As stewards of traditions, Revels seeks to pass on the songs and stories that build connections between diverse people and cultures, embody collected wisdom, and fulfill the human need for celebration.
Revels engages today’s audiences in theatrical and musical experiences that bring the world’s cultural traditions and celebrations to life. Since our founding in 1971, nearly two million people nationwide have participated in Revels’ cultural and seasonal celebrations. Through the transformative power of performance, we bring these cultural traditions alive in song, dance and ritual, and make them relevant to today’s audiences.
Revels is best known for its annual December production, The Midwinter Revels, but the cycle of the seasons provides us with a springboard to spread joy throughout the year through in-person and virtual programming. Revels RiverSing, Spring Sing, salons, FRINGE concerts at Club Passim, harbor cruises, and pub sings are among the many programs that we produce annually. Revels also fosters creativity in adults and youth through our innovative education programs, including our Performing Arts Curricular Series (PACS), Adult Lecture and Skills Series, Theater Workshops, and School Enrichment Programs.
Since our Cambridge, MA founding in 1971, the Revels spirit has spread across the country, taking root in eight additional cities. Our affiliate companies all produce December Revels productions along with other signature programs, forming an interconnected community with shared artistic values.
Mission
Revels brings together people of all ages and backgrounds through musical and theatrical celebrations of our world’s cultural and seasonal traditions. Through a network of affiliates around the country, Revels combines artistic excellence with the lively participation of audience and volunteers in our performances and programs, inviting the communities we serve to join us, sparking appreciation and respect for the diverse world in which we live, and awakening a renewed sense of joy and connection.
Values
We practice the art of participation:
We offer an open hand of welcome to both old and new friends on our journeys of discovery and delight. We believe people of all ages and abilities can sing, dance, and be part of the Revels experience, together. Our artistic process dissolves barriers between professionals, amateurs, and audiences. Our operational style encourages volunteerism and inclusivity.
We foster cultural exploration:
We bring curiosity and respect to our search for diverse cultural expressions from around our world. While affirming authentic rituals and traditions and the tradition-bearers who embody them, we bring together different cultures and genres in fresh and unexpected ways.
We create connection:
By weaving personal connections between people, we build a shared sense of community. By connecting the common strands of diverse cultures, we build understanding. By celebrating the differences that make people and cultures unique, we help create a society that values harmony.
We are stewards of traditions:
The music, dances, and stories passed down through the generations carry a collective wisdom that can illuminate the past and inform the future. These traditions ground us in what it means to be human.
We fulfill the human need for celebration:
The annual progression of the calendar provides an opportunity to celebrate every season. We turn music, dance and folktales from around the world into magical experiences brimming with spirit, optimism, irreverence, fellowship, and revelry.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity is a fundamental element in Revels’ musical and theatrical productions. Through music, dance, and storytelling, we celebrate the seasonal and cultural traditions of our world, honoring and upholding the differences that make individuals and cultures truly unique while reminding us of the shared humanity that connects us all. This principle guides our organizational approach with events, educational programs, performers, audience, volunteers, partners, and staff. We offer an open, creative space that welcomes every person to help shape and take part in our distinctive community experiences.
1920 - 2005
Like the hero in a folktale, John Meredith Langstaff, founder of Revels, was born on an auspicious day: Christmas Eve. Bringing traditional music and rituals to new audiences to mark that special season became his life’s work. John (better known as Jack) Langstaff grew up in Brooklyn Heights where his childhood was filled with music. His parents and their friends often held impromptu performances of Gilbert and Sullivan and gathered to sing Bach chorales, madrigals, and Christmas carols.
In 1928, at age 8, he entered the Grace Church Choir School in New York City, where he was a soprano soloist until his voice changed. He later studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York. After college, then a baritone, he began a successful concert career. After attending a concert by Douglas Kennedy, then director of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Jack developed a particularly deep appreciation of traditional music. He focused on this material when he began making recordings for EMI and HMV in England.
Onstage and off, Revels is a collaboration of engaged and dedicated community members, the Revels Board of Directors, and a talented team of professional staff.
Executive Director
Interim Artistic Director
Senior Artistic Advisor
Music Director
Artist in Residence
Development and Outreach Manager
Marketing Manager
Administrative Services Manager
Production Manager
Finance Manager
Board Chair
Board Treasurer
Clerk
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Vice Chair
Board Member
Board Member
Since the first production of The Christmas Revels in 1971, nearly two million people have enjoyed a live Revels performance. In 1975, Revels began to expand with the founding of Revels North in Hanover, NH. Today, there are nine active Revels companies throughout North America. Each Revels group has its own non-profit status, and is contractually and artistically affiliated with Revels, Inc.
Come work with us! Current job openings are listed below.
If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities instead, drop us a note at volunteers@revels.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
There are no job openings at this time. If you’re interested in volunteer opportunities, drop us a note at volunteers@revels.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Our generous sponsors make it possible for Revels to produce world-class performances and educational programs for our audiences.
Let us know how we can work together to promote music, dance, and community!