Exclusive: Trans-Siberian Orchestra announces 2019 winter tour, 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories'

For the 2019 edition of their famous annual winter tour, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is throwing it back to the album and tour that started it all.

The "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" tour brings to life – with enhanced special effects and new staging – the acclaimed prog-rockers' 1996 debut album of the same name, and the first in their Christmas-themed trilogy, which includes 1998's "The Christmas Attic" and 2004's "The Lost Christmas Eve."

“Christmas Eve and Other Stories" also began the band's tradition of holiday tours, with the concept the brainchild of the TSO's late founder and composer, Paul O'Neill.

Beginning with a small five-city trek in 1999, the band would later extend their annual "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" outing to a national run that would stretch for 12 years, running through 2011 and entertaining over 9 million fans.

The TSO's 2019 winter tour kicks off Nov. 13 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, and wraps Dec. 30 in Toronto and Chicago, stopping in 66 cities for 100-plus performances along the way.

"We are all so excited to bring 'Christmas Eve and Other Stories' back this year," Al Pitrelli, the TSO's musical director and lead guitarist, told USA TODAY. "It’s been eight years since we last performed it and I promise it will be our most amazing show ever. Not only amazing musically and visually, but for a lot of us on and off the stage, emotionally. This is what put Trans-Siberian Orchestra on the map and has made the show so many families’ holiday tradition."

“Christmas Eve and Other Stories," as imagined by O’Neill, tells the story of an angel sent to Earth on Christmas Eve to discover the good of humanity. Along with TSO classics such as "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Promises To Keep," and "This Christmas Day," this year's show will feature fan-favorite tracks that have not been performed live in recent years, such as “Ornament” and “Old City Bar."

Fans can sign up for Ticketmaster's “12 Days of TSO Verified Fan Registration” for access to premium tickets before the general sale. Presales will begin for TSO fan club members Sept. 4 for Nov. 13 through Nov. 30 tour dates, and Sept. 5 for Dec. 1 through Dec. 30 tour dates. Tickets for the general public will be available Sept. 13, with more details available at the TSO's official website.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trans-Siberian Orchestra announces 2019 winter tour