Lindsey Stirling’s enthusiasm for the holidays is palpable through Zoom.
Wearing a wool beret and sweater in her winter-white living room, the Gilbert native smiles brightly when she says she’s looking forward to her “desert Christmas” in Tucson.
The violinist/dancer and her holiday show, “The Snow Waltz Tour,” visit The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 22. From each ticket, $1 will go toward Stirling’s Upside Fund, which has helped relieve over $5 million in medical debt.
Each Stirling performance is impressive, complete with aerial acrobatics, custom-made holiday-themed costumes, and ornate sets that create a magical experience for the audience.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve played in Tucson,” Stirling said. “We try to do Arizona every year, but I get really excited when I go to Tucson and get a little bit of my desert Christmas.
“There’s something so special about anybody’s hometown show. Everyone performs a little stronger when it’s their hometown. They have pride in the city. They have their friends who have come out. When I perform in Arizona, it’s magical.”
Stirling — who’s releasing a new album in 2024 — said she’s proud of how her Christmas show has evolved over the years.
“It’s one of the best shows that I get to do,” she said.
“We have summer tours and different iterations of the shows I put on. But I think my Christmas tour is my favorite. So, people are going to see aerial routines. My dancers and I go on hoops and trapezes. They’ll get a lot of the violin thing, lots of Christmas, but even some singing. It’s a very, very diverse show. We have really fun costumes, really fun dancing. I think there’s something in it for everyone.”
The Mesquite High School graduate said the aerial acts were nerve-wracking.
“I’m not going to lie, I had to get a little stronger, too — and a little braver,” she said with a giggle.
“You’re not strapped in. You’re just holding on with your hands. It took a while to get used to it. But now I find it quite thrilling. I feel like the show isn’t complete without it. I feel like it’s elevated the show quite a lot. We always have the aerial routines or it’s not a Lindsey Stirling show.”
Stirling has fond memories of Christmases at home. She had a “happy childhood,” but her family didn’t have a lot of money. Things changed around the holidays. Growing up, her Christmases were magical, too.
“So, I’m not saying that we were destitute,” she said.
“But I remember years where we didn’t have a microwave. We didn’t have a toaster. We just didn’t have a lot of things. If we couldn’t afford it, my parents didn’t buy it.
“And at Christmastime, though, my mom would make things for us. And my mom would save up money all year so that she could get us nice presents at Christmas. At Christmas, we felt like anything was possible. Anything could show up under the tree. That’s why I love Christmas so much—anything is possible, and the magic is real.”
Lindsey Stirling
WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22
WHERE: The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $56
INFO: www.tucsonmusichall.org
