Happy Monday!

Actually, this Monday is happier than most, because it's only a week till Christmas! Yay! I've barely started my shopping, I've got countless hours of baking ahead...yet I'm still filled with my yearly holiday euphoria. It COULD be because we had the annual Esposito Family Christmas Concert yesterday. I had not been feeling very Christmas-y until then, but singing all of those songs just put me right in the spirit. It was me and my dad and my sis singing, with my dad playing guitar, my brother-in-law Rob Broelmann on bass, Brian DeWitt on drums, and the fabulous Lynda Saponara on piano. Rob's brother Brian also joined us on tenor sax, which was a real treat. The church was packed, everyone was singing along, and there was plenty of holiday joy in the air. So...I'm ready to shop till I drop and bake till I crash! AND squeeze in a few more shows, of course! But before I tell you what's on the agenda for this week, let me tell you about the shows I've seen since my last entry. It was actually a really crazy week with other obligations, so I only made it to a few, but they were terrific! On Thursday, 12/14, I went to see my friend Maureen Taylor, who was participating in the concert version of Stage and Screen, a new musical by Kip Dennis. The show was charming, and Maureen was terrific in her role as a gossip columnist. I hope to see it back again soon! On Saturday, 12/16, I went to another of the "Give Me a Voice" benefits at the Metropolitan Room at 5 p.m. The show was terrific, with another stellar lineup including Miles Phillips, Tim DiPasqua, Baby Jane Dexter, and - of course - the charming and talented host/m.c./booking manager Lennie Watts! I really had a blast...and THEN, I had to rush over to the Laurie Beechman to do a quick sound check for the holiday fete I was singing in that night at 8! I was honored to be part of such an incredible lineup - I shared the bill with Lisa Asher, Jamie deRoy, Brandon Cutrell, Julie Gold, Alysha Umphress and Barbara Brussell, among others. It was another great show - so a big thanks to Phil Geoffrey Bond for putting at all together!
So...tonight, I'm going to head up to Symphony Space at 8:00 to catch My Christmas Song for You, a benefit hosted by the fab Andrea Marcovicci. Scheduled to appear with her are Barbara Brussell, Judy Butterfield, Natalie Douglas, Daisy Carnelia, and Jeff Harnar. Should be another terrific show - and the proceeds benefit programming at Symphony Space, which is definitely something worth supporting! After that, I will (of course!) be heading to Cast Party for my usual Monday night revelries.
On Wednesday at 7 p.m., I'm heading to the Metropolitan Room (seriously, maybe I should just get a cot there?) to see the fabulous Karen Mason in her holiday show - and I can't wait! I'll write all about it in the next post...
Until then, warmest holiday wishes to all!