestra as assistant conductor in 2006. During the 2017-18 season, she conducts Orchestra performances with Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Pink Martini, Cloud Cult and Cirque de la Symphonie, as well as film music concerts including La La Land, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Little Mermaid and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. More: minnesotaorchestra.org.

Kevin Kling, writer

Monologist and playwright Kevin Kling has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Bush Foundation, the Jerome Foundation and other organizations. His plays have been produced by major theaters in the Twin Cities, including the Guthrie and the Jungle Theater, and around the country. A frequent commentator for NPR and MPR’s All Things Considered, Kling was named the Minneapolis Story Laureate by then-Mayor R.T. Rybak in 2014. More: kevinkling.com.

Peter Rothstein, stage director

Peter Rothstein is the Founding Artistic Director of Theater Latté Da, where he has staged 57 productions, including nine world premieres. His other recent collaborations include productions with the Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Minnesota Opera, Ten Thousand Things, Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. He is the creator of All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. Rothstein has received nine Ivey Awards for overall excellence, and he was named the 2015 Minnesota Artist of the Year by the Star Tribune. More: peter-rothstein.com.

Robert Elhai, composer and arranger

Robert Elhai has written music for productions at Fortune’s Fool Theatre, Nautilus Music-Theater and Theater Latté Da. He also arranged music for The New Standards’ performance with the Minnesota Orchestra in July 2016. He is the recipient of Tony and Drama Desk nominations for best orchestrations for the Broadway production of The Lion King, and has contributed orchestrations to some 150 movies, including The Sixth Sense, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and five films from The Fast and the Furious series. More: robertelhai.com.

Peter Ostroushko, composer and mandolin

Mandolinist, composer, arranger and teacher Peter Ostroushko grew up listening to tunes played at family get-togethers in the Ukrainian community of northeast Minneapolis. It’s the music that provides the basis for many of his compositions. His works have been performed by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra, among others, and his music has been featured on public television specials such as Ken Burns’ film The National Parks and Minnesota: A History of the Land, for which Ostroushko won an Emmy.

Minnesota Orchestra Holiday Concerts
A MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA CHRISTMAS – HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Thursday, December 21, 2017, 11 a.m. (Coffee Concert) and 7:30 p.m. / Orchestra Hall

Minnesota Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Peter Rothstein, stage director
Kevin Kling, writer and ensemble
Robert Elhai, composer and arranger
Peter Ostroushko, composer and mandolin
Jim Lichtscheidl, movement director
Alice Fredrickson, costume designer
Christina Baldwin, ensemble
Dieter Bierbrauer, ensemble
Thomasina Petrus, ensemble
Alejandro Vega, ensemble

Tickets: $30 to $75