A chat with The Doo Wop Project, streaming ‘Live In Your Home For The Holidays’ on December 12

After the sensational success of The Doo Wop Project: Live In Your Living Room – a knockout virtual concert livestreamed from New World Stages in October – the super-popular vocal group brings its mid-century stylings back to the stage and the digital screen on Saturday, December 12, with a new seasonal special The Doo Wop Project: Live In Your Home For The Holidays, produced again by Tony Award-winner Ken Davenport.

Recreating authentic doo-wop versions of such vintage holiday classics as The Drifters’ “White Christmas,” The Temptations’ “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” the veteran Broadway favorites – singers Charl Brown (Motown: The Musical), Dwayne Cooper (Smokey Joe’s Cafe), John Michael Dias (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Russell Fischer (Jersey Boys), Dominic Nolfi (Jersey Boys), and Music Director Sonny Paladino (Pippin), who accompanies them on piano – also reimagine contemporary hits like “This Christmas” and “Last Christmas” in their own “doo-wopified” style.

During the 60-minute livestream from the Mid-Atlantic Production Services Sound Stage, viewers will have the opportunity to enjoy their signature sound and moves, and to interact with each other and with the members of The Doo Wop Project. The group is also offering a money-back guarantee that you’ll be up on your feet, dancing and singing along in your living room, as fans always do at the live in-person concerts.

Tickets, priced from $25-85, offer a range of experiences. With a Livestream Ticket ($25), you can enjoy the show from the comfort of your living room. A Livestream and Early Access Ticket ($55) gives you the concert, along with a personalized holiday card from The Doo Wop Project, and access to their sound check on December 12 (limited availability). A VIP and Meet-&-Greet ticket ($85) gets you all of the above, plus a meet-and-greet with the guys post-show (again with limited availability). And if you still can’t get enough and want to hear the songs again and again, you can buy or stream the eleven-track CD Merry Christmas from The Doo Wop Project on the group’s website or iTunes.

On a day off from rehearsals in advance of the upcoming show, I had a remote group chat with The Doo Wop Project about the music, their performance, and the joy of the holidays.

Charl Brown. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

How does it feel to be back live on stage for this special virtual concert?

Charl: It’s absolutely great to be back. You’re talking to a bunch of artists who’ve been isolated, and now we all get to perform again – and to find out that we still all get along! We can feel the love and are excited to be able to reach out to our fans – especially since the first virtual concert went so well.

Dom: It’s also just really nice to have something to work on, to occupy our day, and to get a little money in our pocket!

Russell: For fans who’ve seen our past holiday shows, we’re adding some new doo-wopified tunes. And for anyone who hasn’t, they’re in for a real treat! 

Sonny Paladino. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

Which song in the show holds the most meaning for you and is your personal favorite to perform?

John: Honestly, a lot of this is all new for me, since I’m filling in for Dominic Scaglione, but “Christmas Serenade” is one we don’t usually do, so I’m enjoying that. I think Sonny might have more to say about it.

Sonny: Yes, “Christmas Serenade” was first done by Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, a group my uncle was in, so that one has special meaning for me.

Charl: I grew up on Motown, so to do “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” like The Temptations did is great for my father, and for me, to get to put on that reindeer hat!

Russell: One of my favorites, which I get to sing with Charl, is “This Christmas.” We do an acoustic arrangement that is really cool and vibey.

Charl: We made it fresh and new, with a stripped-down doo-wopified version. It’s a terrific moment in the show. 

Dwayne: My favorite is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” I like the sentiment of it – to wish everyone well and to send a message of hope in this difficult year. 

Dwayne Cooper. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

What’s your best holiday memory with the group? 

Charl: Mine is when we went back to the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, California, where I did a show early on in my career, before I moved to New York. We started, then we actually got rained out for the first time, but the people still waited in the rain to see if we could go on with the show. We couldn’t for safety reasons, but it was great that they didn’t want to leave. It was my Diana Ross moment!

Dwayne: Everything Charl said. Haha! 

Russell: Dwayne and I got to sing “White Christmas” at one of the venues we played on tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They had a snow machine and actually made it snow on stage, so that was pretty special and very beautiful. 

Dom: That’s one of mine, too. It was the last show we did on a very long tour in 2018, so we flew home after that – and got upgraded to first class! 

Russell Fischer. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

What’s at the top of your Christmas list this year? 

Russell: More gigs!

Everyone at once: Yes!!! And a vaccine!!!

Dwayne: An official Broadway opening. 

John: I already feel incredibly lucky to be doing something like this. It’s a gift, and it’s very rewarding.

Russell: After our first virtual concert, I had friends and fellow performers calling me in tears, they were so happy to see us back. It’s very hopeful, and a gift for all of us.

John Michael Dias. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

Is there a holiday message you’d like to send to your fans?

John: Ho-ho-hope you watch, and have a happy holiday!

Russell: Our job, and our privilege, is to sing harmony with each other. To do that, we have to listen to each other, so I see it as a metaphor for what’s going on now and what we all should do. We’re coming from a place of hearing and listening, to be in harmony.

Charl: “Peace on Earth, good will to men.” And as Dwayne says in the show, we’re going to do our very best to keep the music alive, till we can get back LIVE live.

Dwayne: By keeping the music alive, you keep the band alive, and we are very thankful for your support.

Russell: This show is a holiday card; it’s a greeting to our fans.

Dom: We’ve never been more grateful for our fans and their support. And I’ve never been more grateful to be a member of The Doo Wop Project.

Dominic Nolfi. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts and putting us all in the holiday spirit. I look forward to the concert, and wish all of you a season that’s merry and bright!

The Doo Wop Project. Photo courtesy of The Doo Wop Project.

The Doo Wop Project: Live In Your Home For The Holidays plays on Saturday, December 12, at 8:00 pm. For tickets, go online.

1 COMMENT

  1. It was just announced that Krystal Joy Brown (Hamilton; Motown, The Musical; and two-time Astaire Award nominee for best female dancer in a Broadway show) will perform in the holiday concert as The Doo Wop Project’s special guest.

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