Post by danfromnj on Dec 8, 2011 23:53:33 GMT -5
New article on the Kings of Christmas from Tiffin, Ohio's Advertiser-Tribune:
These 4 Kings of Christmas coming to Tiffin
December 8, 2011
By MaryAnn Kromer - Staff Writer, The Advertiser-Tribune
The Kings of Christmas are to perform two holiday shows at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 at The Ritz Theatre, 30 S. Washington St. This new act features former Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalists Tommy Farese, Maxx Mann and Guy LeMonnier and former TSO narrator and storyteller Tony Gaynor.
Gaynor said the first half features new music woven together with storytelling, in the style of TSO. The second half includes traditional Christmas songs and some TSO selections, he said.
Members of the group worked together to decide on the format.
"All the core members, we all collaborated for the last 10 or 11 months on this project," Gaynor said."When we got together, we talked, like everybody does, about rehashing the classics, but ... when we got together in the room, a bunch of us with pen and paper, it flowed so well. ... We took some of our own life experiences and we put them into these songs, just like every artist does. Some of the best albums are done from the heart and from things you've experienced."
Musicians performing include David Silva, guitar; Paul Morris and Keith Hill, keyboards; Greg Biscontini, bass; and Tommy Wynder, drums.
A handful of the new tracks can be heard online at www.thekingsofchristmas.net.
Gaynor said "The Empty Chair" grew out of loss. Farese lost his father the year of the first TSO tour, and Gaynor's father died a few months ago, before he could see the Kings of Christmas become a reality.
"Letter to Santa" describes a heart-wrenching Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child in need.
"Part of what we would like to convey is that, sometimes it doesn't take money all the time. Just a small gesture, a thank-you, opening a door for an elderly person ... or picking up the telephone and speaking to a loved one that you haven't spoken to for 10 or 15 years because of a silly argument you don't even remember," Gaynor said.
A third song, "A Soldier's Christmas: The Wall," is an attempt to dramatize the feelings of troops far from their families during the holidays.
Gaynor said whenever TSO was aware of a member of the military in the audience, the band gave public acknowledgment to those individuals, and The Kings of Christmas wanted to continue that tradition with a new song.
"Ever since we started with TSO, one of the themes that Tony and myself and the other core members ... Our men and women in the armed forces, their sacrifice has been our greatest inspiration. We have so much respect and are humbled and so grateful for their sacrifice. We have always tried to reach out and find ways to thank them," Gaynor said.
Although "A Soldier's Christmas" is not a typical holiday offering, Gaynor said the group considers it a gift to troops for continuing their work throughout the year to defend Americans' way of life.
"Whether you believe or not in the war, or what they're doing, we still need to support our troops and the job they're doing," Gaynor said.
The song was released on YouTube and can be downloaded free.
The Kings of Christmas added "365 days" onto the title of its CD to emphasize the need to keep the spirit of the holidays every day of the year.
Copies of the CD are to be available at the shows. Gaynor said the production was designed to be more engaging than TSO performances, where Gaynor stood in one spot with a microphone.
"We wanted to get back to the intimacy we had in the beginning, playing in small theaters, before we did the huge arenas. We wanted to make this as intimate as we could, so it's going to be a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more involved with the audience," he said.
The performers plan to meet and greet people in the lobby after the performance.
"A lot of artists don't see the point in that, but people who come out and spend their hard-earned money for a ticket, the least we can do is come out and spend a little time ... get a few hugs and take some pictures and hear from the people what they think," Gaynor said.
In hearing about the features of the Ritz, Gaynor said it sounded inviting.
"It sounds like we're coming back home again. We thank you guys for welcoming us. We are excited and can't wait to get there and perform and see some old friends and meet some new ones," Gaynor said.
Meet the singers
Tommy Farese started his career playing multiple instruments and singing in some of Long Island's most famous nightclubs, and recording many songs on a host of albums.
In the 1980s, he became a recognizable voices for commercial ads, most notably Budweiser and Heineken. In the 1990s, Farese was featured on the album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories."
He is a founding member of the Trans Siberian Orchestra; he was emcee, lead vocalist and guitar player for the past 12 years.
Tony Gaynor began his career performing in regional theaters around his native New York.
He has performed in off-Broadway productions, including a starring role in the gospel musical, "Another Chance." He landed roles in commercials and in television shows such as "Third Watch" and "As the World Turns."
He has toured with TSO for the past 12 years.
Guy LeMonnier has been touring the country and much of Europe over the last 10 years. A founding member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, he has performed in scores of shows in and out of New York and on and off-Broadway.
Upon his recent return to the East Coast, he sang at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina and has been working on an album with The Kings of Christmas.
Maxx Mann is an actor, dancer, musician and singer, and formerly was lead vocalist for Permanent Reverse and Twelve Twenty Four.
