ShareThis

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studio’s legendary Studios A & B where Sinatra, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole all etched their Christmas standards, A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas is an eclectic combination of full orchestral arrangements, along with big band, a bit of tropical island flavor, pop and country.

In addition to well-known Christmas classics such as “Silver Bells” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” Chenoweth reinterprets Louis Armstrong’s modern standard “What A Wonderful World” and children’s favorite “Sing,” (originally written for Sesame Street’s loveable Big Bird) into a Christmas songs with the help of acclaimed producer Robbie Buchanan (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow) and Executive Producer Jay Landers (Streisand, Midler, Manilow, Celine Dion and Josh Groban).

The album also features new compositions of “Home On Christmas Day,” co-written by Grammy Award winning producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion) and Jay Landers and “Born On Christmas Day,” with lyrics by Grammy winning pop/soul singing legend Peabo Bryson.

On choosing to record a Christmas album Chenoweth says “From the minute I signed with Sony Classical eight years ago, I wanted to record a Christmas album. I grew up listening to Barbra Streisand’s Christmas album, and that was such an inspiration to me. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I am blessed and excited to be able to do my own Christmas album.”

This fall Kristin will be featured in a new comedy Four Christmases directed by Seth Gordon and starring alongside Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. She also continues her role in ABC’s Pushing Daisies for which she was recently nominated for an Emmy. Kristin can also be heard as the voice of the fairy, Rosetta, in Walt Disney Picture’s Tinkerbell this fall and she just wrapped filming the independent film, Into Temptation, directed by Sundance filmmaker Patrick Coyle opposite Jeremy Sisto.

Track Listing:
1 I’ll Be Home For Christmas
2 Christmas Island
3 The Christmas Waltz
4 Do You Hear What I Hear?
5 Marshmallow Ride / Sleigh Ride
6 Sing
7 Silver Bells
8 Come On Ring Those Bells
9 What Child Is This?
10 Home On Christmas Day
11 Born On Christmas Day
12 Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World

For more information please contact:
Kristen Foster – PMK/HBH, Kristen.Foster@pmkhbh.com, 212-373-6108
Angela Barkan – SONY BMG, angela.barkan@sonybmg.com, 212-833-8575

ShareThis

09/16/08
By Scotty Thompson
Email this story to a friend

Why in the world would I be writing about a Christmas song, the most popular Christmas song ever and one of the most popular songs of all time, in the still hot month of September? Just as the stores are getting ready to display their Christmas goods, it is time to celebrate the 151st anniversary of the publishing of Jingle Bells. What you might not know it was written by a Georgia man, James Pierpont of Savannah, Ga. To understand why a Georgian, who rarely sees snow at Christmas time, would write such a wintry worded tune, let’s take a look back at its author. James Pierpont was born in 1822 in Boston, Mass. His father, the Rev. John Pierpont, was a staunch abolitionist and somewhat noted poet of his day. At the age of 10, James wrote a letter to his mother which contained a poem about riding in a sleigh. As James grew older he became discontented with his life and ran away to sea. After nine years aboard sailing ships, James returned home to New York, where his father was serving a Unitarian church in Troy. Restless and determined to travel, Pierpont left his wife and family to get in on the California Gold Rush of 1849. His business failed and he returned home to his family, who were then in Medford, Mass.

In 1853, James, at the age of 31, made a life altering decision. He decided to join his brother, John Pierpont, Jr., who had accepted the call to serve a Unitarian church in Savannah. Once again his family remained in New England while James went off another adventure. To earn his keep, James served as the organist and choir director of the church. He taught music and singing lessons on the side as well.

Following the death of his first wife in 1856, Pierpont married Eliza Purse, daughter of Savannah mayor Thomas Purse.

Soon after his marriage, James Pierpont published the song, “One Horse Open Sleigh”, Sept. 16, 1857 . The instantly popular song, published by Oliver Ditson and Company of Boston, was re-released in 1859 with its new and permanent title of “Jingle Bells”. Legend has it that “Jingle Bells” was first performed by a children’s choir during a Thanksgiving program in Savannah and later it was requested to be performed during a Christmas program.

Tensions began to mount between the Unitarians, who were in favor of the abolition of slavery, and local residents, Pierpont’s church closed its doors. His brother moved back home, but James remained in Savannah.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Pierpont, a true-blue Yankee, enlisted in the Isle of Hope Volunteers, a company of the First Georgia (later the Fifth) Cavalry. As the company clerk, Pierpont saw little action. He did however, continue to compose patriotic songs, which included “Our Battle Flag” and “Strike For the South”.

After the war, Pierpont, his wife and their four children moved to Valdosta. In 1869, the Pierponts moved once again, this time to Quitman, Fla. Pierpont taught music at the local academy as the head of the music department.

In 1893, James Pierpont died at his home in Winter Haven, Fla., in a land far far away from the snowy land of his birth. At his request, his body was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery next to his brother-in-law, Thomas Purse, who had been killed in Manassas, Va., at the Battle of Bull Run, the first battle of the Civil War.

