November 14, 2019 (Glendale, Calif.) – The Americana at Brand celebrated the beginning of the festive season with its annual Christmas tree lighting event hosted by Ava Michelle of Netflix’s Tall Girl. The dazzling show, which featured performances from Joseph Tran of The Magic Castle, Ella Rossi and the West Angeles Choir, was enjoyed by Leighton Meester, Jenna Dewan, Steve Kazee, Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian, and Caruso Founder & CEO Rick Caruso. 

The evening began with a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung by The Americana’s own Claudia Douge. Ava Michelle then kicked off the show, bringing to life the whimsical world of the Nutcracker, as Clara and the Sugarplum Fairy worked together to save Christmas.  Reveling in the show were young children from Para Los Ninos - an organization headquartered on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles serving thousands of children and families living in poverty with educational access, health care, and social services.

Nearly 20,000 Angelenos gathered for the show-stopping finale which featured Santa Claus’ grand arrival at The Americana at Brand, spectacular fireworks, the season’s first snowfall, and the lighting of the dazzling Christmas Tree: a majestic white fir standing at over 100 feet tall, taller than the tree at Rockefeller Center, and sparkling with 15,000 lights and more than 10,000 glittering ornaments.

This year, Mirrored Media created a new take on a classic Christmas tale to wow and entertain the audience at The Americana at Brand. The show featured a variety of acts, including magic, dance, and singing, as well as a special surprise appearance by Santa Claus.

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  Steve Kazee, Jenna Dewan, Leighton Meester, Rick Caruso

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  West Angeles Choir

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  Ava Michelle

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  Jenna Dewan

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  Claudia Douge

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  Ella Rossi and Joseph Tran

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