Midwinter Revels Returns To Sanders Theatre December 11-28; Tickets On Sale October 8

Revels will present the 56th Midwinter Revels, American Crossroads: A Solstice Celebration, December 11-28 at Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, continuing one of the most cherished holiday traditions in New England. Tickets go on sale to the general public Thursday, October 8 at revels.org/midwinter.

Artistic Director Jeffrey Binder marks his Revels directorial debut with what the company describes as a uniquely American story 250 years in the making. Drawing on 19th-century songs and stories from the Great Plains, the production weaves in cultural touchstones of the American frontier and the diverse communities who shaped it.

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Set on the Winter Solstice of 1876, immigrants and families from Ireland, Germany, Poland, China and beyond gather at a tiny Great Plains train station to await the first train — and the promise of a new American future. But when the train mysteriously goes silent somewhere out on the winter plains, an ancient spirit of hunger and division begins to grow among them.

"At its heart, this is a story about people from different places, cultures, histories, and circumstances coming together around one of the great myths embedded in our national identity: the arrival of the railroad and the promise of progress and connection," said Binder. "In sharing their stories, songs, traditions, and challenges, they begin to find common ground and create something greater together."

The cast includes Revels favorites led by David Coffin, who has been Master of Ceremonies since 1990, along with musician Jake Blount, actors Eliza Fichter and Doug Lockwood (a founding member of Actors Shakespeare Project), and Massachusetts' Inaugural Poet Laureate Regie Gibson.

"I couldn't be more thrilled to be making my Revels directing debut with American Crossroads," said Binder. "It's filled with everything I love about Revels — extraordinary music, rich traditions, a touch of magic, and the perennial cycle of coming together on the shortest day of the year to celebrate the turning of the season and the return of the light."

The production runs for sixteen performances December 11-28 at Harvard University's historic Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge. Tickets include free parking at the Broadway Garage. Prices range from $47 to $107 for adults and $22 to $82 for students and children, plus Harvard Box Office fees. Special pricing for the preview performance on December 11 runs $20 to $75 for adults and $10 to $25 for students and children, plus fees.

Revels is a participant in the Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program, offering discounted tickets to EBT and WIC cardholders, and also offers youth ticket deals for patrons under 35.

A companion event, Revels Salon — Harmonies & Homesteaders: 1870s on the American Plains, takes place October 15 at 7 p.m. in the historic Carriage House at Gore Place in Waltham. WBUR's Amelia Mason will lead a conversation with Binder and Revels Music Director Elijah Botkin exploring the creative inspiration and process behind this year's Midwinter Revels, with a reception featuring light fare, beverages, live music and song. Tickets are $85 per person at revels.org/event/salon/.