And now you know the origin of the world’s most famous non-secular Christmas song. What you might not know is that “Jingle Bells” was the first song to be sung in outer space. On Dec. 16, 1965, astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra played and sang. They reported observing a command module with a red suited pilot and eight smaller modules in front as they orbited the North Pole.

The name Pierpont may also be familiar to you. Pierpont’s father, the Rev. John Pierpont, was the grandfather of John Pierpont Morgan, known simply as “J.P. Morgan,” who was one of the richest men in America in the 19th Century. James Pierpont never made much money on the song which has been played and performed millions and millions of times. His family had to struggle just to keep his name as the writer of this timeless classic.

But wait a minute, the story doesn’t end here. The people of Savannah were right proud of Pierpont and his famous song. In 1985, they erected a marker under the water oaks of Troup Square commemorating Pierpont’s serving as music director of the Unitarian Church which fronts on the square, but which originally fronted on Oglethorpe Square.

The marker actually does not claim that Pierpont actually wrote the song while he was in Savannah, but many Savannahians do, and some adamantly so. It is without issue that the song was copyrighted while Pierpont lived in Savannah.

But the folks in Medford, Mass., are just as adamant that the song was first written in Simpson’s Tavern in their town and not way down in the South. Their argument has some merit in that snowfall in Savannah is extremely rare. However, Pierpont was in California in 1850 and could not have written the song as the Medford residents so say. A second “War Between the States,” still simmers. Recently some historians, probably of the northern variety, have proffered evidence that the song was actually written and performed in Bedford in the 1840s. It also seems reasonable to believe that the song, published by the Savannah resident, most likely underwent final revisions in the four years while James Pierpont was residing in the City of Savannah.

I’ll wager that anyone, including myself, and excluding those who just googled the lyrics knows the final verse of Jingle Bells; “Now the ground is white. Go it while you’re young. Take the girls tonight and sing this sleighing song; Just get a bob tailed bay - two forty as his speed. Hitch him to an open sleigh and crack! you take the lead.”

— Scott Thompson is a local attorney and avid historian.

ShareThis

Ready For The ‘Million Voices Tour’ This Fall
 
Fervent Records’ talented trio BarlowGirl is ready to spend this Christmas season with you, and many more to come, with their first holiday project, Home For Christmas. The CD is slated to release September 23rd, 2008. 

Produced by long-time friend Otto Price (GRITS, dcTalk) and arranged by Price and BarlowGirl, Home For Christmas is a timeless recording of songs ideal for ushering in the holiday season. The eleven tracks, finely showcasing BarlowGirl’s well-known seamless harmonies, offer full orchestral arrangements of Christmas favorites along with an original recording, “Hallelujah (Light Has Come).”
 
Before they even formed BarlowGirl, the rock trio - Rebecca, Alyssa and Lauren Barlow - have dreamt of making an album of their favorite Christmas songs since their youth. Blessed with joyous family holiday memories from singing carols to baking cookies for neighbors, BarlowGirl knows firsthand Christmas is a special time of year to bring joy to others, to reach out and help provide for those in need. With each of the tracks found on Home For Christmas, there is no doubt they uniquely capture what the holiday season is all about, making this a classic compilation to enjoy for years to come.

Home For Christmas song listing:
1.    It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
2.    Carol Of The Bells/Sing We Now Of Christmas
3.    I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
4.    Hallelujah (Light Has Come)
5.    O Little Town Of Bethlehem
6.    What Child Is This?
7.    Panis Angelicus
8.    Angelic Proclamation (O Come All Ye Faithful/Angels We Have Heard On High/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)
9.    Go, Tell It On The Mountain
10.  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
11.  Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
 
In addition to their upcoming holiday release, BarlowGirl announced in July they are headlining their Million Voices Tour this fall, a unique 16+ market nationwide tour that will be sure to encourage concert-goers to speak hope, truth and love to others. Also continuing their partnership with Mercy Ministries - a program that provides young women hope and healing who are seeking freedom from life-controlling issues such as addictions, depression, eating disorders, and abuse - BarlowGirl will share with their audiences about the organization and encourage them to get involved. With the help of their fans, BarlowGirl has set a goal to raise $1,000,000 to build a new home for Mercy Ministries, whose waiting list is in the hundreds.
 
The Million Voices Tour starts September 10th and will run through mid-November. Joining the sisters on the tour is Jimmy Needham along with Brooke Barrettsmith. Tour dates are listed below and for the most updated tour information, please visit www.barlowgirl.com or www.myspace.com/barlowgirl. For more information about Mercy Ministries, visit www.mercyministries.org. 

