TSO, the laser-pyro prog-rock extravaganza that has played 1,600 shows for 11 million fans in the past 15 years, will kick off an ambitious North American tour on Nov. 13 to finally bring rock operaThe Christmas Attic to the stage.

The 1998 album, which contains popular song Christmas Canon, is the only title in its "Christmas trilogy" that has never been performed live.

TSO is compensating with a turbo-charged itinerary, playing more than 120 shows in 71 cities over 52 days. Two TSO troupes will be touring simultaneously, and many stops offer afternoon and evening shows.

Founded in 1993 by producer/composer Paul O'Neill, TSO began touring in 1999, drawing huge audiences for its high-tech productions with string sections, lasers, props, videos and specials effects.

"After kicking off the New Year in front of two million fans at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, followed by our second European tour, the band felt that a perfect way to end the year would be to perform the only rock opera from the trilogy that has never been seen live," O'Neill said in a release. "Some of the songs off The Christmas Attic have never been played live. As I have always said, it is fun to write the songs, it is fun to record them, but they are never really completed until we perform them in front of a live arena audience."

The second half of the show will showcase such TSO classics as Wizards In Winter,Requiem and Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24.

To coincide with the tour, The Christmas Attic album will be reissued with bonus tracks and in a vinyl edition. The opera tells the story of a young girl who sneaks into the attic of her parents' home on Christmas Eve while she should be sleeping and discovers a trunk filled with ornaments, toys, old records and handwritten letters, one of which leads to a magical adventure.

In keeping with tradition, a portion of ticket sales will benefit local charities, which have received $11 million in TSO donations to date.