Amanda Coulson, the author, director, and choreographer of SIAMSA, says that the musical originated when, twenty years ago, she 'really felt an urgency inside me to go back to my days of Christmas and what they meant to our family. I was raised in Australia with my brother and sister, and both wonderful parents as well, and the joy that Christmas was with family and friends.'
She says that a central part of the story of SIAMSA is that 'we put a candle with, you know, a bright light on it in the window, which was to welcome family and friends.' The younger of the two orphans that begin the musical is trying to remember what the celebration was like when their parents were alive, and 'the older sister starts reminiscing, and she remembers all that wonderful feeling. And that comes across in the writings of what I went through as a child, that wonderful feeling, and the excitement of wrapping gifts and baking things. And, you know, just the joy of it.' The orphans then 'go from village to village to village to search for the true meaning of Christmas.'
SIAMSA: A Celtic Christmas draws on Celtic traditions and customs from Ireland, Scotland, and Galicia in Spain. The presentation features international Irish dance champions and an array of dancers, vocalists, actors, and musicians, including harpist Marina Roznitovsky Oster, the Sierra Highlanders Pipe Band, and fiddler Kat McMartin.
SIAMSA: A Celtic Christmas is presented Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Sierra Resort's Grand Theatre. grandsierraresort.com or 1-800-648-3568 for tickets and information.
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Support for 'Arts on the Airwaves' comes from The Nevada Arts Council… a state agency that provides public funding and support to artists and organizations, that benefit Nevadans in cities and rural communities statewide. More at NVArtsCouncil.org.