The Million Voices tour dates*:
9/12    The Woodlands, TX
9/13    Cleburne, TX
9/14    Waco, TX
9/16    Midland, TX
9/17    Los Cruces, NM
9/19    Parker, CO
9/20    Albuquerque, NM
9/21    Mesa, AZ
9/24    Oceanside, CA
9/25    Riverside, CA
9/26    Camarillo, CA
9/27    Bakersfield, CA
9/28    San Jose, CA
9/30    Redding, CA
 
10/2    Vancouver, WA
10/3    Wenatchee, WA
10/4    Spokane, WA
10/5    Kennewick, WA
10/7    Salt Lake City, UT
10/8    Casper, WY
10/9    Kearney, NE
10/11    Duluth, MN
10/12    Elgin, IL
10/23    Clarksville, TN
10/24    St. Louis, MO
10/25    Jonesboro, AR
10/26    Madison, AL
10/30    Sioux Falls, SD
10/31    Jamestown, ND
 
11/1    Minneapolis, MN
11/2    Iowa City, IA
11/6    Springfield, MO 
11/7    Cincinnati, OH
11/8    Shippensburg, PA
11/9    Vineland, NJ
 
*Schedule subject to change. Please visit www.barlowgirl.com for the most updated tour schedule

ShareThis

Available for the first time on CD and only on THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S
WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is the compilation’s most recent track — “Mistletoe”
from Colbie Caillat.  The track was a Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit last
Christmas, selling more than 116,000 digital downloads.  From much-loved
recordings from Caillat and two other newer artists, Carrie Underwood and
Ledisi, to vintage gems from legends Elvis Presley and John Lennon and Yoko
Ono; from traditionalists Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Gene
Autry, the Harry Simeone Chorale and Burl Ives to pop greats Elton John, The
Beach Boys and Jackson 5; from R&B superstars The Temptations and Donny
Hathaway to children’s favorites The Chipmunks and Elmo & Patsy; from Chuck
Berry, Paul McCartney, and Jose Feliciano to Amy Grant, Wham!, and Daryl Hall
& John Oates, THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is the musical
gift of the season.

THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! is a joint venture from
EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and the Zomba
Group of labels.  THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! will be
distributed by Universal Music Group.

THE ESSENTIAL NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS!
1. John Lennon and Yoko Ono   Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
2. Elvis Presley  Blue Christmas
3. Andy Williams  It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
4. Dean MartinBaby, It's Cold Outside
5. Johnny Mathis  It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6. Harry Simeone Chorale  The Little Drummer Boy
7. Burl Ives  A Holly Jolly Christmas
8. Gene Autry Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
9. The Beach Boys Little Saint Nick
10. The Chipmunks The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
11. Jackson 5 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
12. Chuck Berry   Run Rudolph Run
13. Elmo & Patsy  Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
14. Brenda LeeRockin' Around The Christmas Tree
15. Jose FelicianoFeliz Navidad
16. Donny HathawayThis Christmas
17. Paul McCartneyWonderful Christmastime
18. Elton JohnStep Into Christmas
19. Wham! Last Christmas
20. Daryl Hall & John Oates   Jingle Bell Rock
21. Carrie Underwood  Do You Hear What I Hear
22. Amy Grant Breath Of Heaven
23. Colbie CaillatMistletoe
24. LedisiThis Christmas (Could Be The One)
25. The Temptations   Silent Night

The NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! series debuted in the United States in
1998 after the NOW brand had been an enormous, multi-platinum international
success for 15 years.  With 70 volumes released to date in the U.K., the NOW
series has generated sales of over 160 million albums worldwide, including
over 70 million copies in the U.S.  Every album in the NOW series has reached
the Billboard Top 10, with NOW 3 the first non-soundtrack, multi-artist
collection in history to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Sales Chart.

NOW 1 (October 1998, certified platinum)
NOW 2 (July 1999, certified double platinum)
NOW 3 (December 1999, certified double platinum)
NOW 4 (July 2000, the first compilation ever to debut at #1 on the
 Billboard Top 200, certified double platinum)
NOW 5 (November 2000, certified quadruple platinum)
NOW 6 (April 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 triple platinum)
NOW 7 (July 2001, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified triple
 platinum)
NOW 8 (November 2001, certified triple platinum)
NOW 9 (April 2002, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 double platinum)
NOW 10 (July 2002, certified platinum)
NOW 11 (November 2002, certified double platinum)
NOW 12 (March 2003, certified platinum)
NOW 13 (July 2003, certified platinum)
NOW 14 (April 2004, certified triple platinum)
NOW 15 (May 2004, certified double platinum)
NOW 16 (July 2004, certified triple platinum)
NOW 17 (November 2004, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 triple platinum)
NOW 18 (March 2005, certified platinum)
NOW 19 (July 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 double platinum)
NOW 20 (November 2005, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 double platinum)
NOW 21 (April 2006, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 platinum)
NOW 22 (July 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 platinum)
NOW 23 (November 2006, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 platinum)
NOW 24 (March 2007, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 platinum)
NOW 25 (July 2007, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, certified
 platinum)
NOW 26 (November 2007, certified platinum)
NOW 27 (March 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, pending
 platinum certification)
NOW 28 (June 2008, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, pending
 platinum certification)

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! (October 2001, certified sextuple
 platinum)
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! The Signature Collection (September
 2003, certified double platinum)
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! 3 (October 2006, certified platinum)

SOURCE  Universal Music Enterprises

ShareThis

“I’ve always dreamed of doing a Christmas album,” Groves says. “Christmas music was such a part of life growing up. We had a huge stack of records that only get played for one month of the year. Ultimately I wanted to convey this story of Christ that’s been told so many times with as much artistry and creativity as possibly because it bears repeating,” she says.
 
