Purdue Christmas Show: History

  • The First Christmas Show was held in 1933 in Fowler Hall. It was free of charge, and seats were first come first serve. Just 200 people attended.

  • In 1940, the show moved to the new Elliott Hall of Music, the 6,000+ seat auditorium that houses the show today. By that year, the show was "standing room only."

  • A second performance was added in 1947 and a third in 1954, which was also the first year that admission was charged -- adults were $1.00, while children and students were $0.50!

  • Reserved seating began in 1962 after the rushing crowd nearly trampled a woman, who, ironically, was Ethel Stewart, mother of PMO's Director Emeritus Al Stewart.

  • Just five directors have led the Christmas show in 75 years -- Al Stewart, who created the first show; Bill Luhman, Bill Allen, Brian Breed and the current PMO Director Bill Griffel.

  • Today, with six performances in three days, the show is seen by 36,000 people live.

  • Fifteen different types of ticket order forms circulate beginning in July. These target special groups like PMO donors and students. Orders are filled by September, then general sales open.

  • Contrary to popular myth, PMO does not use Elliott Hall of Music for free. PMO rents the hall and its services, just like any outside professional show would.

  • Another misconception is that PMO students are music majors. In fact, Purdue doesn't have a school of music. PMO students do not receive academic credit or compensation, and they major in everything from engineering to art to botany. They sing because they love it!

  • You can enjoy their beautiful voices all year with PMO's Christmas Collection tapes and CDs. They're on sale in the lobby of Elliott Hall of Music before and after each show, at bookstores near campus, and by order from PMO, and feature selections from recent Christmas Shows.

  • How many ways has Santa Claus made his grand entrance in the Christmas Show? He's flown in like Superman, on a blimp and on a goose. He's come down the chimney. He's rolled in on a skateboard. He's even popped out of a jack-in-the box. What's the mode of transportation this year? Come join us and find out.

  • Each performer in the Christmas show makes an average of three costume changes, some as many as five. With 250 performers, that's about 900 costumes! (We don't even want to mention how many cans of hairspray and tubes of lipstick are used!)

  • The beautiful faces and vibrant costumes are not only on Purdue's campus. Did you know a one-hour video version of the Christmas Show is broadcast on more than 75 PBS stations around the country during the holiday season? Millions of people share in the magic this way. Check your local listings for times in your area.

  • Even if you're in the Hall of Music, you can still journey away. The Christmas Show has featured a Dickens' village, the big city, the country, the tropics, and a toy shop!

  • Of course, children are the key to the Christmas Show. The PMO Kids Choir, made up of PMO staff children and others, steal the show. The kids range in age from 3 to 12.

  • There are 55 professionals who comprise the production team for the Christmas show.

  • Construction on the sets begins in the summer. It takes three months to build the set, two weeks to put it on stage and fine tune things, hundreds of gallons of paint, and nearly 1,000 yards of fabric to create the sets, props, floor drop, screens, and custom curtain.