Filled With Show Folk, New York City Christmas Concert Plays Dec. 14 at Joe's Pub

By Ernio Hernandez
14 Dec 2009

New York City Christmas, the starry Dec. 14 Joe's Pub concert that reunites performers from a 2008 benefit event of the same name, is now offering standing tickets for $25. Main seating for the 9:30 PM performance is sold out.

Expect fresh, hip arrangements of familiar yule songs at the second annual concert presentation of New York City Christmas, to feature special guests Sherie Rene Scott and Raul Esparza, among others. Tony Award winner Harriet Harris will host.

ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) and Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records are presenting the benefit concert, which will also boast performances by Orfeh, Sally Wilfert, Sierra Boggess and many more. Proceeds go to ASTEP.

The show celebrates the current release of the album based on the original 2008 concert (which was seen at the now defunct Zipper Theatre). Stafford Arima (London's Ragtime, Altar Boyz) will again direct this year's concert.

Harris (Cry-Baby, Thoroughly Modern Millie) will host the evening to feature performances by Sierra Boggess, Chester Gregory II, Andy Karl, Tyler Maynard, Lindsay Mendez, Orfeh, Tory Ross, Anya Singleton, Sally Wilfert, Raul Esparza, Sherie Rene Scott and Orfeh. (All performers are subject to change.)

Musicians are music director/orchestrator/conceiver Lynne Shankel (on piano), Joe Mowatt (drums/percussion), Randy Landau (bass) and Peter Calo and Michael Aarons (guitars).

Tickets for the show at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St., are available through the Joe's Pub website at joespub.com.

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The album (now on Amazon.com and iTunes, and at sh-k-boom.com) is inspired by a December 2008 Off-Broadway concert of the same name that raised money for ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty). Proceeds from the sale of the album go to ASTEP, founded by Broadway music director Mary-Mitchell Campbell. The concert was conceived, produced and music-directed by orchestrator Lynne Shankel (Cry-Baby, Vanities).

The live show was such a hit in 2008 that the songs were later recorded in a studio in 2009. The disc is currently available online at Sh-K-Boom.com, and as a digital download on iTunes, and at Amazon.com.

In December 2008, at the Zipper Theatre, the concert cast boasted Sierra Boggess, Raul Esparza, Chester Gregory II, Andy Karl, Tyler Maynard, Lindsay Mendez, Tory Ross, Anya Singleton and Sally Wilfert, among others. Constantine Maroulis and Orfeh are new additions for the CD.

The record producers are Joel Moss and Lynne Shankel. Executive producers are Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Shankel and Moe Rouse.

Here is the track listing for the new CD "New York City Christmas":

  • "Santa Claus Is Comin' Town" — featuring Lindsay Mendez
  • "Silent Night" — Chester Gregory
  • "New York Christmas" — Andy Karl
  • "O Holy Night" — Raul Esparza
  • "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" — Sierra Boggess
  • "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" — Anya Singleton
  • "Little Christmas Tree/Last Christmas" — Tyler Maynard
  • "I'll Be Home For Christmas/Christmas in America" — Constantine Maroulis and Orfeh
  • "That's What I Want for Christmas" — Tory Ross
  • "Wish for A Daddy" — Sally Wilfert
  • "Still, Still Still/The First Noel" — Sierra Boggess And Lindsay Mendez
  • "Finale" — Chester Gregory, Lindsay Mendez, Andy Karl and Tyler Maynard

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    New York City Christmas, the 12-track holiday album, "is the product of a very special labor of love in support of ASTEP, a quickly growing international arts education non-profit."

    All proceeds from album sales and tickets to the show go to support ASTEP's mission "to create positive change for young people in need across the globe."

    For more information about the concert e-mail info@asteponline.org. For more information about ASTEP visit www.asteponline.org.