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Christmas in Athens

11 December 2013 / 12:12:00  GRReporter
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Two weeks before Christmas the atmosphere in Athens is already convivial. Mayor of Athens Giorgos Kaminis has announced the beginning of the festive programme by lighting the ship on Syntagma Square. The trees and the central streets in the city, decorated with colourful toys and stars, are bathed in light as well.

Kaminis points out that the municipality has preferred to put in the centre of Athens a ship "as a symbol of the Greek tradition". As a maritime nation, the children in many regions of Greece go, with decorated boats in their hands, from house to house to give best wishes for Christmas.


 
The festive events began on 5 December with concerts of the Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra which is going around the city and performing in the squares in different neighbourhoods during the ceremonies of the Christmas trees lighting. The festivities, which will continue until 5 January 2014, will involve 150 singers, musicians and artists.

"Christmas at the Megaron" is the name of the musical performances, which will be presented at the Athens Concert Hall Megaron. They will include performances by ballerina Sylvie Guillem in classic productions such as "Sleeping Beauty” and "Marguerite and Armand" as well as in Akram Khan and his troupe’s show "Sacred Monsters".

In the days before Christmas and New Year children will have the opportunity to attend two musical and theatre productions, including "Treasure Island" based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and a play, involving the traditional character Karaghiozis in the role of a captain who must carry the Christmas message of the Great Archon throughout Greece.

During its six performances, the already popular band The Ballroom Kings will delight the fans of swing, R & B, boogie and rock 'n' roll. It has returned to Athens after three years of absence, with the show "Our Rockin 'Christmas ... rollin" which it will perform from 22 to 28 December at Half Note jazz club (17 Trivonianou Street in the central Athens district of Metz).

This year the stage of GazARTE space for culture and art (32-34 Voutadon Street, Votanikos district, Kerameikos underground station) will concentrate on jazz. On 21 and 22 December, the fans of this kind of music will have the opportunity to attend the live performances by the world-famous Avishai Cohen Trio whereas jazz singer Kellylee Evans will perform a week earlier.

The new stage in Athens, namely Pantheon Theatre (166 Piraeus Street) will host the first collaboration of the two favourites of the audience, Anna Vissi and Antonis Remos. From 12 December and for four days each week the fans of music and theatre performances will have the opportunity to attend the play "One or Nothing".

Michalis Hadziyannis, whom the audiences of several countries know for the songs he writes and performs, has however decided to perform on the theatrical stage for the first time this winter. He is acting in the famous Broadway musical "Annie", playing the role of a rich businessman, Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, who opens his house and then subsequently his heart to little Annie. The musical will run from Wednesday through Sunday on Theatron stage of the Foundation of the Hellenic World, which is located at 254 Piraeus Street in the Tavros neighbourhood.

However, you can feel the really hot atmosphere of Broadway on another stage. The musical "Some Like It Hot" presented on the big stage of the Pallas Theatre was a great success at its premiere and its performances will run until 6 January. The role of Sugar, which all associate with Marilyn Monroe, is played by the equally impressive Zeta Makripoulia.

Sources claim that Hadziyannis and Makripoulia have bought the rights to the musical "The Sound of Happiness," which they are preparing to present in Athens in the late autumn of 2014.

Tags: ChristmasMusicDanceTheatreSylvie GuillemAkram KhanAvishai Cohen Trio The Ballroom Kings Kellylee Evans
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