Quickly becoming a new holiday tradition, All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, will return for six performances only, December 16-19, 2010 at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. All Is Calm recalls the remarkable, spontaneous World War I truce between Allied Forces and German soldiers in No Man's Land on Christmas 1914. This moving ode to peace was created by Theater Latté Da's artistic director Peter Rothstein and features Cantus, one of America's finest vocal ensembles, with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. All Is Calm is a collaboration among Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust.
All Is Calm tells the story of this extraordinary event with words and songs from the Allied and German soldiers who laid down their arms in No Man's Land to celebrate Christmas. In some places the truce lasted just for a night, in others until New Year's Day, but during those fleeting moments in a war that lasted four years, enemy troops traded carols, food and drink, played soccer matches and helped bury each other's dead. This dramatic re-telling contains quotes from 30 World War I figures brought to life by actors John Catron, David Roberts and Alan Sorenson. The tapestry of sound ranges from patriotic tunes and trench songs to medieVal Scottish ballads and holiday carols from England, Wales, France and Germany. The music is performed by the artists of Cantus, who also open the production with a set of Christmas carols arranged by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams for his own battalion.Videos