The orchestra dresses in formal attire, ball gowns and tuxedos. Here are some photos Rieu's people took yesterday and posted them on their web site. As you can see, every seat was sold out and it was packed. The orchestra congregates in the front inside of the theatre before the show starts, and then when the concert begins they march in down the aisles with Andre leading them.

The orchestra had a group of three female sopranos and three male tenors who did their own numbers, and one together. They also had their individual musicians and singers doing their own specialties - like being Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The stage was set for a winter wonderland and that song was a main theme. There were snow-covered pine trees on stage, and a screen at the back of the stage that had all kinds of stuff projected onto it - snow falling, snowmen, the Danube, and so on, to give more atmosphere. The lighting at first was a lovely purple color...with stars flickering around the stage.

The performance included many Vienese waltzes, which is Rieu's specialty, and then many songs for the winter season, including Christmas caroles. We all sang "Silent Night" together. (I have always loved this song, UNTIL it gets to the part "Christ, the Savior is born." I could NEVER say that, even as a kid.) Before each song Rieu gives a personal funny story as an introduction. He also engages the audience in shouting out where they're from, and other things. He makes up suck-up stories for the audience based on the city he's playing in. For instance, he said that he heard that the audience in Pasadena were the best singers anywhere in the world, so we will sing with him. We all laughed. And then he says, "I don't know why nobody believes me" in an innocent voice. Everyone knows it's a fun act and we play along.

The orchestra has their own antics during the show - tossing around Santa hats among them, throwing snow balls and covering each other in snow (fake), doing their own thing with music. Part of the audience got snowed on, too. It's very funny to see. One of his top performers/musicians is a woman who plays the bagpipes like nothing I've ever seen before. She's awesome, and did a moving rendition of "Auld Lang Syne." If it's one thing that gets to me, it's bagpipes. (I just bought both my sons Caledonian chanters so they can learn how to play hahaha) After two hours of caroles, the "Hallelujah", winter songs, waltzes, and two songs from "My Fair Lady", the encore began and lasted another half hour with the audience tossing balloons (that came down from the ceiling) around and dancing in the aisles and at the foot of the stage. The audience claps along with the songs. The orchestra did a rousing Dixieland tribute to New Orleans jazz in "Jingle Bells". Rieu kept trying to end the show but the audience kept him going and he played "America the Beautiful" (which made me cry) - every person's heart was touched - and the audience sang along and gave a huge applause afterwards.

Here is another page with more photos and sound clips from his concerts. Watch the White Christmas one, and the one that is Preparations for a Concert - that's what happened at this concert we went to.

The audience had people of all ages, but it seemed to be more dominated by older folks and quite a number of them with wheelchairs - everyone there was there because they donated to PBS. Maybe my age and older are the majority who appreciate this kind of music in America these days. We also donated to PBS, and that's how we got to be at the show. A couple of people in the audience held up a sign that said "Andre for Governator." People were standing up for the "Hallelujah" chorus. We've never seen that before - have you? Is this standard in some places? It was weird for us. We'd just as soon sit down and enjoy hearing it sung and played in our seats. Maybe people stood out of respect, as it was the end of the concert and Rieu prefaced the song saying that maybe we can focus on this message of peace for the world.

We were disappointed that not one Chanukah song was played or sung all evening. It was clearly a Christmas show, but not advertised as such. I know Andre Rieu knows Chanukah songs and have seen his orchestra perform at least one of them in the past, but why not now? Why alienate a segment of one's audience? Why assume that everyone in the audience is a Christian?

But, we are happy we went to the concert and encourage anyone who can see Andre Rieu and his orchestra to do so. It's a rare opportunity to participate in a FUN concert and hear music being played the way it was meant to be played: Exquisitely!

I met up during the break with the station manager of the PBS network that brought the concert to Pasadena. He asked me what I felt worked and didn't work in the concert and I shared my thoughts with him. He appreciated it and said he will make adjustments for the next concert with Rieu. Rieu is coming back next year. That made me happy and my youngest son said, when I told him that, "We're going!"

In my opinion, this is how music should be presented and taught to kids around the world. Every kid at Rieu's concerts love it and they're turned on to classical music from then on. If you get a chance, check your PBS station for his concerts and watch...and donate to PBS!