Kim Gannon News

Just in time for the holiday season, singer, actor, and recording artist Serge Clivio releases a full-length Christmas album titled, JOY. JOY is now available on all digital streaming platforms.

Grammy winner Joanie Leeds and Grammy nominated Fyütch have teamed up for Oy Vey! Another Christmas Album. The unique holiday collection is a genre bending all-ages album featuring merry and bright remakes of four classic Christmas tunes written by Jewish songwriters and which also features two new original tracks co-written by the duo.

Joe's Pub was lucky when Kristen Lee Sergeant brought her CD release party to their house, and Broadway World Cabaret was lucky when guest reviewer and jazz expert Andrew Poretz covered the happening for us.

Kristen Lee Sergeant is joined on her new album by Ted Nash and a collection of great jazz musicians.

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has announced that Todd Almond’s debut holiday album A Pony for Christmas is available in digital and streaming formats today, Friday, November 19. Almond can currently be seen as “Gideon Wolfe” on HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” and on Broadway as “Elias Burke” in Conor McPherson and Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country.

Ghostlight Records will release Todd Almond’s debut holiday album A Pony for Christmas in streaming and digital formats on Friday, November 19. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first listen of the title song, performed by and with music and lyrics by Todd Almond.

FatLab Music has announced the upcoming release of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” a very special collection of seasonal favorites – some things old and some things new – by Broadway singing actress Lisa Howard (It Shoulda Been You, Escape to Margaritaville), just in time for the holidays!

Almond is a songwriter and performer who can currently be seen in HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl” and on Broadway as “Elias Burke” in Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country. A folk-pop take on the classic holiday album, A Pony for Christmas weaves original compositions with new versions of traditional carols and new reworkings of pop songs.

Grammy®, AMA, ACM and CMA award winning country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member Crystal Gayle has digitally reissued her 1986 holiday album, A Crystal Christmas, for the first time ever. Like he did on You Don't Know Me, Crystal's son Christos Gatzimos, returned to the studio and remastered his mother's collection of traditional Christmas compositions for digital release. The newly remastered album is now available at Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Amazon.

Carnegie Hall celebrates the holiday season with a variety of festive concerts this December. On Friday, December 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 22 at 8:00 p.m., Broadway's original Mary Poppins Ashley Brown rings in the holiday season with The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke with Essential Voices USA offering two evenings of classic and contemporary carols including “Deck the Halls,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “I'll Be Home for Christmas.”

Hanson Award winner IRA LEE COLLINGS returns to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC to celebrate Gay Pride Month with his new show LIFE IS A SONG - SO WHY NOT SING IT! on June 2nd, 12th and 26th at 7 PM. The evening includes songs heard on the popular TV show 'Your Hit Parade.' Ira Lee adds: 'and some weed songs too.'  He will be joined by Musical Director John M. Cook on piano.  Sally Darling will direct.

Hanson Award winner IRA LEE COLLINGS returns to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC to celebrate Gay Pride Month with his new show LIFE IS A SONG - SO WHY NOT SING IT! on June 2nd, 12th and 26th at 7 PM.

QNEK Productions, International Theatre Company in Residence at the historic Haskell Opera House, is kicking off its 25th and final season with a farce to keep you laughing long after the curtain comes down: Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing Leslie Odom, Jr. can't do. This recording of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" perfectly shows off his good taste, style and that exemplary voice. The song is, of course, an American classic, with lyrics by Kim Gannon and a melody by Walter Kent. Gannon wrote it from the point of a World War II soldier stationed overseas, telling his family that he'll be home for the holidays, and to prepare the Christmas fun. Of course, the last lyric is one of the most melancholy ever written - "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams." When the song was first pitched to folks in the music business, it was roundly refused, since it all seemed incredibly sad. But Bing Crosby smartly threw caution to the wind and recorded the tune, with immense success. Interestingly, after the lyricist's death, he left the royalty rights to the American Heart Association, which has benefitted greatly ever since.

?Acclaimed vocalist GABRIELLE STRAVELLI and celebrated jazz pianist MICHAEL KANAN will release the powerfully intimate new duet recording Stairway to the Stars on June 24. The album is currently available in digital formats. Stairway to the Stars is produced by Gabrielle Stravelli and Pat O'Leary. 

QNEK Productions, award winning international theatre company in residence at the historic Haskell Opera House, is opening it's 24th season with the uproarious Neil Simon farce, Rumors.  You wont want to miss the quirks and twists that will keep you laughing all night long! 

New York-based singer Diane Armesto is giving jazz fans an early Christmas present this year with her rendition of the holiday classic “I'll Be Home For Christmas.”

Deck the halls, trim the tree, and spin the dreidel. BroadwayWorld is continuing our tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a special countdown. This year we've invited Director of Programming at Feinstein's/54 Below and author of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series Jennifer Ashley Tepper to share her favorites holiday performances. Check back daily to get in the holiday spirit in time for December 25 and to find out what else made her list!

New York Festival of Song brings back its much-anticipated program 'A Goyishe Christmas to You!' on Monday, December 14, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. at HENRY's Restaurant as part of NYFOS's 'After Hours' cabaret series.

On the second night of this year's 26th Annual Cabaret Convention, Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci hosted A Sentimental Journey: World War II Songs, inspired by Marcovicci's memorable Oak Room at The Algonquin show, I'll Be Seeing You--Love Songs of World War II. (The CD is highly recommended.) As always with this pair's Convention contribution, the show was a treat in part because of its singular glamour. Much of our audience was exceptionally familiar with and nostalgic about these songs. A few had to be politely quieted for singing along, more than a few took each other's hands. It seems I've heard that song before . . . the co-hosts begin, warming the room.