Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch will star in “A Swinging Christmas” direct from NYC at JM Productions at The Church of Presidents

For Immediate Release

Contact: John McDonald (857) 333~4199 ~ jfm@jmproductionspresents.com

October 26, 2026

(Quincy, MA) JM Productions is delighted to welcome back three powerhouse New York City performers, Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, and Billy Stritch, for an encore performance of their acclaimed holiday celebration, “A Swinging Christmas.” The trio will light up the historic United First Parish Church (The Church of Presidents), 1306 Hancock Street, on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

After dazzling Quincy audiences two years in a row with sold-out performances and many standing ovations, this festive trio is “swinging” back, bringing the same holiday sparkle that has made their annual A Swinging Christmas at NYC’s legendary Birdland a cherished tradition. With their tour spreading cheer across the country, JM Productions is thrilled to have secured an early-season date, giving local audiences a head start on the holiday spirit.

In the tradition of beloved seasonal specials, Blackhurst, Caruso, and Stritch plan to perform swinging arrangements of “Christmas Waltz,” Kay Thompson’s “Holiday Season,” “Sleigh Ride,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” and “Snow,” among other favorites. Last year's audiences gave the group two standing ovations and left humming the holiday tunes and filled with the spirit of the season.

The cast includes KLEA BLACKHURST, who is an actress, singer, and comedienne known for her award-winning tribute to Ethel Merman, Everything the Traffic Will Allow. She recently appeared at Carnegie Hall as Emily Whitman in Follies in Concert. She appeared Off-Broadway with Hayley Mills in Party Face, at City Center Stage 2.

Blackhurst starred in Hazel during its world premiere production at Drury Lane in Chicago, as Dolly Levi in the Fiftieth Anniversary production of Hello, Dolly! at The Goodspeed Opera House and as Miss Lemon in The Nutty Professor, directed by legendary comedian Jerry Lewis and featuring a score by Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes. Klea also played Rose in Drury Lane Chicago’s production of Gypsy.

She performed with symphony orchestras and in theatrical productions across the country and abroad including the London Palladium presentation of Jerry Herman’s Broadway with Angela Lansbury, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Joining Klea is JIM CARUSO, who most recently performed the role of Theodore Whitman in Follies in Concert at Carnegie Hall. He made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in the Tony Award-winning Liza’s at The Palace, singing, dancing, and celebrating the music and arrangements of Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. He has won seven MAC, nine BroadwayWorld, and two Summit Awards for his work in nightclubs.

At Carnegie Hall, he has performed with the New York Pops in tributes to Barry Manilow, Kander & Ebb, Bing Crosby (with Rosemary Clooney), celebrating Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope & Bing Crosby (with Michael Feinstein). He was also honored to sing with a bevy of Broadway stars at President Clinton’s First State Dinner at the White House. For twenty-one years, Jim has hosted the weekly showbiz bash, Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” at Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and across the country.

Rounding out the cast is BILLY STRITCH, who is one of the premier singer-pianists in the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes. A chance meeting with Liza Minnelli in March of 1991 resulted in her asking him to create vocal arrangements for the record-breaking extravaganza Liza Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza, Billy recently toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony’s pianist and musical director.

A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. Billy also serves as music director for such leading vocalists as Christine Ebersole, Paulo Szot, and Marilyn Maye. He is the co-writer of the Grammy-winning song “Does He Love You” recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis.

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