Santa Claustrophobia

The Colors of the Season
Bushnell Center for Performing Arts
Hartford
Dec. 17, 2025

“Please don’t sit in this aisle,” I thought over and over as dozens of people streamed into the William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell to see the annual Travelers Chorale holiday show, titled The Colors of the Season.

The concert has taken place for over 100 years, offered free of charge. It’s quite popular, meaning that almost every seat in the theater was filled. Normally, that’s a good thing, because it means that there are plenty of supporters for the arts in Hartford.

But it wasn’t a good thing for me, because I was having a claustrophobic attack. Normally, such attacks only happen to me in cars, but crowded areas can sometimes trigger them as well.

Just as the show was about to begin, and I thought I was in the clear, an usher walked by and saw the two-seat buffer I’d established between me and my closest neighbors. 

“Are those two seats taken?” he asked.

“No,” I answered reluctantly. I knew I couldn’t make it through the show with people sitting next to me. My chest was already tight, and my clothes felt like they were a vicegrip on my skin. I excused myself from the auditorium. I considered going home. Instead, I walked over to one of the managers.

“I’m feeling claustrophobic. Is it OK if I watch the show from the lobby?” I asked.

He smiled. “Sure, you can stand here and watch it with me.”

So I did. I stood out in the lobby and watched the performance on closed circuit television with the ushers, custodians and other Bushnell staff. I’m glad I did, because the chorale brought its A game as it always does. 

The show started off strong with a brand new version of "Silent Night" arranged by Stacy Cahoon, who has played piano accompaniment for the chorale since 1995. She transformed the Christmastime classic into a round, having the male tenor and bass singers powerfully echo the sweet sounds of the alto and soprano singers. It was a great take on one of my favorite songs.

Another standout piece from the first half of the show was "Carol of the Bells." We learned that the song was originally written by a Ukrainian composer named Mykola Leontovych. The chorale chose to honor the song’s origins by singing Ukrainian lyrics.

The piece also featured the Bandura Ensemble of Connecticut playing the national instrument of Ukraine, the bandura. A bandura is like a guitar but held upright more like a cello, although the instrument can fit in the lap of the player. It’s shaped like a music note, with a fatter head and thicker stem. It sports around 60 strings.

The bandura has a sound that is tinny without being unpleasant, almost Celtic sounding. Five banduras were more than able to hold their own with the chorale, and produced a fresh, energetic take on "Carol of the Bells" that was true to the song’s roots.

At intermission, I sat on a small bench in the lobby. A young lady approached me and asked me how I was feeling. She’d seen me leave the auditorium, and immediately recognized the symptoms of a claustrophobic attack. She told me not to feel bad because she’d experienced one her first time at the Bushnell. I was touched by her concern. As we spoke I learned that she’d been a journalist for a time too before she transitioned to the nonprofit sector. 

She left, and the show began again shortly thereafter. The Bristol Brass and Wind Ensemble, the other special guest for the evening, delivered a rendition of Nutcracker Fantasia, an arrangement of various themes from the famous ballet. The trumpets and other brass instruments expressed all the bombast of toys come to life, while the ensemble’s flute and clarinet players captured the hopefulness and tenderness of the night before Christmas. 

What could have turned into a disastrous night became one where I was genuinely moved, not only by music but by the kindness of strangers. It was a great example all around of the power of the holiday spirit.

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