by Mary Duffy

The Christmas season begins Wednesday with the help of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, one of the worlds top-selling concerts. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Rupp Arena.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s performances incorporate theatrical strobe lighting effects, lasers, fog and pyrotechnics.

“TSO has been called a mix of The Who’s Tommy and Andrew Lloyd Weber with Pink Floyd’s lights thrown in,” said Rosemarie Moehring, the Director of Marketing for Live Nation. “It is one of the only acts today that resonates with younger, rock music fans as well as older adult contemporary listeners.”

Paul O’Neill, the band’s producer, lyricist and composer has managed and produced rock bands including Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Joan Jett. He started TSO to push the boundaries more than any other band had before and he creates performances that, he hopes, will leave the audience speechless.

“The show was designed to make an emotional impact, and I believe that it does just that,” Moehring said. “It’s a musical journey that encompasses a symphonic rock show with a holiday feel. There is truly something for everyone at each show.”

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has had five albums to date including: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic, and The Lost Christmas. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s latest release Night Castle, was certified gold in less than 8 weeks.

Attendance in 2009 was more than 1.2 million, and is expected to be higher in 2010.

“TSO has become a holiday tradition over the years,” Moehring said. “Once someone has seen it they tend to tell all their friends what an amazing show it is, and attendance grows each year. I’ve seen TSO at least four times and each year they strive to make it better than the last, and they always succeed.”

TSO donates $1 from every ticket sold to charity, and in the past 10 years has donated over $7 million dollars to charity. At each city where TSO performs the charity dollars stay local.

“We partnered with Mix 94.5FM for the Lexington show and $1 from every ticket sold is going to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital,” Moehring said.

Tickets can be purchased through Live Nation, Ticketmaster, or from Rupp Arena’s Box Office.