Produced by Ben Shive, O Holy Night was originally intended to be an advent album for her family that would consist solely of sacred Christmas songs. When she began working on it, though, she decided to include some of her favourite songs about her family’s Christmas traditions.
 
One such song (one of four originals) is “To Be With You,” about Groves’ family Christmas, a sentimental snapshot of their gathering at her grandma’s house. Another is the fun song any parent who’s stayed up late on Christmas eve can relate to, “Toy Packaging,” which mimics how manufacturers twisty-tie and rivet everything to pieces of cardboard, saying,  “my self-esteem is in the can, trying to open the robot man.”

Among the sacred Christmas songs included, “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” both have personal meanings to Groves; the latter recorded with family and friends gathered around, singing together.

About the first, which turned out to be one of her favourites on the album, Groves says,  “I hadn’t really thought about this song, but the lyrics jumped off the page to me. My family has had a really hard year. We’ve had some death and pain. The second verse of this song talks about “over our sad plains the angels sing.” It talks about how they come to sing about Christ, and “still through broken skies they come.” I was in tears reading the lyrics. It goes back to the theme of peace. You’re not traveling alone. You’re not laboring in vain. You’re not carrying this hardship for no reason. Over this, God still has His way.”

ShareThis

Rascal Flatts is pretty much guaranteeing yuletide sales by doubling up on their Greatest Hits Volume 1, which comes out Oct. 28 in a limited-edition, foil package featuring two CDs: One features 13 of their trademark songs — including “Bless The Broken Road,” “What Hurts The Most” and “Life Is A Highway” — while the other presents three new Christmas performances. The holiday titles, available only for a limited time, are “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and an a cappella rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

The hits cover the first four albums of Rascal Flatts’ career but dodge the singles from their current Still Feels Good album: “Every Day,” “Take Me There,” “Winner At A Losing Game” and “Bob That Head.”

“Winner” is, however, being included on the compilation album NOW That’s What I Call Country, which is being released Tuesday. Among the 20 hits on the project are familiar songs by Keith Urban, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Sara Evans, Brad Paisley and Trace Adkins.

The track list for Greatest Hits Volume 1 follows:
• “Prayin’ For Daylight”
• “I’m Movin’ On”
• “These Days”
• “I Melt”
• “Mayberry”
• “Feels Like Today”
• “Bless The Broken Road”
• “Fast Cars And Freedom”
• “Skin (Sarabeth)”
• “My Wish”
• “What Hurts The Most”
• “Stand”
• “Life Is A Highway”
• “White Christmas” (bonus)
• “Jingle Bell Rock” (bonus)
• “I’ll Be Home For Christmas ” (bonus)

ShareThis

As the seasons change and the end of the year draws near, even the most forward thinking and cutting-edge artists take a nostalgic moment to count their blessings. Spyro Gyra has spent more than three decades pushing the boundaries and definitions of jazz beyond the commonly accepted parameters. In so doing, they continue to forge an edgy, enduring sound that incorporates some of the best elements of jazz and merges them with R&B, pop, Latin and various other styles.

But it isn’t always about breaking new ground. All five of these talented innovators – saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, pianist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush and drummer Bonny B – agree that there’s a time and a place for reconnecting with tradition and celebrating the fundamental values at the core of their music and their lives.

This year, Spyro Gyra celebrates the holiday season with A Night Before Christmas (HUCD 3145), a collection of eleven tracks that capture the yuletide spirit with a decidedly traditional jazz vibe. - Heads Up International

ShareThis

ShareThis

ShareThis

Rocker Melissa Etheridge is set to release a holiday album titled ‘A New Thought For Christmas’ on Sept. 30th through Island Records.

From an Island Records press release:

What if someone made a Christmas album for everybody else? That’s exactly what Melissa Etheridge has done. Working alongside her producer David Cole, Melissa’s songs celebrate a spiritual time of year where people can rejoice in their traditional, or non-traditional ways, and celebrate a winter solstice filled with love and peace.

This ten song album has newly composed songs such as “Ring The Bells,” “Light A Light,” and “It’s Christmas Time” interspersed with traditional holiday standards such as “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Blue Christmas.”

This album begs the question, “If we’re all talking about peace on earth, what if we all concentrated on peace on earth and made it happen?”

Melissa Etheridge has been a core Island Records artist since the release of her critically-acclaimed eponymous debut, which led to an invitation to sing on the 1989 Grammy Awards broadcast. 

