Silent Night
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CRITIC’S PICK
Sat., Nov. 7; Tue., Nov. 10; Fri., Nov. 13; Sun., Nov. 15
Silent Night, Atlanta Opera — During the first World War, an impromptu truce was declared on Christmas Eve 1914 between French, British, and German forces in order to sing carols, play soccer, exchange a gift or two and generally behave like normal people. Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell turned the story into the Pulitzer Prize-winning composition Silent Night, which opens Atlanta Opera’s 2026-2027 main stage season under the baton of Iván López Reynoso, with co-direction by Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. and Tomer Zvulun. First staged a decade ago by AO, Silent Night served as the launch of the company’s veterans program, allowing at least 70,000 former troops and active military personnel to attend shows free of charge. “This production is dedicated to those who never came back home,” Zvulun says. The performance on Tuesday, Nov. 10 — just before Veterans Day — will salute soldiers in attendance with a champagne toast. - Kevin C. Madigan
From the venue:
Silent Night is the powerful, true account of the spontaneous Christmas truce between French, British, and German soldiers during World War I. Based on the film “Joyeux Noël,” the story takes place on Christmas Eve, the opposing forces lay down their weapons, come together around a makeshift tree to sing carols, and play soccer matches. The soldiers’ peaceful actions are reprimanded by their commanders, but cast a lasting light on the goodness of humanity in the face of war
Silent Night | 11/07/2026 7:30 PM