Jeff Raspe of 90.5 kicked things off by welcoming people to the show and then let the musicians take over. Arlan Feiles & the Lone Howdies started the night with "Little Drummer Boy" before handing over the keys to the stage to Anthony Fiumano and one of the night's best highlights - a rocking version of "Run Run Rudolph" in which Anthony showed he could rock with the best of them! It was fun watching Anthony rock out since many of his originals are more mellow story-based songs than Chuck Berry rockers.
"It was like when Dylan went electric!" said Scott Stamper of Anthony's performance. "And now watch Allie Moss blow the crowd away." Scott's obvious a fan of Allie's, but he was right she was awesome and has a beautiful voice.
Other highlights of the night included Val Emmich providing an amazingly deep soul searching take on "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" - a song that is the perfect "wear your heart on your sleeve" type of song he excels at singing.
Rob Tanico (Mr. Reality / Highway 9) took a rare stab at lead vocals on a slow, grooving version of "Please Come Home for Christmas." This might have been the first time I've ever seen Rob on lead vocals outside some alchol-fused nights at the Celtic Cottage where anything goes.
Kerri McNulty of Divine Sign did a fun version of "Santa Baby" with Arlan Feiles accompanying her on keyboards.
Rick Barry managed to take his acclaimed song "Courage For a Rainy Day" to new heights as he silenced the crowd and managed to use the Christmas time for further introspection about a war that seemingly will never end. Tthe longer the war goes on the more meaningful the song has become and hearing it at a holiday show led many to think more about the soldiers celebrating the holidays in a fox hole rather than at home. Breaking the seriousness, Rick had April Smith join him for "Baby, It's Cold Outside" which featured April's soft and sexy vocals. I'd have liked to hear Rick do a line or two holding a martini and pretending to be Dean Martin, but that's just me. Their take was very good on a song I had heard butchered the night before.
April stayed on stage for a wonderful version of her Asbury Music Award winning song of the year "Bright White Jackets" and then gave way for Jeffrey Gaines. After one of his originals, Gaines launched into a beautiful version of "Silent Night" which was simply stunning.
After Gaines finished the Lone Howdies took over for one of their originals. The band which included such artists as Kerri McNulty (Divine Sign) and Greg D has a full, rich sound and truly is a tight sounding orchestra these days. With the horn section going, they turn Arlan's new songs into something that reminds me of The Beatles during Abbey Road days - just fun, rollicking tunes.
Most of the performers all returned to the stage for the night's closing number "Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon. Artists on stage included Rick Barry, April Smith, Allie Moss, Anthony Fiumano, Val Emmich and Rob Tanico. It was a very appropriate way to end a tremendous night of local music. It's one of my all time favorite Christmas songs... it'll be nice to hear it played the day the war finally ends.
Photos from the show are available online at http://www.upstagemagazine.com/photos/photos.php?directory=NotPopXmas2006
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
