With three special holiday shows for children and adults all streaming on Monday (the night when theaters traditionally were dark), it will be hard to decide which one to watch. Fortunately, you won’t have to, since they’ll be available at different times and for additional dates of online viewing after their virtual premieres.
My First Nutcracker – Following its mission to promote children’s literacy and social development through professional theater productions and arts-in-education programs, New York City Children’s Theater will present a new interactive filmed version of its 2019 hit production of the 1892 holiday classic The Nutcracker, adapted for young audiences by the company’s Artistic Director Barbara Zinn Krieger and choreographed and directed by Melissa Riker (Artistic Director and Choreographer of Kinesis Project). The reimagined 45-minute event, best suited for ages three to eight and guaranteed to delight, combines dance and theater with Tchaikovsky’s beloved music, as kids join Clara on Christmas Eve for a virtual journey through a magical kingdom with dancing flowers and sugarplum fairies, a battling nutcracker and mouse king, marching toy soldiers, and a charming prince. My First Nutcracker streams December 21, 2020-January 10, 2021. A $25 family ticket includes pre- and post-show activities, in addition to the performance. To purchase, go online.
A Broadway Christmas – On Monday’s upcoming installment of his weekly Pajama Cast Party (the pandemic-time digital version of the popular musical variety open-mic night at Birdland), host Jim Caruso will be joined by Patrick Cassidy (The Pirates of Penzance), Artistic Director and host of Studio Tenn Talks – a virtual talk show based in Franklin, Tennessee, featuring an array of guest artists from Broadway, film, and music. The special holiday treat will feature conversations and live musical performances by the star-studded line-up of Emmy-winning Tony-nominated actress, singer, and recording artist Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon; Baby), the legendary Linda Lavin (TV’s Alice; Broadway Bound, for which she won a Tony), Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda the Musical; Zorro), stage and screen actress Julia Murney (Wicked), and soprano Brandie Inez Sutton (The Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy and Bess). A Broadway Christmas airs on Monday, December 21, at 8 pm ET (7 pm CST). You can view the show on YouTube, where it will remain online on the Pajama Cast Party channel.
Marty and Marissa’s Holiday Spectacular – Former castmates in the hilarious Off-Broadway musical comedy My Big Gay Italian Wedding, Marty Thomas (The Secret Garden; Wicked; Xanadu) and Marissa Rosen (Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls; The Marvelous Wonderettes) have remained “Broadway best friends,” subsequently performing together for nearly a decade in a series of original nightclub shows. This month, they’ll be together again for a virtual “variety hour-ish” cabaret special, following the December 5th release of their debut recording The Award Winning Holiday Album (available on Amazon and all popular streaming platforms). Along with the besties’ powerhouse vocals, rich harmonies, and signature humor, the holiday spectacular will feature premieres of their new music videos and vocal collaborations, holiday-themed games with the at-home audience, and an impressive lineup of guest artists from around the world, including Marisha Wallace, Voctave, Jessica Vosk, Rachel Potter, Michael Hull, L. Steven Taylor, and Holly Ann Butler. Marty and Marissa’s Holiday Spectacular streams on Monday, December 21, at 7 pm, on YouTube Live.
