Along with music, dancing and folklore, this year's edition of The Christmas Revels features a glimpse of Santa's dark side.

The Revels - an interactive holiday performance with music at its heart - is set this year in 19th-century Bavaria, where holiday traditions range from the familiar to the surprising.

It seems the Bavarian Santa, Sankt Nikolaus, has an alter ego, Knecht Rupprecht.

"If you pulled Santa Claus apart into the good Santa and the bad Santa, Rupprecht is the darker side of St. Nick," says Mary Lynn, director of the Revels. "He wants to keep track of who's been bad, and he wants to switch the bad children and give them coal."

"He can be scary," she adds. "I have a German friend who was afraid of Rupprecht. But ours isn't going to be scary. He's going to be funny."

While the show has some characters, it's built around a large chorus. Lynn says those new to it aren't always sure what to expect.

To read Molly Gilmore's full feature, click here.

The Christmas Revels

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 and 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 20 and Wednesday, Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.
$12-$27, $12-$23.50 for students and seniors, $12-$19.50 for children
Rialto Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma
pugetsoundrevels.org or broadwaycenter.org