Artists announced for annual Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert
Oct 6, 2023, 10:17 AM
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is shown in their annual Christmas Concert. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
SALT LAKE CITY — Two famous actors, Lesley Nicol and Michael Maliakel will join The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square as guest artists at this year’s Christmas concerts.
The concerts will take place on Dec. 14, 15, and 16 at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
The choir, which is famous worldwide, is under the direction of Mack Wilberg, the music director and Ryan Murphy, the associate music director.
“We are delighted to have the talents of Michael Maliakel and Lesley Nicol at this year’s Christmas concerts,” said Wilberg. “Together they will bring the holiday spirit into the hearts of our audiences through music and word, celebrating the joy that is found in family and the celebration of the Savior’s birth.”
(Photo Credit: Jiyang Chen)
Michael Maliakel (pronounced “Molly-uh-kell”) is currently starring as the title role in Disney’s “Aladdin” on Broadway. An award-winning Indian American actor and singer, Michael was recently featured in two PBS concert specials: “Broadway’s Brightest Lights,” alongside Broadway luminary Megan Hilty, and “An Evening with Lerner and Loewe.” He recently made his Kennedy Center debut in the critically acclaimed production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block. Before the pandemic, Michael toured North America with the 25th anniversary production of “The Phantom of the Opera.”
(Photo Credit: Bader Howell)
Lesley Nicol has enjoyed a hugely diverse career including Broadway, the West End, movies and television. Her television career in the U.K. has encompassed both drama and comedy: “Blackadder,” “Shameless,” “Inspector George Gently,” “Hancock and Joan,” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” to name a few. She played Mrs. Patmore in ITV’s hugely successful “Downton Abbey” for six years and in both feature films. Her film work includes the multi-award-winning “East Is East” and the sequel, “West Is West.” She has just completed filming “Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office,” a new ITV series to be released in 2024.
Tickets
Tickets to the concert are free, but are distributed through a random selection process. Those interested in attending the concert must request tickets by registering their info at tabchoir.org/Christmastickets. The registration period runs from noon on Tuesday, Oct. 24 to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3. Those who enter their info will have a chance to be selected to receive four tickets for their household. Admission will be open to anyone eight or older.
The announcement from The Church also said the number of tickets will be limited due to the construction in and around Temple Square.
Tickets will not be required for the 30-minute weekly “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcast on Sunday morning. December 17, at 9:30 a.m. following the concerts. The guest artists are scheduled to perform on the broadcast.
The Church website states,
“A Grammy Award-winning, multiple Emmy Award-winning, all-volunteer choral ensemble, The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square is made up of 360 men and women who join their talents to create their trademark, instantly recognizable sound. They are accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square, a 150-member symphony orchestra, and the Bells at Temple Square, a 32-member handbell choir, that are also both all-volunteer. Together, they provide inspiring music that has the power to help people feel closer to the divine and celebrate God’s love for all His children.”
