NYFOS' A GOYISHE CHRISTMAS TO YOU! to Return to HENRY's This December

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.

An instant classic, the program-devised and premiered by Steven Blier at HENRY's in 2010, where it provoked a delirium of excitement-consists of Yuletide songs entirely written by Jewish composers, from the wickedly funny to the meltingly beautiful.

From Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" to Adolphe Adam's "Oh Holy Night," Jay Livingston and Ray Evans' "Silver Bells" to Walter Kent's "I'll Be Home For Christmas," the popular Yuletide songbook is packed with countless contributions by Jewish songwriters on behalf of their goyishe counterparts. See the complete program below.

Now in its sixth incarnation, a stunning caliber of artists, including new faces this year, join NYFOS Artistic Director and pianist Steven Blier for the intimate and playful occasion.

Soprano Lauren Worsham, the Tony-nominated actress for her performance in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, returns to this winter tradition (Worsham also stars in NYFOS's Gilbert and Sullivan-themed Spring Gala on April 5).

Joining Worsham are two tenors, the "lively" and "convincing" Alex Mansoori (The New York Times) and "knockout" Miles Mykkanen (Opera News), as well as the rising young baritone Theo Hoffman, who is also set to appear on December 8 in NYFOS's "Schubert/Beatles" Mainstage concert.

NYFOS also welcomes back cantor Joshua Breitzer, with clarinetist Alan Kay providing a touch of Klezmer authenticity.

There is a $10 cover and reservations are required by calling 212-866-0600. Walk-ins are always welcome at the bar. HENRY's Restaurant is located at 2745 Broadway at 105th Street.

From HENRY's Restaurant Owner Henry Rinehart: "Goyishe Christmas is hands-down the best holiday show in town. Great songs performed by wonderful musicians to an adoring holiday crowd. In the warm atmosphere of Henry's Restaurant, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and 'Winter Wonderland' come to new life in off-the-wall interpretations. An ecumenical tradition now in its fifth season, A Goyishe Christmas to You is a smorgasbord of New York's finest voices, live and unplugged under the musical direction of Steve Blier."

About NYFOS After Hours - In February 2010 at HENRY's Restaurant on the Upper West Side, an informal yet world-class cabaret series began, springing out of a personal friendship between NYFOS Artistic Director Steven Blier and restaurant owner Henry Rinehart.

Eventually dubbed NYFOS After Hours, these highly popular late-night-and unplugged-concerts entertain diners with superlative voices in a mix of freshly created shows and revivals of past programs. The cream of New York's rising talent joins some of the city's most illustrious singers and actors, accompanied by Blier at the piano.

Blier is also the master of ceremonies, and it's his "deliciously witty introductions" that "sew the parts together," writes The New York Times. The Washington Post marvels at Blier's "uncanny way of putting together a seemingly diverse program of songs-including Broadway classics and pop-under a single unifying theme."

NYFOS After Hours is presented as part of the restaurant's ongoing series, "Sing for Your Supper @ HENRY's." Henry Rinehart says: "All of us at HENRY's are thrilled to host this series with Steven Blier and NYFOS. NYFOS is one of New York's great cultural institutions and Steven is a dear friend. Together we will continue to present Broadway's most intimate night of song to packed houses."

PROGRAM:

(subject to change)

Angels We Have Heard on High (Felix Mendelssohn)

Candle in My Window ("God Bless the Christmas Jews") (Levitsky/Miller)

I'll Be Home For Christmas (Walter Kent/Kim Gannon)

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Frank Loesser)

Silver Bells (Jay Livingston/Ray Evans)

Let It Snow (Frank Loesser)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Johnny Marks, arr. Kugelplex/Breitzer)

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (Frank Loesser)

Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith)

Santa Buddy (Joan Javits, Philip Springer, Fred Ebb)

The Christmas Song (Tormé/Tormé & Wells)

Hannukah in Santa Monica (Tom Lehrer)

O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam/Placide Cappeau/John Sullivan)

My Simple Christmas Wish (David Friedman)

White Christmas (Irving Berlin)

ABOUT NYFOS (www.nyfos.org) - Now in its 28th season, NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG (NYFOS) is dedicated to creating intimate song concerts of great beauty and originality. Weaving music, poetry, history and humor into evenings of compelling theater, NYFOS fosters community among artists and audiences. Founded by pianists Michael Barrett and Steven Blier in 1988, NYFOS continues to produce NYFOS MAINSTAGE, its flagship series of thematic song programs, drawing together rarely-heard songs of all kinds, overriding traditional distinctions between classical and popular performance genres, and exploring the character and language of other cultures. Since its founding NYFOS has particularly celebrated the wide spectrum of American music. Among many highlights is the double bill of one-act comic operas, Bastianello by John Musto and Lucrezia by William Bolcom, both with libretti by Mark Campbell, commissioned and premiered by NYFOS in 2008 and recorded on Bridge Records.

NYFOS has produced five recordings on the Koch label, including a Grammy Award-winning disc of Bernstein's Arias and Barcarolles, and the Grammy-nominated recording of Ned Rorem's Evidence of Things Not Seen (also a NYFOS commission) on New World Records. NYFOS's discography also includes Spanish Love Songs with Joseph Kaiser and the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson on Bridge Records. Its recently released CD on the GPR label, Canción amorosa, also focuses on Spanish song -- Basque, Catalan, Castilian, and Sephardic-with soprano Corinne Winters accompanied by Steven Blier.

In 2010, NYFOS launched NYFOS NEXT, a series for new songs, hosted by guest composers in intimate venues. This season the series returns as a mini-festival during the month of February 2016 with all concerts presented at OPERA America's National Opera Center. In the fall of 2014, NYFOS officially introduced its unamplified cabaret series NYFOS AFTER HOURS at HENRY's Restaurant on the Upper West Side, drawing full houses and superlative voices accompanied by Blier at the piano.

NYFOS is passionate about nurturing the artistry and careers of young singers and through its NYFOS EMERGING ARTISTS program has developed professional training residencies around the country, including The Juilliard School's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts (now in its 11th year); Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts (its 8th year in March 2016); San Francisco Opera Center (over 15 years as of March 2014); Glimmerglass Opera (2008-2010); and its newest project, NYFOS@North Fork in Orient, NY (3 years).

NYFOS's concert series, touring programs, radio broadcasts, recordings, and educational activities continue to spark new interest in the creative possibilities of the song program, and have inspired the creation of thematic vocal series around the world.

Pictured: Joshua Breitzer in A Goyishe Christmas To You! at HENRY's in 2011.