Music Review: Anthony Nunziata Gifts Us His Single FIRST CHRISTMAS For Our Christmas

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This latest album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from prolific singer-songwriter (and certified dreamboat) Anthony Nunziata, whose move to Nashville a year or so ago has yielded great things.  The Broadway World Cabaret favorite has been hard at work and it shows in all of his efforts, which included the hometown boy’s Cafe Carlyle debut this year!  You Go, boy!  The latest from Mr. Nunz is a holiday single titled FIRST CHRISTMAS which dropped on digital on November 10th.  Now, dear Bobby readers, if you read our boss, that true Christmas elf Stephen Mosher, you know that Anthony’s album of all original Christmas music TOGETHER FOR CHRISTMAS is one of his favorite holiday albums.  It turns out this new release is a freshened-up version of a song from that very album, re-produced and re-purposed for the 2023 holiday market.  So when Mr. Mosh asked us to review Anthony’s new holiday music, we jumped at the chance to get on the Nunziata bandwagon.  And now that we are on it, we aren’t going anywhere.  

“Remember when we first met, remember when we first kissed, remember when I first took you home,” sings Anthony Nunziata with an oh-so-pretty voice, so palatable, so radio-ready, that you can’t help it: you have to turn up the volume.  It was just voice and piano, a tiny bit of percussion (it sounds like finger snapping to go with the building backup vocals), and then the chorus hit and Little Bobby had his hands in the air... you will be dancing around the kitchen with a huge smile on your face.   This is Top Forty for Christmas, darlings, and it is gorgeous!  More importantly, what a songwriting talent (writing credits include Jeff Franzel and Nina Ossoff).

FIRST CHRISTMAS is new music and don't we all need some new Christmas music, my angels?  How many times can we listen to the same holiday songs over and over?  It gets old.  But TBH, Christmas can get a little bit much, it can start to wear on you, until you have to rush to the television and watch a movie where Angelina Jolie beats someone up, to wash off the sugar.  So when a singer-songwriter puts out a song that is *technically* a Christmas song but could be put on your playlist for year-round (everyone else does that, don’t they?), it’s a plus.  First Christmas is just such a song, with a strong melodic line that is both hummable and danceable, and lyrics that will be easy to memorize (for singing along) but that aren’t repetitive.   And the voice, the voice, the voice.  It is no wonder that Anthony Nunziata spends so much of his year touring and is so POP-ular - he is a POP star in Bobby's Book.  Just have a listen to FIRST CHRISTMAS (the original version on YouTube is below) and see for yourself.
 

Also, me dears, listening to the single made Little Bobby so happy that we Googled-up the review that Ste Mo did of TOGETHER FOR CHRISTMAS and read it while playing the disc on our Spotify, and we feel like we need to add our stamp of approval to Boss Stephen's boss write-up:  Anthony Nunziata knows from Christmas and he has a knack for this music.  We hope that FIRST CHRISTMAS might lead to more of the same even though he should be making all types of music all year round - music for others to sing, music for himself to perform, and we get a strong feeling Anthony Nunziata should be writing movie themes, too.  But, for now, let’s all just press play and throw those arms up in the air, dance, smile, and learn the words because FIRST CHRISTMAS gets 

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your collection/stream today:  HERE

Read Stephen Mosher's review of TOGETHER FOR CHRISTMAS: HERE

You Can See And Hear Everything About Anthony Nunziata On The Webbysite: HERE 

Anthony Nunzia is on tour!  Here are the dates:

Fri, November 24, 2023 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA | Feinstein's at Hotel Nikko - Tickets

Sat, November 25, 2023 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA | Feinstein's at Hotel Nikko - Tickets

Wed, November 29, 2023 - NEW YORK CITY | Special Guests: Jeff Franzel, Haley Swindal, Marieann Meringolo, Grace Kiamie | 54 Below - Tickets

Sat, December 2, 2023 - SCRANTON, PA | The Theater at North - Tickets

Sun, December 3, 2023 - SELLERSVILLE, PA | The Sellersville Theater - Tickets

Mon, December 4, 2023 - NORTHPORT, NY  | Special Guest: Tedd Firth | The John W. Engeman Theater - Tickets

Wed, December 6, 2023 - GLENS FALLS, NY | Special Guest: Tedd Firth | The Charles R. Wood Theater - Tickets

Fri, December 8, 2023 - WILMINGTON, DE | The Baby Grand Theater - Tickets

Sat, December 9, 2023 - FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | The Sunshine Cathedral - Tickets

Sun, December 10, 2023 - MANCHESTER, NH | The Rex Theatre - Tickets

Wed, December 13, 2023 - INDIANAPOLIS, IN | Clowes Hall - Tickets

Fri, December 15, 2023 - CLARKSBURG, WV | Special Guests: Amici, Benjamin DeFazio, Marissa Bailey | The Robinson Grand Theater - Tickets

Sat, December 16, 2023 - CARMEL, IN | The Palladium - Tickets

Sun, December 17, 2023 - CARMEL, IN | The Palladium - Tickets

Wed, December 20, 2023 - KEY LARGO, FL | Private Concert

Thurs, December 21, 2023 - CHESHIRE, CT | Special Guest: Jeff Franzel | Nelson Hall - Tickets

Fri, December 22, 2023 - DELRAY BEACH, FL | The Arts Garage - Tickets

Sat, December 23, 2023 - YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY | Yorktown Stage Theater - Tickets