Washington Revels sets 2026 Winter Revels in 1870 Washington home of Hiram Revels

Washington Revels will stage Winter Revels 2026: An American Celebration from December 12-19, 2026, at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring. The 44th annual production uses Christmas Eve 1870 in the home of Sen. Hiram Rhodes Revels to mark America’s 250th anniversary with music, storytelling and audience participation.

Why it matters: - Winter Revels is one of Washington Revels’ signature holiday productions, and the 2026 show ties that tradition to the nation’s 250th anniversary. - The production centers African American history, Reconstruction-era Washington and the legacy of Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American U.S. senator. - Washington-area audiences will see a fully staged holiday show built around communal singing, live music and participatory performance.

What happened: - Washington Revels announced Winter Revels 2026: An American Celebration, a musical and theatrical production set on Christmas Eve 1870 in Washington, D.C. - The show runs December 12-19, 2026, at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. - The 44th annual winter production brings together music, dance, storytelling and Revels traditions. - The story takes place in the Washington home of Hiram Rhodes Revels and his wife, Phoebe, as friends and family gather for Christmas Eve.

The details: - The production follows guests arriving from places as varied as Capitol Hill and Europe. - The plot includes strangers from a faraway isle, a mysterious letter and a search for a precious gift. - The show uses themes of long journeys and new beginnings to explore love, family, friendship and freedom. - Jubilee Voices anchors the production and brings African American history and traditions into the performance. - Jubilee Voices was founded in 2010 and blends a cappella music, drama, spoken word and dance. - The ensemble was created for Washington Revels’ Civil War sesquicentennial initiative and has since expanded into the post-Civil War, Reconstruction and Civil Rights eras. - The cast also includes members of Whiskey Before Breakfast Band, Washington Revels Brass and Washington Revels’ 75-member multigenerational chorus. - The performance mix includes carols, spirituals, parlor tunes, folk songs, dances and instrumentals. - Performances are scheduled for Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 13 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m.; Friday, December 18 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, December 19 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. - Tickets go on sale to the general public October 20, 2026, through the Washington Revels website. - More information is available on the show's listing.

Between the lines: - The 1870 setting lets Washington Revels connect holiday pageantry to a pivotal moment in U.S. history, when Reconstruction and Black political power were reshaping the country. - Centering Hiram and Phoebe Revels gives the production a built-in historical and symbolic frame that goes beyond a standard seasonal revue. - The ensemble’s use of audience participation suggests Washington Revels is leaning on a proven community model rather than a purely sit-down theater format.

What's next: - Washington Revels will open ticket sales October 20, 2026. - The organization will stage the full run in mid-December at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center. - Audience participation and communal singing will remain part of the experience, continuing a long-running Winter Revels tradition.

The bottom line: - Winter Revels 2026 aims to turn a holiday performance into a historical celebration of Black heritage, American identity and shared tradition.