BWW Previews: SAL VALENTINETTI CHRISTMAS CONCERT at MPAC Mayo Performing Arts Center

In preparation for his solo Christmas concert at Morristown Performing Arts Center I asked America's Got Talent finalist Sal Valentinetti to give us some background on Christmases past, and the inside scoop on what's in store for his fans this merry season!

"Music was always playing when we arrived at my Grandma Tina's house. She'd open the door with her arms wide, the smell of homemade lasagna and sound of WHLI Radio Christmas playlist in the background. Everything from Eartha Kit's "Santa Baby" - which I had the pleasure of performing with Heidi Klum last year - to Rosemary Clooney's "Christmas Love Song", Frank Sinatra's "Let it Snow" and the Glenn Miller Orchestral version of "Silver Bells". It is truly the soundtrack of my Christmas past.

My favorite memory of Christmas was being in my grandmother's tiny house with our great big family. Grandma never had a big home but she always had room for everyone in her big heart.

I always loved music and was able to play songs on my euphonic horn by the time I was eight. My parents hired a music teacher to make sure I made the band my first year of high school. During a music lesson, I sang "Mack the Knife" to him because I wanted to learn to play it on my horn, but I didn't know the name of the song. He told my parents that I had an excellent voice but my mom thought he was shaking her down for more lessons. It wasn't until I March 7, 2016, when I stood on stage to audition for America's Got Talent that I realized that music is not just a part of my life but I want it to be my life's work. Getting that audition gave me the courage to show the world what music truly meant to me

Being on America's Got Talent was an opportunity of a lifetime. Having Simon Cowell praise me was like being anointed by the pope! It was an affirmation that I was meant to be performing this music that I love so dearly. I knew I made my late Grandma Tina proud when I placed in the top five. I feel her presence when I'm on stage.

Some of you may have heard my first EP, The Voice that was released in July of this year. I have a special surprise for those of you coming to my Christmas Show at the Mayo. You will be the very first live audience to hear it!

If you have great memories of Christmas music and you want to share that with your loved ones, bring them to the MAYO to see my Christmas show. We'll laugh about the time the linguine with clam sauce slid off the platter on its way to the dinner table and we'll reminisce about my crazy Italian/American family."

Sounds great, Sal! We are really looking forward to it! Merry Christmas!

The Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) in Morristown, NJ offers a wide range of entertainment throughout their 2017-2018 season. You can visit their website for more information, their events calendar, and ticketing: https://www.mayoarts.org.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of MPAC

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