Sheen Center to Celebrate December with Regis Philbin, The Muppets, Latin America Sings! & More

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York's new downtown cultural initiative, The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (18 Bleecker) will present a series of eclectic events in celebration of "the most wonderful time of the year."

A special screening of THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL will kick off the festivities on Thursday, December 3 at 6:00pm, with Regis Philbinmaking a special guest appearance reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The whole family can enjoy this classic film on the big screen, which will be preceded by caroling by the students of St. Stephen of Hungary School. Tickets are $12.

CANCIONES MEXICANAS, the second installment of Latin America Sings!, a series of concerts curated by pianist and conductor Pablo Zinger, is presented in celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe and will sample the best music of Mexico, on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm. Featuring renown vocalists Brenda Feliciano (Puerto Rico), Gizelxanath (Mexico), Virginia Herrera (Mexico) and Maribel Salazar(Mexico), the set will be accompanied by Zinger (Uruguay) at the piano and Néstor Villar (Venezuela) on percussion. Tickets are $29.

The SymphonNYChorus presents LIGHT OF THE WORLD, a Christmas concert celebrating one of the most loved and cherished times of the year, on Friday, December 11 at 8:00pm. With a wide range of music from old-time favorites to new contemporary work, this concert is sure to warm the heart through the skilled talents of the 45 member chorus. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door.

LA BOHÈME, the world's most popular opera, is being brought to life this Christmas Season in the Amore Opera's acclaimed production. The New York Times declares that Amore Opera's LA BOHÈME is "passionate and vocally striking. It is a solid work with sympathy and insight." Amore Opera's full production is directed by Nathan Hull, and features a full orchestra under the direction of Jason Tramm. The performance schedule is as follows: Friday, December 18 at 7:30pm; Saturday, December 19 at 7:30pm; Sunday, December 20 at 2:30pm;Wednesday, December 30 at 7:30pm; Thursday, December 31 at 8:30pm; Friday, January 1 at 7:30pm; Saturday, January 2 at 7:30pmand Sunday, January 3 at 2:30pm.Tickets are $40; $30 for seniors and students, with valid IDs.

HANSEL & GRETEL is a favorite of children and families everywhere, and this holiday season, the Amore Opera will present Humperdinck's beloved opera in a sparkling English translation for four daytime performances during the week after Christmas. This tuneful opera follows Hansel & Gretel's adventures in the forest as they try to outwit the Witch and free all of the Gingerbread Children. Amore Opera's charming production is directed by Sarah Moulton Faux, and features both a cast of some of the country's best young opera singers along with the children from the Amore Opera Academy. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday, December 29 at 2:30pm; Wednesday, December 30 at 2:30pm; Friday, January 1 at 2:30pm and Saturday, January 2 at 2:30pm. Tickets are $25.

Named after the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best known for his popular radio and TV ministry in the 1950s and 60s, The Sheen Center is the newest arts center in Manhattan in 35 years, and showcases works that affirm the highest values of the human spirit through the performing and visual arts, symposia, lectures and exhibits. The state-of-the-art complex has a 274-seat proscenium theater equipped with five-camera high-definition livestream capability and a multi-track recording studio with thirty-two onstage inputs; an 80-seat black box theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery.

Tickets to all events can be purchased at www.sheencenter.org/events.