The past three Christmas seasons have been a magical time at the Show Me Center.

Each of those years, one of the biggest visual and sound spectaculars in the country visited the venue, bringing a little Christmas entertainment magic to a place where concerts, especially of this sort, are not an everyday occurrence. But this year the Christmas magic will not visit the Show Me Center, as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra apparently has no plans to perform here.

There will be a lump of coal in the Show Me Center's stocking.

Earlier this week, or maybe late last week, the Christmas-rock-opera touring show announced its 2007-2008 season tour dates -- more than 130 shows all across the country and into Canada, but none in Cape Girardeau.

The news seems to have really affected a lot of local TSO fans. My blog, Shaking Off Daylight, started jumping with the news before I even knew about it (thanks for the tip, bloggers).

One fan, Dana Johnston of Jackson, has even started an e-mail petition to send to TSO's management, trying to persuade them to bring the show back to Cape Girardeau.

I can't say I have direct, personal knowledge of why TSO decided not to book the Show Me Center. All I know is what the Show Me Center's marketing director, Shannon Buford, has told me. He cites two reasons. One is that the tour changed its route year, knocking Cape Girardeau out of the loop.

Though our fair city was a regular TSO stop on the last three tours, the turnout was always heavy (and getting heavier) and the band expressed great love for playing in Cape Girardeau, the Show Me Center was always what the concert industry calls a "one-off," a supplemental date added to a tour to make some cash on a day with no shows scheduled.

A different promoter handled the tour than the one that organized our local show, AEG Live out of St. Louis. AEG Live has no information on this year's tour.

However, the tour does come our way, playing two Kansas City shows on Dec. 8 and two St. Louis shows Dec. 9. No more shows are booked until Dec. 12 shows in Greenville, S.C., and Omaha, Neb. (TSO actually has two touring companies, which is how they can be in two cities at the same time). So there are a few days off there, but I suspect the tour members might want those days off to see their families. It is the holidays, after all.

But probably more important is the other reason Buford gave: that the show has just become too massive for the small Show Me Center to accommodate the gigantic stage setup.

Anyone who watched TSO's three previous Cape Girardeau concerts knows the enormity of this show. Part of the beauty is the spectacular visuals afforded by the monstrous setup. This isn't a rock concert, it's a theatrical experience -- lasers, fake snow, dozens of musicians and actors.

So it would make sense that TSO -- as its already massively popular tours attract even more interest -- wants to make the show even bigger and better.

Unfortunately, we're the victims of urbanization.

I tried to get an explanation from TSO management, but haven't heard back from them yet, so I can't give you their side of the story.

TSO's concerts have been a nice little Christmas treat while we've had the chance to enjoy them. Sure, the story is largely the same from year to year. It can get a little melodramatic, even cheesy at times. But at the same time, it can be poignant, emotionally moving and packed with the holiday spirit of love for your fellow man, or woman, as it may be.

Even me, a guy who commonly scoffs at overt displays of emotion like hope and love in art, was touched by seeing the production. That doesn't happen easily with my somewhat cynical attitude.

I know I'm not the only one who'll miss TSO -- foremost among the disappointed masses might be our publisher, Jon Rust, who put the weight of our newspaper behind the concert every year.

But for the fans who want to see the show bad enough, there's always St. Louis. That's where I see most of the shows I like, because there's really no market for the kind of on-the-fringe rock I enjoy here in Southeast Missouri.

Welcome to my world, TSO fans. Get ready to buy your ticket for the St. Louis show.

Maybe next year TSO will return, and give us some light and sound jewels instead of that lump of coal. Maybe they'll decide to book those early December days off this year and scale down their show for our small arena.

Don't count on it, but we can hope, right? Hope is what the TSO rock opera narrative is all about.

If they don't come back, at least we have our memories.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182