Southern Theatre to Celebrate Christmas with Jim Brickman, 12/21

Jim Brickman brings the spirit of the season to life once again with The Magic of Christmas. A beloved tradition for 17 years, Brickman, along with special guest performers, delivers the perfect blend of music and entertainment, making lasting memories for the whole family. Emotion, intimacy, warmth, and humor come together for the ideal winter's night celebration, featuring holiday favorites and songs from his latest CD, The Magic of Christmas, along with the hits that made Jim the best-selling pianist of our time.

CAPA presents Jim Brickman - The Magic of Christmas at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Saturday, December 21, at 8 pm. Tickets are $33-$68 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Individuals aged 13-25 may purchase $5 PNC Arts Alive All Access tickets while available. For more information, visit www.GoFor5.com.

This performance is made possible through the generous support of 2013-14 CAPA season sponsor American Airlines.

Jim Brickman has amassed 27 Top 40 singles on the adult contemporary charts, including 14 Top 10 smashes. His collaboration with country songstress Martina McBride, "Valentine," scored a number 1 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and a top 10 country hit in 1998. Other Brickman staples include "Peace" and "The Gift" with Collin Raye, "Simple Things" with Rebecca Lynn Howard, "Never Alone" with Lady Antebellum, and "Love of My Life" with Michael W. Smith.

Throughout his long career, Brickman has also shared his artistry with luminaries such as Kenny Loggins, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Michael Bolton, Donny Osmond, Richie McDonald (country's Lonestar), smooth jazz sax star Dave Koz, Olivia Newton-John, Wayne Brady, Blind Boys of Alabama, Broadway's Jane Krakowski, and more. Along the way, he's been rewarded for his melodically sublime style with two Grammy Award nominations, a couple of SESAC Songwriter of the Year Awards, a Canadian Country Music Award, and a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association. He's also the author of two best-selling books, Simple Things (2001) and Love Notes (2005), co-written with Cindy Pearlman.

A native of Cleveland, Brickman began playing piano at the age of five and studied music at the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music where he was honored with a scholarship in his name in 2011. Founding his own advertising music company in 1980, Brickman began writing commercial jingles for such advertisers as McDonald's, Pontiac, and Kellogg's.

Brickman has been a strong supporter of PBS, filming four TV specials for the revered television network - My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman (2000), Love Songs and Lullabies (2002), Jim Brickman Live from Disney's Magic Kingdom (2005), and Beautiful World (2009). In March 2013, Brickman brought together the stars of the '70s with Jim Brickman Presents Celebration of the '70s. Filmed live for Comcast On Demand, this special will be released to the public later this year.

Brickman is also the host of a syndicated radio show, "Your Weekend with Jim Brickman," airing on 80+ radio stations across North America in cities such as Milwaukee, Hartford, Portland, Honolulu, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Providence, and Nashville. Also lending his hand to many charitable foundations, Brickman currently works with Autism Speaks and the Horatio Alger Association.

Photo credit: Rob Wayman