DAY FOUR 12/7: Michael Colby’s Holiday Regards.This show’s concept is so smart. Michael presented original music written for just about each and every holiday of the year, including the little known Telephone Day! Any show composed of all original songs can be a “hard sell” because it requires an audience to listen 
more closely and there are no “palette cleansers” of more familiar standards to move the show along. This show flew by, which is a credit to director Sara Louise Lazarus in keeping the pace and flow moving. I applaud Michael and all his composer collaborators for daring to present a show like this. To their additional credit was the choice of such great singers cast to sing these songs: Celia Berk, Nikita Burshteyn, Eric Michael Gillett (who I was thrilled to see and hear back on stage), Christina Sajous, Megan Styrna and special guest Linda Purl. All voices were amazing and really helped to sell each tune with each singer bringing their own personalities to Michael’s lyrics. Great work (always) by Musical Director Michael Lavine. A few of my favorites were the songs for Martin Luther King Day, Father’s Day, Halloween and the opening and closing numbers. We have added one more ENCORE performance of this show on Monday, December 16th at 7:00 PM with special guests, Broadway stars, Carole Demas and Robert Cuccioli.
First, Jim was not able to perform due to illness and then Ray had to drop out later that day, so there was a scramble to get the show to stage the day of the performance. Being the pros that they all are…enter another person who played the role of Doody…the FANTASTIC Barry Tarallo, who just happened to be in New York from Florida, with guitar in hand to help save the day. With Carole, Ilene and the wonderful Barry, producer, Ken Waissman came to the stage to talk to the cast about the background of getting the show to the stage; it was a splendid evening. Ian Herman, always amazing on the keys, should be given credit for all the last minute switch ups with additional songs added, etc. These folks are all 80-ish but look and sound like they just stepped off the stage they all graced over 50 years ago. If the audience wasn’t told that they lost two casts members, no one would have been the wiser, as the show went off without a hitch.”We Come Together”…INDEED! Yes, you did!
DAY FIVE 12/8: Beth & Ritt’s Survial Kit: This is the 9th year that married couple Beth Falcone and Ritt Henn have presented their smart, beautifully sung, beautifully played (is there any instrument that Beth cannot master?) and beautifully researched show. WOW! It ran about 80 minute and I would have been happy to stay for another hour. With other cast members, Metropolitan Opera star, Roosevelt Andre Credit and a Broadway World Best Vocalist Award Winner (for 
good reason!) Christine de Frece, this quartet of talent presented a program of holiday traditions and stories from around the globe celebrating Dewan, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, along with songs from Ireland, Canada, India and the Caribbean, plus a Sephardic spiritual, traditional Gospel music and just SO many more great tidbits and textures. What it all boiled down to was that no matter how different we all are, we celebrate our own “light” through whatever holiday tradition we follow. The similarities were fascinating. Then there was the layer of the music and arrangements, which were all brilliant. Beth even sang in French, Spanish and Sanskrit—and she creditably rapped her original tune “Holiday Funk”: what?! Then there is Ritt: can anyone who plays the bass explore more ways to use that instrument to make sounds that are not just pizz or arco? He is extraordinary and so much fun to watch “dance” with this bass. It should go without saying that both Roosevelt and Christine delivered every time they stepped up to the mic. This show was just EVERYTHING! I am so glad they have been, and will always be, a part of our Winter Rhythms family.
DAY FIVE 12/8: Michael Colby’s Holiday Regards had its second performance (see above) with special guests Bethe Austin and Steven Brinberg.
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