For several years, Melissa’s popularity built around such memorable songs as “Bring Me Some Water” (from her debut), “No Souvenirs” (from 1989’s ‘Brave And Crazy’) and “Ain’t It Heavy” (from 1992’s ‘Never Enough’), for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal.
 
Melissa hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, 1993’s ‘Yes I Am,’ featuring the massive hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought her second Best Female Rock Grammy. 

The album went six times platinum and spent more than two and a half years on the album chart.  In 1995, she issued her highest charting album, ‘Your Little Secret’ (#6 on the Billboard Top 200), which included the hit single, “I Want to Come Over.” 

Her astounding success led Melissa to receive the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards in 1996.
 
Melissa continued to write, record, and tour throughout the ’90s and into the new millennium.  In 2006, she was approached by Al Gore to write a song for his documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth. 

The result was “I Need To Wake Up” and in February 2007, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.  Melissa’s ‘Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled’ was repackaged to include the OSCAR® winning song.  In April 2007, Melissa Etheridge received the distinguished ASCAP Founders Award honoring the anthemic power, compassion, and generosity of spirit of her music, and her enduring status as one of the greatest all-time female rock icons. 

In September 2007, she released ‘The Awakening,’ which was selected by Rolling Stone Magazine as #20 on its Top 50 albums of 2007.

ShareThis

Kenny Rogers 2008 Tour Dates
8/20/2008 - Vienna, VA - The Filene Center
8/22/2008 - Harrington, DE - Harrington Raceway
8/23/2008 - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion
8/30/2008 - Tuskahoma, OK - Choctaw Grounds & Amphitheatre
9/6/2008 - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Alabama Theatre
9/12/2008 - Norman, OK - Riverwind Casino
9/13/2008 - Thackerville, OK - Winstar Casino
10/1/2008, 10/2/2008 - Minot, ND - Norsk Hostfest All Season Arena Show
10/3/2008 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino/Mystic Showroom
10/4/2008 - Hammond, IN - The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino
10/5/2008 - Effingham, IL - The Rosebud Theatre
10/13/2008 - Gillette, WY - The Wyoming Center at CAM-PLEX
10/14/2008 - Great Falls, MT - Four Seasons Arena
10/16/2008 - Victoria, British Columbia - Save On Foods Memorial Centre
10/18/2008 - Kelowna, British Columbia - Prospera Place
10/19/2008 - Prince George, British Columbia - CN Centre
10/20/2008 - Grande Prairie, Alberta - Crystal Centre
10/21/2008 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
10/22/2008 - Lethbridge, Alberta - Enmax Centre
10/24/2008 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
10/25/2008 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
10/26/2008 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
10/27/2008 - Thunder Bay, Ontario - Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
10/30/2008 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Center
12/1/2008 - London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre
12/3/2008 - Sudbury, Ontario - Sudbury Arena
12/4/2008-12/7/2008 - Rama, Ontario - Casino Rama
12/9/2008 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino Showroom
12/10/2008 - Westbury, NY - Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury
12/11/2008 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
12/12/2008, 12/13/2008 - Atlantic City, NJ - Trump Taj Mahal Casino
12/14/2008 - New Brunswick, NJ - State Theatre
12/15/2008 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
12/19/2008 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino Showroom

ShareThis

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas will open at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre Nov. 23, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the producers announced on Aug. 19.

Tickets will go on sale exclusively to American Express card members starting Aug. 20 through Sept. 17 (visit broadway.yahoo.com). Tickets will go sale to the general public on Sept. 21.

The musical comedy confection based on the Paramount film of the same name has played acclaimed engagements in San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles and St. Paul. As previously announced, previews for the Broadway debut of the splashy Walter Bobbie-directed production begin Nov. 14. Performances will play (sometimes nine times a week) through Jan. 4, 2009.

Casting information will be announced shortly. The company is expected to be drawn partly from past troupes that have appeared in the show regionally.

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is produced by Kevin McCollum, John Gore, Tom McGrath, Paul Blake, The Producing Office, Dan Markley, Sonny Everett and Broadway Across America in association with Paramount Pictures.

According to producers, “Every holiday season, audiences of all ages enjoy the uplifting story of [the movie] ‘White Christmas.’ Now, a new generation will be able to experience this holiday tradition in a completely new way — live on stage. With the Broadway arrival of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the show is poised to become New York’s newest holiday tradition.”

The musical tells the story of two showbiz buddies who put on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn, and find their perfect mates — a sister act, no less — in the bargain.

White Christmas has a book by David Ives (Is He Dead?) and Paul Blake, choreography by Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner (42nd Street), set design by Tony Award nominee Anna Louizos (In the Heights, Avenue Q), costumes by Tony Award nominee Carrie Robbins (Grease, Over Here), lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington (Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, Annie), sound design by Tony Award nominee Acme Sound Partners (In the Heights, Spamalot), orchestrations by Tony Award nominee Larry Blank (The Drowsy Chaperone), vocal and dance arrangements by Bruce Pomahac, music supervision by Rob Berman, and casting by Jay Binder C.S.A.

