December 13th, 2011 
My family and I attended the December 8th performance of the Boston Holiday Pops at Symphony Hall. With Keith Lockhart conducting and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus singing, it was definitely a performance that took my breath away and got me into the holiday spirit.
Photo Credit: bostonwinebuzz.com
The pieces were all holiday themed with songs that covered all tastes in holiday music. From “Go Tell It on the Mountain” to “The Grinch That Stole Christmas,” there was something for everyone.
We attended the 4 p.m. performance. When I purchased the tickets, I assumed (never assume) that this was a matinee performance of sorts and therefore would be kid-friendly. This was not really the case. The 4 p.m performance is am exact replica of the 8 p.m. performance, therefore longer and there were hardly any children there.
My kids are six and two years old. Although the music was superior, it was really hard for either of my children to stay put and quiet for so long without much visual stimulation.
One of the great parts of the Holiday Pops is that most of the seating (all of the seating on the floor) includes a table, which allows you to order food and drinks off the menu. We ordered Pops Punch, which was a light fruit punch for the kids, and chips. Proseco for the adults.
The table is very small in size so keep that in mind when ordering. We barely had enough room to maneuver, especially with a 2 year old who wanted to switch seats every five minutes. Food and drink did provide a much needed distraction however.
Photo Credit: betsysview.com
Highlights of the evening were a reading of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Actor Will Lebow and President of the Senate Therese Murray reading “Twas The Night Before Christmas.”
The show ended with A Merry Little Sing Along that included holiday favorites such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Let It Snow” and “Jingle Bells.”
If you are a parent and you are thinking of taking your child to the Pops this year, I suggest you make sure you purchase tickets for the 11a.m. performance, which is shorter and geared towards children. Your kids, and the adult patrons at the evening performances, will thank you.
WHEN: Select dates and times between December 7 and 24, 2011
WHERE:
Boston Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Ph. 888-266-1200
TICKETS:
Online at BSO.org
By phone at 888-266-1200
