Christmas Season Announced At The Sheen Center; Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis, and More!

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street at the corner of Elizabeth Street in NYC), the arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, celebrates Christmas with a line-up of events for the whole family enjoy. Seasonal programming features live music, theater and special events with Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award nominee Vanessa Williams; His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan; Broadway veterans Ken Jennings, Norm Lewis and Michael Urie; former New York Yankees legend and Latin Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Bernie Williams; Grammy Award winner George Winston;Celtic musicians Lúnasa with singer Ashley Davis; acclaimed jazz vocal group New York Voices; and award-winning Venetian singer and songwriter Giada Valenti.

Vanessa Williams & FRIENDS: THANKFUL FOR CHRISTMAS

featuring Norm Lewis, Michael Urie & Bernie Williams

Monday, November 18 at 7:30PM in The Loreto Theater

The Sheen Center kicks off the holiday season with a one-night-only festive concert event. His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan will introduce Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award nominee Vanessa Williams (Broadway: Into The Woods, Kiss of the Spider Woman; Film & TV: Pocahontas, "Ugly Betty," "Desperate Housewives." "Daytime Divas"; Recordings: "Star Bright," "Save The Best for Last," "The Sweetest Days"), who will be joined on stageby Broadway veterans Norm Lewis (NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess, Phantom of the Opera), and Michael Urie (Torch Song, How to Succeed in Business, TV's "Ugly Betty," "Younger"), and former New York Yankees legend and Latin Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Bernie Williams. Proceeds from the evening benefit The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture. Individual tickets are $150. $225 benefit tickets are sold out.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Conceived and performed by Broadway's Ken Jennings, Directed by JOHN PIETROWSKI

November 30 - December 29 in The Black Box Theater

Conceived and performed by award-winning Broadway veteran Ken Jennings (Sweeney Todd, Grand Hotel, Side Show) anddirected by John Pietrowski (Artistic Director of Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey), The Gospel of John is brought to powerfully to life on stage by Ken in just 90 minutes. John's Gospel is breathtakingly poetic and filled from start to finish with eyewitness details that came from John's life with Jesus. For over 2,000 years, this written testimony from John's personal experience has been proclaimed all over the world. Ken Jennings will tell it to audiences as if for the first time, as it was originally told by the Beloved Disciple - so that they too may have a personal encounter this Advent-Christmas season. $50 - $75

AN EVENING WITH GEORGE WINSTON

December 3 & 4 at 7:30PM in the Loreto Theater

Celebrated pianist George Winston returns to The Sheen Center after his sold out shows in April 2017 and November 2018. He will once again be playing favorite pieces spanning his five-decade career, which includes nearly 20 solo albums and soundtracks. Winston released his 15th solo piano album, Restless Wind, via Dancing Cat Records/RCA Records on May 3, 2019. George Winston is undeniably a household name. He's inspired fans and musicians alike with his singular solo acoustic piano songs for more than 40 years while selling 15 million albums. A tireless road warrior playing nearly 100 concerts annually, live performance for Winston is akin to breathing. Winston's music is evocative, offering us all a chance to take a step back from our perpetually busy lives and let our minds adventurously wander. Restless Wind is a portrayal of Winston's place in a chaotic world - his compositions extend solace with an idiosyncratic grace. George Winston's classic albums, Autumn and December, are perennial favorites, along with Winter Into Spring, Summer, 2017's Spring Carousel - A Cancer Research Benefit, as well as two volumes of the compositions of Vince Guaraldi, two volumes of benefit albums for the Gulf Coast disasters, and six other solo piano albums.$40 - $75

New York Voices: LET IT SNOW!

Friday, December 6 at 8PM in the Loreto Theater

Internationally acclaimed jazz vocal group New York Voices returns to The Sheen Center after their sold-out show last year with their unique brand of Christmas show! New York Voices with Kim Nazarian, Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, and Darmon Meader present a Christmas-themed musical evening that honors beloved traditional and sacred classics as well as secular favorites, while incorporating sophisticated jazz and swing elements. This critically acclaimed vocal group has refined their musical story to a high art. They are known for their close-knit voicings, inspired arrangements and unparalleled vocal blend. Their incredible musicianship allows them to move seamlessly from setting to setting, be it orchestral/big band to the intimate trio lineup. The vocal quartet kicked off their 30th anniversary celebration at The Sheen Center last fall and they show no signs of slowing down. $35 - $60

LÚNASA: CHRISTMAS FROM IRELAND

December 7 at 8PM & December 9 at 7:30PM in the Loreto Theater

An evening hosted by Lúnasa's renowned emcee and teller of tall stories, Kevin Crawford. Featuring musical guest Ashley Davis, together they will weave a musical, spoken word and entertainment tapestry that transports the audience back to the band's Irish homeland in the days leading up to Christmas. Lúnasa is composed of Kevin Crawford (flutes, low whistles and tin whistles), Trevor Hutchinson (double bass), Ed Boyd (guitar), Seán Smyth (fiddle and low whistle) and Cillian Vallely (uilleann pipes and low whistles). Lúnasa have released eight highly acclaimed, award-winning studio albums and a live album in the course of the band's career. The band is internationally acknowledged as being the finest traditional Irish instrumental outfit of recent times. $40 - $75

GIADA VALENTI: LOVE UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Presented by One World Concert LLC

Sunday, December 15 at @ 3PM

Traditional holiday favorites and contemporary Christmas songs by Giada Valenti. The Italian singer will take us on a journey filled with beautiful music and fun stories inspired by love. She will share the stage with several special guests.Giada Valenti is an award-winning singer and songwriter, born and raised in Venice, Italy. She is most known for her stunning television special "From Venice With Love" on PBS, which, since its debut in December 2015, has aired close to 2,000 times all around the United States. Giada, who sings and speaks in five languages, always takes her audience on a romantic journey performing her own interpretations of hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and today. But her career started in Europe where she was signed as a young singer by record label Sony BMG and had hits climb directly to the top of the charts. She has received awards such as the prestigious San Remo Giovanni Talenti Nel Mondo and Festival di Castrocaro. For the past thirteen years Giada, currently a resident of Las Vegas, has released her CDs "And I Love You So, "Italian Signorina" and "My Lullaby" garnering rave reviews. She has been featured morning shows of ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC television where she did cooking-demos, often making her famous tiramisu, while talking about her new CD and PBS special. The people of Italy continue their love affair with Giada, particularly the press, who continuously follow her career and cover her on Italian media and television. In 2017 she made her debut in Las Vegas with a concert at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. In 2018 she made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. $35 - $55

Tickets/reservations for events at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, at the corner of Elizabeth Street) are available online at SheenCenter.org, by phone at 212-925-2812, in-person at The Sheen Center box office, or OvationTix.com.

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (www.sheencenter.org) is a New York City arts center located in NoHo that presents a vibrant mix of theater, film, music, art and talk events. The arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, The Sheen Center serves all New Yorkers by presenting performances and artists that reflect the true, the good, and the beautiful. Named for the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best remembered as an inspirational author, radio host and two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality, The Sheen Center reflects his modern-day approach to contemporary topics. The Sheen Center is a state-of-the-art theater complex that includes the 270-seat off-Broadway Loreto Theater, equipped with five-camera high-definition TV and live-stream capability and a multi-track recording studio; the 80-seat off-off-Broadway Black Box Theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery.

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