The show’s song list includes classics by composer-lyricist Berlin: “Count Your Blessings,” “I Love a Piano,” “Sisters,” “How Deep is the Ocean” and the title song.

Beginning Sept. 21, tickets prices will be $66.50, $91.50 and $121.50 (including $1.50 facility fee), and are available through Ticketmaster by calling (212) 307-4100, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Marquis Theatre box office (1535 Broadway).

For group sales details and pricing call The Group Sales Box Office at (800) 223-7565 or visit www.bestofbroadway.com.

*

Beginning Nov. 14, the show will play the following unique performance schedule per week:

Week of Nov. 10
Friday & Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 7 PM, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM.

Week of Nov. 17
Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday at 7 PM, Sunday evening at 6 PM (Opening Night), Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2 PM.

Week of Nov. 24
Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday at 7 PM, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM.

Weeks of Dec. 1 and Dec. 8
Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday & Sunday at 7 PM, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM.

Week of Dec. 15
Wednesday-Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday & Sunday at 7 PM, Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM.

Week of Dec. 22
Monday, Friday & Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday & Sunday at 7 PM, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM. Dark on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

Week of Dec. 29
Monday, Friday & Saturday at 8 PM, Tuesday at 7 PM, Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2 PM, DARK - New Year’s Eve & Day Dec. 31 & Jan. 1, 2009. Final performance: Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009.

For more information visit www.whitechristmasthemusical.com.

ShareThis

The R-e-s-p-e-c-t singer has been put off releasing a festive album for years because her managers assured her such an album would never sell.

But now Franklin is out to prove them wrong as she joins the likes of Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill and Al Jarreau, who will all be hitting the Christmas music market with carols and festive favourites later this year (08).

She says, “It was just so grossly remiss that I have not had a Christmas album. It was just ridiculous.

“I was told at one point that they (Christmas albums) didn’t make any money, but that’s not the point at all.

“I’d be at home cooking and enjoying the holidays and listening to everybody but myself. I wasn’t enjoying that.”

Franklin’s This Christmas album will be released in October.

Wenn

ShareThis

ShareThis

He continued, “It’s either gonna be called ‘A Twisted Christmas…’ or ‘THE Twisted Christmas – A Musical’. It tells a story, but it’s very much a concert event. But there’s a storyline going on between. The show is about 20 songs. The band are the only actors. There is a narrator, I will tell you that much, who fills in the spaces — he’s on video screen — and he tells — ala ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, to be honest — he helps move the story along and tell the story. If you saw ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, off Broadway, [a band] performs and then in between there is interaction, which further moves the story along. So it’s pretty involved. It’s a unique combination of things that have been done before and haven’t been done before. And the goal, really — ’cause we’re not playing ourselves, we’re playing a fictitious band in the musical — eventually is to, like the BLUE MAN GROUP, have a whole bunch of casts out there during the holiday season performing the show. So that’s the ultimate goal. So it’s in development, but it’s well on its way. Like I said, I finished the script, everybody loves it, and now I’m sinking my teeth into writing the album which we’ll start recording in January/February for release in 2009.”

On September 25, 2007, Razor & Tie Entertainment released “A Twisted Christmas Live”, a DVD of TWISTED SISTER’s holiday 2006 show at New Jersey’s legendary Starland Ballroom. The DVD features performances of tunes from “A Twisted Christmas” (which features rock n’ roll versions of beloved Christmas classics), as well as TWISTED SISTER’s greatest hits.

ShareThis

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ — When you are not only a
Grammy(R) Award-winning and multi platinum-selling artist, but also have three
best-selling Christmas CDs while selling over six million Christmas albums
overall, what do you do?  If you are Amy Grant, you hand-pick your favorites,
record four new songs, and put them all together in one special CD and digital
release.  Such is the case with Grant’s THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, which will
release nationwide on September 30th through AG Productions/Sparrow Records.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080812/LATU541)

Featuring the first new Christmas music recorded by Grant in nine years
(since 1999’s Christmas To Remember) THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION features
favorites including “Breath of Heaven,” “Grown Up Christmas List” and
“Tennessee Christmas,” along with new tracks produced by Brown Bannister
including original tunes “I Need A Silent Night,” co-written with Chris Eaton
(”Breath of Heaven”) including a special cameo from daughter Corrina as well
as “Baby It’s Christmas,” a song Grant co-wrote with husband Vince Gill.  The
result is a classic Christmas album reminiscent of the Bing Crosby, Frank
Sinatra, etc. albums of old (see full track listing below).

In support of the project, Grant will hit the road in early December for a
Christmas Tour that will also feature Vince Gill. Targeting 15 cities, Grant
will bring a festive and nostalgic evening to Baltimore, Atlanta, St Louis,
Nashville and more.

