One of Bend’s most festive Christmas performances is back! Swingin’ Tower Christmas will light up the stage at the Tower Theatre in December, with four performances. https://www.towertheatre.org/events
Get ready to jingle all the way! These festive and family-friendly shows feature a lively blend of holiday classics and seasonal tunes, bringing the joyous spirit of Christmas to life. Audiences should expect an immersive musical experience, perfect for holiday cheer and fun for the entire family, making it a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season in Bend.
Nichole Baumann, director of communications for the Tower Theatre Foundation, says that Swingin’ Tower Christmas has been an annual show since December 2017.
“This event is produced by Mollie and Jim Tennant and presented by the nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation,” added Baumann. “This year’s performance sponsor is Salvesen Homes. It features all local talent, including a great 16-piece live band on stage.”
She went on to say, “The holiday season is a special time here at the Tower. We offer a variety of events that give families and friends the opportunity to make great memories or create annual traditions. We welcome both local and global ballet performances. You can hear Central Oregon mastersingers and musicians filling the theatre with classic sounds of the season. If films are a favorite way to commemorate the holidays, we often screen a crowd favorite like “Elf.” Swingin’ Tower Christmas is the grand finale of our schedule.”
Baumann emphasized that the annual Swingin’ Tower Christmas features a robust local cast of vocalists, a big band, and some surprises to delight audiences of all ages.
Show host Mollie Tennant says they have presented the show every year, except for two years during COVID.
“We have been doing it every year since then,” she added.
Jim Tennant is the talent behind the 16-piece live band. The band is made up of local musicians, with only three young musicians in the original band, which consists of students from local high schools. The band has since added local players, including talent from the Central Oregon Symphony and musicians from local musical productions.
“I got to know a lot of the good players in town. That is kind of how it evolved,” says Tennant.
He added that at least half the band has been in the show since 2017 and emphasized that all but one member of the show is from Central Oregon, with one band member from Roseburg.
According to Tennant, when audience members provide feedback, they remark that the show puts them in a great Christmas spirit.
“We are very happy about that. Whenever we hear someone say, ‘That really put me in the Christmas spirit—your show,’ that means a lot.”’
Mollie added that they really want audience members to feel like they have watched the old-fashioned Christmas specials that one could watch long ago on television.
“You are hearing all your favorite Christmas songs — but played by local musicians and singers,” said Mollie.
Jim added that the stage is very festive, and they put a great deal of effort into making it come alive. He pointed out that they put a lot of thought and planning into the show — and the planning begins months before the December performance. They really strive to make it fun for the audience, the band and the performers.
“We are really focusing on, ‘Is this going to be fun for the audience, and is this going to be fun for the band and the performers?’ So far, so good, we have done a good job with that. We just want to continue making it fun for everybody. If the performers and the band are having fun, then we are pretty sure the audience will have a good time too,”’ concluded Jim Tennant.
The four performances are Dec. 18, 19, 20, and Dec. 21, and all begin at 7pm.
The shows are presented by Salvesen Homes and the Tower Theatre Foundation. Tickets are $44-$54, plus $8 Historic Preservation Fee. There is reserved seating, and doors open at 6pm for each performance.
Tower Theatre Swingin’ ChristmasDec 18-21
Tower Theatre
835 NW Wall Street, Bend
towertheatre.org/events
$44-$54
This article appears in the Source December 4, 2025.
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