Photos: Karen Mason's CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! at the Green Room 42

Guest review by Maryann Lopinto

During the week of Christmas and New Year’s, there are many traditions that we enjoy every year.  We have the Radio City Rockettes now celebrating their 100th birthday, the giant Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center and Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!, a cabaret show performed by Karen Mason. It played at the Green Room 42 on December 19, 20, and 21 at 7 p.m.

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! was first presented in 1985 by Karen Mason and her musical director Brian Lasser who both came to New York from Chicago at Don't Tell Mama.  It continued every year since at the various clubs around New York: Eighty Eights, Iridium, Laurie Beachman Room, Birdland and just this past week at the Green Room 42.  During her run at The Laurie Beechman in 1999, the show was recorded live on a CD called "CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! When Lasser passed away in 1992, Christopher Denny took over as her Musical Director.

It was a show of various Christmas treats, some traditional and some newer ones. Her version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is not like any other version, ("He sees you when you're sleeping, He sees you when you sleep"). The beautifully done "The Christmas Waltz” paired with "Christmas Song".  "A Christmas Waltz is my favorite Christmas song. It was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn for Frank Sinatra in 1954.  There was "Winter Wonderland" with "Let It Snow", "Joy To The World” paired with Joni Mitchell's "River," a gem. Also breathtaking, with Denny joining in,  was "Sweetest of Nights/Finest of Days" written by Shelley Markham with the words of Judith Viorst from her book "Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”

 She sang the traditional. "Silent Night" and "We Three Kings."  Three newer songs, one by Brian Lasser, "Not This Christmas" about what you don't want as a Christmas gift which gets updated each year by her director Barry Kleinbort. "It'll Be Christmas Before You Know It," written by her husband Paul Rolnick with Henry Cory and a recently written Hanukkah song also written by Rolnick and Paul Evans, "Step Into the Light," sung in duet with Rolnick. Closing the show with the classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" added the final wrapping with a bow. The show was directed by Barry Kleinbort and musically arranged by both Brian Lasser and Christopher Denny. Christmas without "CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS!” is like Christmas without Santa!

Learn more about Karen Mason at www.karenmason.com.