Just before the holiday season kicks into full swing Grant will tape a
“Holiday Celebration on Ice” on November 11th for NBC.  The special will
feature Grant singing Christmas favorites, along with Michael W. Smith, and
the skating talents of Olympic, World and National Champions including Nancy
Kerrigan and Viktor Petrenko.  Taped in HD, the special will be televised
nationally on NBC on Sunday, November 30th, as well as three separate times on
The Style Network between December 1 and 25, 2008, and shown a minimum of 20
times on the Universal HD network between December, 2008 and May, 2009.

For more information on Grant, THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, and her tours,
please go to http://www.amygrant.com.

Amy Grant’s career spans over 25 years and stretches from her roots in
gospel into an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality, and
philanthropist. Grant has sold more than 30 million albums and won six Grammys
(R) in multiple categories, beginning with the platinum-selling Age to Age in
1982. She also has six #1 hits, including “Baby, Baby,” and “Every Heartbeat”
and is one of only two Christian artists to be awarded a star on the legendary
Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Grant released her first live recording in 25 years
with Time Again…Amy Grant Live in September 2006, and then announced her
first ever label shift to EMI Music Group where her entire music catalog was
re-mastered and released via a GREATEST HITS CD and made available for the
first time digitally.   This fall she will release her first new Christmas
music in 9 years, which in addition to four new songs, features tracks that
were hand-picked by Grant to include the best songs from her previous albums
that result in a classic Christmas album reminiscent of the Bing Crosby, Frank
Sinatra, etc. albums of old.

AMY GRANT: THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (CD, Digital Album)
1.  Jingle Bells (NEW RECORDING)
2.  It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
3.  I Need A Silent Night (NEW RECORDING)
4.  Winter Wonderland
5.  Baby, It's Christmas (NEW RECORDING)
6.  Sleigh Ride
7.  Count Your Blessings (NEW RECORDING)
8.  Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing
9.  Silent Night
10. Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)
11. Joy To The World/For Unto Us A Child Is Born
12. Grown-Up Christmas List
13. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
14. Tennessee Christmas
15. A Christmas To Remember
16. O Come All Ye Faithful
17. A Mighty Fortress/Angels We Have Heard On High
18. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

AMY GRANT CHRISTMAS TOUR FEATURING VINCE GILL (all dates subject to
change)
Dec 4Albany, NY/Times Union
Dec 5Augusta, NE/Augusta Civic Center
Dec 6West Point, NY/Eisenhower Hall
Dec 7Mashantucket, CT/MGM Grand @ Foxwoods
Dec 10   Baltimore, MD/Lyric Opera House
Dec 11   Salisbury, MD/Wicomico
Dec 12   Manchester, NH/Verizon Wireless Arena
Dec 13   Worcester, MA/DCU Center
Dec 15   Atlanta, GA/Fox Theater
Dec 16   Charlotte, NC/Ovens Auditorium
Dec 20   St Charles, MO/Family Arena
Dec 22   Nashville, TN/Ryman
Dec 23   Nashville, TN/Ryman

SOURCE  AG Productions/Sparrow Records

ShareThis

    Partial track listing (not in sequence):
    "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Carrie Underwood
    "Blue Christmas" with Martina McBride
    "Here Comes Santa Claus" with LeAnn Rimes
    "Silent Night" with Sara Evans
    "Merry Christmas Baby" with Gretchen Wilson
    "Silver Bells" with Anne Murray
    "White Christmas" with Amy Grant
    "O Little Town" with Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big
     Town
    "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" with Wynonna Judd

ShareThis

From when I was very young I have been a fan of Bing Crosby.  His music and movies are some of my favorites.  At a very early age he became my idol.  In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that Bing Crosby is the father of American Christmas music.  I believe that all of the Christmas music that we listen to today, all of the artists that record Christmas albums are all a result of what Bing did with Christmas music beginning very early in his career.  His Recording of “White Christmas” for many years was the highest selling single of all time.  In fact it appeared in the top ten on the charts around Christmastime, almost twenty years in a row, Bing was the only artist to achieve such a fete.  It appeared in the top ten on the British charts as recently as 1998.

I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Bing’s wife, Kathryn Crosby this week and may I say it was one of the biggest thrills I’ve ever had.

She is vibrant and positive, as upbeat and cordial as I remember her on those many Crosby family Christmas specials that were an absolute tradition and event in our house as I grew up.  It was not an interview, but rather felt like I was chatting with an old family friend.  It’s not an uncommon occurrence for Mrs. Crosby, to have someone feel as if she’s an old friend, because she has selflessly shared herself and her life with Bing with all of us in ways that we could never thank her enough for.  She’s written three books about her life with Bing.  The first, “Bing and Other Things” published in 1967.  Next was her book “My Life with Bing” in 1983 and finally “My Last Years with Bing” in 2002. 

As Mrs. Crosby writes, one can truly feel how much she loved Bing and how much he loved her.  As I spoke with her a full thirty years since Bing passed away on a golf course in Spain, it is still clear that she loves him as much, if not more and that she still misses him dearly.  The reverence with which she describes Bing is heartwarming and in many ways humorous.

