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A WELL-STRUNG CHRISTMAS to Put Pop-Classical Spin on Holiday Favorites at 54 Below

By: Nov. 08, 2017
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Well-Strung, the critically acclaimed singing string quartet, will return to Feinstein's/54 Below in New York by popular demand on December 13 with "A Well-Strung Christmas."

The hit show has been devised by Well-Strung, Mark Cortale and director Richard Jay-Alexander, and features the group's own unique pop-classical spin on some of the most beautiful and traditional holiday favorites, such as "Silent Night", "Sleigh Ride," all the way to Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" and everything in between.

For tickets and information, visit 54below.com/events/well-strung-christmas.

Well-Strung, featuring Edmund Bagnell (first violin), Christopher Marchant (second violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello) and Trevor Wadleigh (viola), is a string quartet with a modern twist. The group plays universally recognized classical pieces while singing pop music hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and other pop stars for a uniquely engaging experience. The New York Times recently called Well-Strung "A talented quartet of men who sing and play instruments brilliantly fuses pop and classical music from Madonna to Beethoven."

Conceived by Mark Cortale and Christopher Marchant, the foursome formed in 2012 and has since gained international attention. They have been invited to perform at the Vatican in Rome and at a gala for President Obama. Hillary Clinton requested a special performance by Well-Strung after the release of their viral music video "Chelsea's Mom." They have also performed on the The Today Show, and live onstage with artists such as Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Audra McDonald, Deborah Voigt, and were the opening act for Joe Jonas and his band DNCE at Pride Toronto. They have appeared twice with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and co-starred in two Christmas concerts at Town Hall in Manhattan with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus in 2016. The group has received critical acclaim at New York's prestigious Feinstein's/54 Below and well beyond, from the House of Blues in New Orleans to the Leicester Square Theatre in London.

Well-Strung's second studio album titled POPssical is a celebratory blend of pop hits sung by the group accompanied by respected classical music. The album debuted at #8 on Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart, and features ten tracks including renditions of "Blank Space (Feat. Bach)" and "Royals (Feat. Palladio)" as well as the infamous ode to Hillary Clinton, "Chelsea's Mom" as a bonus track. To celebrate the release of POPssical, the group surprised their fans with a bonus music video for the track "The Devil Went Down To Georgia (Feat. J.S. Bach)." In the video, the group takes Bach's Double Violin Concerto and adds the southern charm of Charlie Daniels Band to create a unique sound all on its own. Well-Strung's POPssical album is available at iTunes or on CD at CDBaby.

Their first music video entitled Mozart Meets Kelly Clarkson initially caught the eye of the national press. BBC Radio host Jo Good called Well-Strung "absolutely amazing" after their on-air performance and interview for her show. In the States, they've also been called "the hottest thing with a bow since Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games" by the New York Daily News, and were featured in their first magazine cover spread for Metrosource. For more information and tour dates, visit www.well-strung.com

Mark Cortale (Artist Manager & Producer) is the Producing Artistic Director at The Art House in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He produced Deconstructing Patti on Broadway this past September at the Nederlander Theatre with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS starring Patti LuPone and Seth Rudetsky which raised over $280,000 in one night. He also launched the Broadway @ concert series in 2011 at The Art House. The series, featuring creative partner Seth Rudetsky as music director and host, had its seventh season this past summer and guest artists included Sutton Foster, Jessie Mueller, Megan Hilty, Faith Prince, Beth Malone, Melissa Errico and Michael Cerveris. The Broadway @ series also premiered in 2013 in New Orleans, in Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) with Megan Mullally and in London's West End with Patti LuPone at the Leicester Square Theater. The series has since travelled to cities that include Chicago @ The Steppenwolf, Beverly Hills @ The Wallis, Fort Lauderdale @ The Parker Playhouse, San Francisco @ The Herbst Theatre and Scottsdale @ Scottsdale Center for the Arts. Other artists who have participated include Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole, Chita Rivera, Kelli O'Hara, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Rosie O'Donnell, Vanessa Williams and Gavin Creel. Mark also produced the feature film Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads and the web television series Seth's Reality. He manages the singing string quartet Well-Strung which he co-founded. Info at markcortalepresents.com.

Michael Feinstein, one of the world's great musical artists, and 54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, have united to give New York an unparalleled destination for entertainment and dining. Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, is the performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. A few blocks from the heart of Times Square and just below the legendary Studio 54, Feinstein's/54 Below is a classically designed state-of-the art nightclub in the theatre district that hosts audiences with warmth and style. Feinstein's/54 Below presents iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music. The venue provides a food and beverage menu from early evening through the wee hours of the morning that is worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. Located at 254 West 54th Street, Feinstein's/54 Below features up to three shows nightly with cover charges ranging from $5-$155.







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