Review: MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS at The Music Center At Strathmore

With over a dozen Christmas albums (and more than 31 million albums sold) Mannheim Steamroller is the number one Christmas music artist of all time, and their annual holiday tour has become a cherished holiday tradition for many families. On Saturday, December 4th, the 2021 Christmas Tour made it's Washington, DC area stop at The Music Center at Strathmore. The intimate setting and excellent acoustics of Strathmore made it an ideal setting for Mannheim Steamroller's intricate musical works.

In the 36 years since Chip Davis mounted the first Christmas tour, it has become so popular that there are currently two touring groups, with a third group in residence at Universal Orlando. The Strathmore show featured the Red Tour Cast - a core sextet consisting of Mark Agnor (Concertmaster, Violin), Tom Sharpe (Drums, Recorders), Anna Lackaff (Harpsichord, Keyboards), Christopher Forte (Bass, Guitar, Lute), David Plank (Keyboards), and Joey Gulizia (Percussion, Recorders), all backed by a solid supporting orchestra of strings, brass and winds. The tight core ensemble was able to deliver the quiet, meditative numbers with a deft touch, while the combined sextet and orchestra brought a soaring majesty and power to Davis's cleverly arranged Mannheim Steamroller standards - re-imagined classics like Deck the Halls, and Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah. Although the live performances are nearly identical reproductions of the record albums, the concert performances offer a depth and energy that can only be experienced in a live setting.

The music is definitely the star here - the lighting effects are fairly basic, but they add a nice measure of ambiance and emotion to the show, without becoming a spectacle unto themselves. The video elements (which may have been recycled in an homage to the original tour) are a bit shopworn and dated. But like the lighting, they occasionally add a quaint touch, without distracting from the glorious music.

The first half of the concert was a robust, eclectic collection from Mannheim Steamroller's deep catalog of Christmas albums, with a few Fresh Aire numbers sprinkled in. After intermission the group played the entire first Christmas album, with three other numbers rounding out the second half of the performance. The members of the sextet have great on stage chemistry, and they engage with the audience in a way that one doesn't see with most orchestral groups.

Timeless traditions are what put us in a festive spirit, and an evening with the cast and crew of Mannheim Steamroller will get your holiday season off to a wonderful start. The current tour runs through December 30th.

Running time: Two hours and fifteen minutes with intermission.

Mannheim Steamroller was a one day, two performance engagement on December 4, 2021. For future events at Strathmore, click here.

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