Mann was a lead singer with Trans Siberian Orchestra, performing in major venues across the country. He also studied drama at The Actors Studio.
from www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/542593/These-4-Kings-of-Christmas-coming-to-Tiffin.html?nav=5064
These 4 Kings of Christmas coming to Tiffin
December 8, 2011
By MaryAnn Kromer - Staff Writer, The Advertiser-Tribune
The Kings of Christmas are to perform two holiday shows at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 at The Ritz Theatre, 30 S. Washington St. This new act features former Trans-Siberian Orchestra vocalists Tommy Farese, Maxx Mann and Guy LeMonnier and former TSO narrator and storyteller Tony Gaynor.
Gaynor said the first half features new music woven together with storytelling, in the style of TSO. The second half includes traditional Christmas songs and some TSO selections, he said.
Members of the group worked together to decide on the format.
"All the core members, we all collaborated for the last 10 or 11 months on this project," Gaynor said."When we got together, we talked, like everybody does, about rehashing the classics, but ... when we got together in the room, a bunch of us with pen and paper, it flowed so well. ... We took some of our own life experiences and we put them into these songs, just like every artist does. Some of the best albums are done from the heart and from things you've experienced."
Musicians performing include David Silva, guitar; Paul Morris and Keith Hill, keyboards; Greg Biscontini, bass; and Tommy Wynder, drums.
A handful of the new tracks can be heard online at www.thekingsofchristmas.net.
Gaynor said "The Empty Chair" grew out of loss. Farese lost his father the year of the first TSO tour, and Gaynor's father died a few months ago, before he could see the Kings of Christmas become a reality.
"Letter to Santa" describes a heart-wrenching Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child in need.
"Part of what we would like to convey is that, sometimes it doesn't take money all the time. Just a small gesture, a thank-you, opening a door for an elderly person ... or picking up the telephone and speaking to a loved one that you haven't spoken to for 10 or 15 years because of a silly argument you don't even remember," Gaynor said.
A third song, "A Soldier's Christmas: The Wall," is an attempt to dramatize the feelings of troops far from their families during the holidays.
Gaynor said whenever TSO was aware of a member of the military in the audience, the band gave public acknowledgment to those individuals, and The Kings of Christmas wanted to continue that tradition with a new song.
"Ever since we started with TSO, one of the themes that Tony and myself and the other core members ... Our men and women in the armed forces, their sacrifice has been our greatest inspiration. We have so much respect and are humbled and so grateful for their sacrifice. We have always tried to reach out and find ways to thank them," Gaynor said.
Although "A Soldier's Christmas" is not a typical holiday offering, Gaynor said the group considers it a gift to troops for continuing their work throughout the year to defend Americans' way of life.
"Whether you believe or not in the war, or what they're doing, we still need to support our troops and the job they're doing," Gaynor said.
The song was released on YouTube and can be downloaded free.
The Kings of Christmas added "365 days" onto the title of its CD to emphasize the need to keep the spirit of the holidays every day of the year.
Copies of the CD are to be available at the shows. Gaynor said the production was designed to be more engaging than TSO performances, where Gaynor stood in one spot with a microphone.
"We wanted to get back to the intimacy we had in the beginning, playing in small theaters, before we did the huge arenas. We wanted to make this as intimate as we could, so it's going to be a little bit more relaxed, a little bit more involved with the audience," he said.
The performers plan to meet and greet people in the lobby after the performance.
"A lot of artists don't see the point in that, but people who come out and spend their hard-earned money for a ticket, the least we can do is come out and spend a little time ... get a few hugs and take some pictures and hear from the people what they think," Gaynor said.
In hearing about the features of the Ritz, Gaynor said it sounded inviting.
"It sounds like we're coming back home again. We thank you guys for welcoming us. We are excited and can't wait to get there and perform and see some old friends and meet some new ones," Gaynor said.
Meet the singers
Tommy Farese started his career playing multiple instruments and singing in some of Long Island's most famous nightclubs, and recording many songs on a host of albums.
In the 1980s, he became a recognizable voices for commercial ads, most notably Budweiser and Heineken. In the 1990s, Farese was featured on the album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories."
He is a founding member of the Trans Siberian Orchestra; he was emcee, lead vocalist and guitar player for the past 12 years.
Tony Gaynor began his career performing in regional theaters around his native New York.
He has performed in off-Broadway productions, including a starring role in the gospel musical, "Another Chance." He landed roles in commercials and in television shows such as "Third Watch" and "As the World Turns."
He has toured with TSO for the past 12 years.
Guy LeMonnier has been touring the country and much of Europe over the last 10 years. A founding member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, he has performed in scores of shows in and out of New York and on and off-Broadway.
Upon his recent return to the East Coast, he sang at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina and has been working on an album with The Kings of Christmas.
Maxx Mann is an actor, dancer, musician and singer, and formerly was lead vocalist for Permanent Reverse and Twelve Twenty Four.
Mann was a lead singer with Trans Siberian Orchestra, performing in major venues across the country. He also studied drama at The Actors Studio.
from www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/542593/These-4-Kings-of-Christmas-coming-to-Tiffin.html?nav=5064