Happy Holidays to all of the readers at BroadwayWorld.com! No doubt this has been quite the year for everyone, including me. With so many changes in our lives due to social and economic issues all over the world, this is a time of year when we have to look inside ourselves and find the simple things in life that we have to be thankful for and celebrate the joy of the season. Family and friends gathering and sharing some very special time with each other, reminiscing of times past and creating new ones.
It's also a time for traditions and I have asked some very special folks to share with us some of their own individual holiday traditions. And here they are...
Jerry Mitchell (Tony Award Winning Choreographer, La Cage Aux Folles. His other credits include Legally Blonde The Musical, Hairspray, Peep Show and Catch Me If You Can.)
Christmas is and has always been about family. For ours we gather on Christmas Eve at my parent's farm house, which used to be my grandparents, around 6pm. Very relaxed we eat, drink and have a blast. Around 8, Santa shows up after some caroling encouragement and passes out gifts to all! The house is a field of ribbons, paper and laughter. My Grandpa Misuraca insisted on Santa for the kids but I think everyone gets a kick out of it. This has been going on for at least 80 plus years. Around 11:30 everyone starts heading out for MIDNIGHT MASS. Then My Mom and I are up first thing Christmas morning making the stuffing for Christmas dinner and we do it all again. The family getting together has always been an important part of my Grandpa Misuraca's Italian Christmas tradition. And now the tradition is carried on by my folks. The Italian side (my Mom) of the family mixed with the polish side, Mitchell (my Dad) and watch out. Lots of FOOD, FAMILY and FUN.
Vanessa Williams (Tony Award Nominee for revival of Into The Woods. Recent exciting
news was released that Williams will be returning to Broadway, joining Barbara Cook, Michael Arden and Leslie Kritzer to take part in "Sondheim on Sondheim," a look at Stephen Sondheim through his music, film and videotaped interviews. Directed by James Lapine, "Sondheim" opens April 22, 2010 at Studio 54. Previews begin March 19. She can currently be seen in her Emmy nominated role as the scheming Wilhemina in ABC's critically acclaimed Ugly Betty. Earlier this year, she released a new album, The Real Thing, available on Concord Records. You can read more about Vanessa on her website at www.vanessawilliams.com.
It turns out that Vanessa has a few holiday traditions:
1. Travel to a foreign country as a family to enjoy new cultures and their traditions.
2. Decorate trees with old and new collectibles.
3. Make mulled wine or cider for invited guests during holiday time.
4. Make homemade lasagna to eat after returning from Christmas Eve mass/church service.
5. Everyone can open one gift on Christmas eve.
James Barbour (A Drama Desk Nominee for Tale of Two Cities, Barbour is currently performing his Holiday Concert thru December 19 at Bill's 90 on East 54 Street in New York City and Dec 21 in Los Angeles at the Colony Theatre. His new CD, A Gift of Christmas is now available on iTunes. Check out his website at www.jamesbarbour.com)
Well, we always put out cookies, milk for Santa and the Reindeer and cheese for Santa Mouse...yes Santa Mouse...(don't know where Santa Mouse came from) but it's a tradition in the Barbour household and one that I'm excited to keep going with our daughter.
Anthony "Tony" Crivello (Tony Award Winner Kiss of the Spiderwoman. He is currently
starring as 'The Phantom' in director Hal Prince's version of Andrew Lloyd-Weber's "PHANTOM: The Las Vegas Spectacular". Check out his website at www.anthonycrivello.net)