She shared a story with me where she was actually auditioning for Bing, something that Rosemary Clooney thought she was crazy for doing.  She sang the song from “Peter Pan” that the character of Peter sings about flying.  At the end of the song she asked Bing what he thought, he said, “hey you’re pretty good at that!”  Wanting further information Kathryn asked Bing what his favorite part was.  In typical Bing fashion he answered, “I really loved the way you crowed!”

Bing was a master.  He made everything he touched turn to gold and made it look effortless.  He moved audiences in ways that artists today could only dream of.  Mrs. Crosby described what she saw as one of the reasons. “It’s the songs!  A fine melody, a meaningful lyric” and an artist in touch with the material, those are the secrets.  Bing had that secret down to a science.

One of the things I was most interested in is what the Crosby Christmases were really like.  We as the audience had seen for many years in a row, the gorgeous family all talented and dressed in their Sunday best!  You could see the love that the children and Kathryn had for Bing, Mary Frances in particular.  She beamed at him, arms draped around his neck.  Mrs. Crosby explains in her book that Mary Frances was quite an expert entertainer even at that tender age.  While she loved her Dad, and the feelings we saw were genuine, she’d also figured out that the camera was on Bing for most of the time, so if she was snuggled in next to him, arms around his neck she’d be on camera too!  I wanted to know what the real home Christmases were like!  Mrs. Crosby said that “for us, Christmas could happen at anytime of the year.  We filmed the show at different times of the year and always had the true Christmas spirit.  I remember one year we filmed in Sun Valley, Idaho in April and had all the real snow we could stand!”  She described the Christmases that the family shared in their Hillsborough, CA home as large affairs with as many as sixty guests, all Crosby’s and Grandstaff’s (Mrs. Crosby’s maiden name).  She fondly recalled decorating their Christmas trees with homemade ornaments made from Styrofoam with family pictures glued to them.  And every year, Alan Fisher, longtime Crosby butler, would hoist Mary Frances by the ankles to the top of the tree to place the star.

Bing was truly a man’s man.  He loved hunting and fishing and all things that the great outdoors had to offer.  I remember in the early seventies watching ‘The American Sportsman” on ABC.  Bing and his longtime friend Phil Harris were bird hunting.  Bing seemed so real!  So down to earth!  So incredibly humble and unimpressed with his stature in the entertainment world.  This may have been why we loved him so, his cool and reachable nature, and his everyman persona.  Bing lived everyday of his life, even till his last.  Mrs. Crosby details a conversation that he had with his doctor a short time before he died.  Somehow Bing knew what was coming, and asked his doctor to take care of Kathryn and the kids.  Rather than be afraid to leave the house Bing lived and lived big.  On the day he died, he played a full eighteen holes of golf even beating some of the club champions.  One of his foursome described him favoring his left arm a little but that they had no warning of what was to come.  Bing lived until that moment when he died.  If I could pick the way to go when it was my turn, it would not be any different.  Doing what I loved, living the good life until it was time to go.

I spoke earlier of Mrs. Crosby’s unselfish sharing of her life with Bing.  Currently, with Mrs. Dolores Hope as producer, Mrs. Crosby is rehearsing a one woman show that she will be performing next week at North Hollywood California’s El Portal Theater.  They describe it this way:

 Dolores Hope Presents:“Holiday Memories of Bing with Kathryn Crosby”A Music and Video Celebration ConcertWith Musical Director Edward Sayegh at the PianoNovember 20-25 at the Historic El Portal Theatre, 8pm5269 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA Relive your fond memories of those classic Christmas television specials with Bing and Kathryn Crosby and hear classic songs: Pennies From Heaven, I’ll be Seeing You, You Made Me Love You, Blue Skies, and, of course, White Christmas. $100 Premium Seating in the first four rows includes champagne and birthday cake reception$35-$50 Standard Seating

Call 1-866-811-4111 or 1-818-508-4200 for tickets, or visit their website:  www.elportaltheatre.com/events.html”

While Mrs. Crosby is in town rehearsing and performing the show, she is staying with Mrs. Dolores Hope, wife of Mr. Bob Hope.  Mrs. Crosby explained that “after Bing died, Bob and Dolores just about adopted me”.  They are still the dearest of friends!  Mrs. Hope is still well and sharp at the age of ninety-eight.  In fact, Mrs. Crosby said that she is so sharp “that she beat me for eleven dollars last night playing gin rummy!”

Mrs. Kathryn Crosby has recently launched a new website through Bing Crosby Enterprises, www.BingCrosby.com.  You can keep up with all things Bing, and get a real glimpse at the great man that Bing was!

To have the opportunity to talk about Hollywood’s greatest star with someone who knew him so well was a dream come true.  And to have the chance to “meet” Mrs. Crosby was a fantastic experience as well.  Don’t be surprised if you run into her around our little Christmas home!  She truly is “one of us” in terms of the love she has for Christmas, well, after all, she was practically married to Santa Claus himself!

11/16/07

Jay Isherwood

ShareThis