Holiday Classic All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Celebrates Tenth Anniversary at Historic Pantages Theatre
Sep 8, 2016

Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust will present the tenth anniversary of the award-winning ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 Dec. 15-18, 2016 at the historic Pantages Theatre (710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis). Now a holiday classic, ALL IS CALM is a poignant retelling of the spontaneous Christmas Eve truce during World War I. Directed by Theater Latte Da Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, the production combines period songs with first-hand accounts of this remarkable event.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 9 at noon at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Ave.) charge-by-phone at(800) 982-2787 and online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org. Groups of 10 should contact MinneapolisGroups@broadwayacrossamerica.com or call 612.373.5665 for information and reservations. Student and military discounts are also available.

All pricing includes a Building Restoration Fee of $3.00

ALL IS CALM recalls an astounding moment in history when Allied and German soldiers met in "No Man's Land" and laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer and burying the dead. In some places the truce lasted only a night, in others it endured until New Year's Day. Music, an important part of life in the trenches, helped create a context that inspired the truce.

The production is brought to life by a 12-member cast comprised of some of the Twin Cities' finest musical theater performers. It beautifully blends patriotic tunes, trench songs, medieVal Scottish ballads and carols from England, Wales, France, Belgium and Germany with remembrances written by 30 World War I figures.

Rothstein worked for five years to develop ALL IS CALM. He said, "To tell the story in their own words, I created the drama primarily through letters, war documents, autobiographies, World War I poetry, grave stone inscriptions and even an old radio broadcast. For decades, the truce was considered a romantic fable and I wanted to give voice to this remarkable moment that had somehow been denied its place in history. I cannot express how gratifying it has been to share the story of these heroic men in performances across the country and around the globe."

ALL IS CALM had its world premiere in a live broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio in 2007. The show has since enjoyed global success with broadcasts through American Public Media and the European Broadcasting Union. The program has won awards including the Gold World Medal at the 2010 New York Festivals and the 2010 Gabriel Award, which honors works of excellence in broadcasting that serve audiences through the positive, creative treatment of concerns to humankind.

The show earned critical acclaim touring the United States, including a successful tour in Minnesota in 2015). ALL IS CALM has reached more than 50 cities with sold-out performances at prestigious venues including The Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Cal Performances (Berkeley, CA) and the Metropolitan Museum (New York). ALL IS CALM has also been licensed and performed by theater companies and choruses across the country and Canada. The New Yorker said ALL IS CALM is "cleverly constructed by the director Peter Rothstein in the style of a radio play," and "a heartbreaking tribute to the men, who in defiance of their commanders has the courage to affirm their common humanity."

ALL IS CALM peace was created by Rothstein with musical arrangements by Timothy C. Takach and Erick Lichte, who also serves as music director.

Theater Latte Da, founded by Peter Rothstein and Denise Prosek, is an award-winning Twin Cities musical theater company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater. Theater Latte Da is a leader in the musical theater art form, having produced over 50 mainstage productions including nine world premieres, nine area premieres and dozens of productions celebrated for their bold re-imagination.

Hennepin Theatre Trust is a nonprofit organization that creates positive change through the arts by bringing together people, businesses and organizations in WeDo, the West Downtown MPLS Cultural District. We serve the community through our four theatres - the Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century - and our unique arts, culture and education programs. Learn more at HennepinTheatreTrust.org and wedompls.org.

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