Crow’s Theatre is once again hosting a Soundstreams creation with their holiday offering Electric Messiah. Using a blend of Handel’s classical work and new adaptations, Electric Messiah celebrates the season in a truly 21^st century way. Trust me, you haven’t experienced anything quite like this before!

            Electric Messiah features four lead vocalists: Lindsay McIntyre, Elizabeth Shepherd, Andrew Adridge, and Sharang Sharma. I loved that each vocalist got their time to shine, and when they came together their harmonies were so tight it gave me goosebumps. They were accompanied on stage by Sophie Dow and Libydo doing modern dance throughout the performance. I loved watching them express these updated classical songs through their dance; the way their able to express so much with their dance takes my breath away.

            I always love when the live musicians for a piece are able to be seen onstage. In this case we had Joel Schwartz, Wesley Shen, Dafydd Hughes, and Adam Scime. They were also accompanied by SlowPitchSound on the turntables. This is what makes Electric Messiah so unique: on the one hand you have Shen on the harpsichord, and on the other, a DJ. Yet they worked in perfect harmony to create this masterpiece.

            With each piece on the set list, Electric Messiah delves deeper into the words and teachings found in Handel’s original work. I loved seeing the connections between the more modern solo pieces and the collective classical moments. The spoken word section recited by Andrew Adridge was very powerful. I also really loved the moments where the dancers and vocalists were performing as one; their collective presence made magic. And of course, the Hallelujah Chorus brought down the house; there’s a reason it always gets saved for the end. You could feel the electricity in the room as they began to sing it and they absolutely gave it the energy and life that song demands.

            Electric Messiah runs at Crow’s Theatre until December 24^th, so there are just three performances left! This is such a cool way to celebrate the holiday season and I highly recommend making it a to-do this year! For more information and tickets, visit: Electric Messiah – Crow’s Theatre (crowstheatre.com)