November 21, 2019
BY TOM NETHERLAND | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER
Best not pout or cry, particularly as a sleigh full of Christmas shows abound as coming soon to Bristol. In the course of the next month, those who seek holy jolly shows will find them in abundance.
Three days after Thanksgiving, Grammy winner Mark O’Connor and family present “An Appalachian Christmas” at the Paramount on Sunday, Dec. 1. Saddle up for an intimate spin of Christmas treasures from a celebratory “Wed Wish You a Merry Christmas” to a joyful “Carol of the Bells.” Stupendous tickets, ranging in price from $36 to $60, remain. Remarkably, several front row seats remain available.
Five nights later, Mike Farris returns to Bristol and the Paramount with “The Soul of Christmas.” Slated to stage at the Paramount on Friday, Dec. 6, tickets span from $22 to $97. At press time, superb tickets remain, including several in the second row.
The tree bulges all the more two nights later when Robert Earl Keen revisits the Paramount. Witness Keen’s “Countdown to Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tickets, which start at $32 and conclude at $52, sold quickly. But hurry! A handful of tickets to see Keen remain, and as anyone who has attended a show at the Paramount knows, the venue features unimpeded views from all of his 700-plus seats.
Wait! There’s more. Take a peek under the tree for Christmas on the Mighty Wurlitzer at the Paramount on Sunday, Dec. 8. Hear Bristol treasures Charles Lawson and Anthony Mangrum herald Christmas tunes on the majestic pipe organ for a mere $5 donation.
Cut the ribbon on another Christmas with Bristol Ballet’s presentation of “The Nutcracker.” Three shows, one on Friday, Dec. 13 and two on Saturday, Dec. 14, grace the stage of the Paramount. Wonderful tickets, priced from $8 to $18, remain widely available.
Finally, as the bells of Christmas toll as near, The Wizards of Winter encamp at the Paramount on Sunday, Dec. 22. An 11-member spectacle of holiday sights and sounds, The Wizards of Winter feature former members of hard rock’s Rainbow, Ted Nugent and Blue Oyster Cult, in addition to past members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Nab tickets for $24 to $47.
For information, call the Paramount box office at 423-274-8920 or visit them at 518 State St. in Bristol, Tennessee. Reference the Paramount online at www.paramountbristol.org.