People with advance copies of the new benefit CD, "Home for the Holidays" — packed with Broadway stars — are already buzzing about the quality and variety shown on the new holiday themed disc, the proceeds of which benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and disaster relief organizations associated with the World Trade Center tragedy.

The 16-track disc, on the Centaur Entertainment label, is now available at charityCD.com, and goes wide in stores Nov. 23.

Recording was set to begin the week of Sept. 11, but after the attacks on America, production was delayed a week, and one track was changed to reflect the disaster: "New York State of Mind" (sung by Rent's Adam Pascal) is the only non-holiday song on the disc.

Producer Nick Di Biase and Tom Moran said net proceeds from the disc will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which will be in charge of earmarking some of the money to disaster relief organizations.

Collectively, the artists on the album have won 11 Tony Awards and earned 16 more Tony nominations. The singers, producers, musicians, arrangers (Jason Robert Brown and Marc Shaiman, among others), recording engineers, the producers and others have all donated their talents for the project. The disc includes:

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Christine Ebersole)
"Santa Baby" (Jane Krakowski)
"Merry Christmas Darling" (Sam Harris)
"O Holy Night" (Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway)
"Peace On Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" (Anthony Rapp and Everett Bradley)
"Silent Night" (Lillias White)
"New York State of Mind" (Adam Pascal)
"Feliz Navidad" (Daphne Rubin-Vegas)
"Christmas Time is Here" (Billy Porter)
"Sleigh Ride" (Lea DeLaria)
"We Need a Little Christmas" (Patrick Wilson)
"The Christmas Song" (Davis Gaines)
"Silver Bells" (Roger Bart and Gary Beach)
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Victor Garber)
"White Christmas" (Audra McDonald)

— By Kenneth Jones