Christmas Mountain
Conceived and created by Piehole
Presented by WNYC's The Greene Space and New Georges
December 1 - 21, 2022 @ The Green Space / Available online @ Xmasmountain.com
Dedicated to Elliot B. Quick's laugh
Presented by WNYC's The Greene Space and New Georges
December 1 - 21, 2022 @ The Green Space / Available online @ Xmasmountain.com
Dedicated to Elliot B. Quick's laugh
Piehole’s Christmas Mountain—an interactive “advent calendar” window display that featured animatronics, embedded videos, and original music on a handcrafted diorama—appeared during December, 2022 in the windows of The Greene Space at WNYC and WQXR in SoHo / Hudson Square. The story of Christmas Mountain unfolded for passersby - and viewers online at xmasmountain.com - for 21 days, culminating on the Winter Solstice on December 21.
WNYC radio talk show host Brian Lehrer narrates the story that takes place in a snowy hamlet populated by mice at the base of Christmas Mountain, which is topped by an antenna that funnels signals from the “Christmas-sphere” into the town and onto the mice’s TVs. This year, the signal is on the fritz, and one grumpy mouse–the story’s hero–must descend to the center of the mountain to fix it so that the town can fulfill their beloved pastime of watching TV on the Winter Solstice. The clock is ticking! Along the way, our plucky hero encounters adventure at every turn, including a visit to a magical costume shop, a ride with a benevolent bus full of nuns, and broadcasts from an alternate Crust-mas dimension.
In creating this family-friendly installation—which drew inspiration from a range of Christmas traditions throughout history—Piehole has brought together the work of over 20 artists from different disciplines, backgrounds and aesthetics, who convey the delightful, layered, incongruous, kitschy, profound and fraught aspects of this seemingly monolithic holiday. In Christmas Mountain, a holiday we think we know becomes a journey into the unknown.
Time Out said it was one of five must-see Christmas window displays of 2022.
WNYC radio talk show host Brian Lehrer narrates the story that takes place in a snowy hamlet populated by mice at the base of Christmas Mountain, which is topped by an antenna that funnels signals from the “Christmas-sphere” into the town and onto the mice’s TVs. This year, the signal is on the fritz, and one grumpy mouse–the story’s hero–must descend to the center of the mountain to fix it so that the town can fulfill their beloved pastime of watching TV on the Winter Solstice. The clock is ticking! Along the way, our plucky hero encounters adventure at every turn, including a visit to a magical costume shop, a ride with a benevolent bus full of nuns, and broadcasts from an alternate Crust-mas dimension.
In creating this family-friendly installation—which drew inspiration from a range of Christmas traditions throughout history—Piehole has brought together the work of over 20 artists from different disciplines, backgrounds and aesthetics, who convey the delightful, layered, incongruous, kitschy, profound and fraught aspects of this seemingly monolithic holiday. In Christmas Mountain, a holiday we think we know becomes a journey into the unknown.
Time Out said it was one of five must-see Christmas window displays of 2022.
Images of the installation, the embedded videos, and the website
CREDITS
Story Tara Ahmadinejad, Alexandra Panzer, Emilie Soffe, Ben Vigus and Jeff Wood Direction Tara Ahmadinejad, Alexandra Panzer, Emilie Soffe, Ben Vigus and Jeff Wood Produced by Piehole in collaboration with New Georges Associate Producer Jefferson White Commissioned Artists Christmas Magic Show (featured in Episodes 2, 6, 10, and 18): Maiko Kikuchi, Episode 5 and 9: Danny Cannizzaro & Toni Ann DeNoble, Episode 15, 16, and 17: Erma Fiend Original Music Jason Sigal, lyrics by Jeff Wood Line Producer Kathryn Wallem Video Editing (Non-commissioned episodes): Emilie Soffe, Ben Vigus, Alexandra Panzer Production Design Alexandra Panzer Technical Director Mitchell Dose Set Decoration Alexandra Panzer, Natalie Hill, Sarah Lammer, Kathryn Wallem and Elise Wunderlich Animatronics Lead Kyle “Motor Mouse” Luntz Animatronics Designers Sarah Lammer, Jeff Wood Installation Lighting Masha Tsimring Lighting Assistant Emily Schmit Lead Creative Technologist Nick Hussong Creative Technologists Nick Chimienti, Jamie Godwin Systems Integrator, Network Engineer Steven Blasberg Sound Design Ben Vigus, Emilie Soffe, Alexandra Panzer Installation Sound Ben Vigus Installation Vinyl Design Emilie Soffe Web Design, XmasMountain.com reid tang Mobile Interface Web Development Luyang Yang Research Lead Allison LaPlatney
CAST
Narrator Brian Lehrer Christmas Mouse Emilie Soffe Silver Dormouse Benoit Johnson Softstocking White Jeff Wood Edam Meriweather Alexandra Panzer Parliamentarian Spindle Ben Vigus Nuns Toni Ann DeNoble Lady Vermin Allison LaPlatney Gent Vermin Brendan Crowley Wooden Kathryn Wallem Teaspoon Alexandra Panzer Marble Ben Vigus Yaldo Emilie Soffe Ulbee Alexandra Panzer Bweedle & Bwaddle Jeff Wood Baby Mouse Rowan Tong
SPECIAL THANKS
The Greene Space at WNYC / Jennifer Sendrow / Aude Mulliez / Ricardo Fernandez / Chase Culpon / Amber Wright / Brian Lehrer / Dalia Dagher / Jennifer Houlihan Roussel / Elizabeth Cornell / Kate Schlesinger / K Letter / Eric Weber / Kristina Newman-Scott / Jefferson White / Allen Riley (for "Christmas Socks”) / Jacqueline Soffe / Natalie Jenkins / Beam Center / Stefania Bulbarella / Ryan Gedrich / Natalie Jablonski / Rachael Balcanoff / Andrew Cerrito / Emily Savin / Jeff Doyle / Mac Graphic Services LLC / Maureen MacCutcheon / Tim Maccutcheon / Five Ohm / Ryan Douglass / Shane Ruth