'A Merry Funny New England Christmas 2012' Returns to Music Hall

Comedy Central comic Juston McKinney returns to the stage of The Music Hall’s Historic Theater for a one-night only send up of the holidays in A Merry Funny New England Christmas 2012 featuring new comics, new material and new music by the Gaudy Baubles. It all takes place Friday December 21, 2012 at 8pm – tickets are on sale now. Mature audiences.

According to Therese LaGamma, Deputy Director of Programming/Curator, “A Merry Funny New England Christmas 2012 is the best way to put some funky fun into this season of joy – it’s a hilarious holiday extravaganza. And, I can’t wait to hear Juston’s comic take on 2012 New England happenings. This show is a blast!”

About the show

Due to snow on the ground in Boston it looks like Comedy Central comedian Juston McKinney won’t make it back home to New England for Christmas from Vegas. Allegedly, Juston said that he “wished he never lived” so his Guardian Angel, Lawrence, sets out to show him what that world would be like—it becomes clear that everyone would have been better off! With new material, new guest comedians, and new music from the Gaudy Baubles, this is a holiday show you don’t want to miss. For mature Audiences.”

Comic host Juston McKinney

Juston McKinney hails from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Maine until his comedic career began to pick up and he relocated to New York City where he became a regular performer at the Comic Strip, Stand-up New York, Dangerfield’s, Caroline’s on Broadway and the Gotham Comedy Club.  Later in Los Angeles, he became a regular at the Improv. His TV credits include numerous shows on Comedy Central including his half hour presents special, and appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. He has toured with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour - Next Generation hosted by Bill Engvall, which aired on TBS, and was released by Warner Bros. on DVD/CD.  His latest release is his own one hour Comedy Central special “A Middle-class Hole” with Warner Brothers. www.justonmckinney.com

“Juston McKinney is destined for stardom” – New York Times

Guest comic Frank Santorelli

Frank is an Italian-American who is best known for playing the recurring role of "Georgie the Bartender" in The Sopranos.  Frank is also well known for his starring role in The Godfathers of Comedy. Frank has starred in numerous movies, including:  No Reservations, Meet the Parents, and Crooked Lines. 

Guest comic Kelly MacFarland

Kelly has an extensive resume including comedy clubs, theaters, colleges and multiple television appearances including Comedy Central, Today Show and Cartoon Network. In 2010, Kelly was voted Best of the Fest at the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival. Kelly released her first album, Bombshell, in 2011 and her second album will be released in 2013. Most recently, Kelly has appeared on the TV Guide Channel’s Stand up in Stilettos with Kate Flannery from The Office. Kelly captivates the crowd with her charm and non-stop energy. Her playful point of view makes her irresistible and a must see! 

Guest comic Jeff Koen

Jeff has performed standup comedy in and around the Boston area for the past five years.  He also plays a high comic role in the independent film Heavy Times, which the themancave.com called, "an original road trip flick unlike any that have come before it" and referred to his role as “the main standout in the cast.”  In 2011 Koen won the O'Brien Contest in the greater Boston area, beating out a field on 40 professional comedians.

Musicians - The Gaudy Baubles 

Under the guidance of Music Hall Music Director Bob Lord, the Gaudy Baubles is a rocking holiday quintet with a stunning vocalist that will treat the audience to everything from traditional Christmas chestnuts to hysterical musical spoofs and parodies.

Bandleader Bob Lord

Bob Lord is a bassist, composer, producer, and CEO of PARMA Recordings.  He has produced artists such as Grammy-winner Richard Stoltzman, Pulitzer Prize-winner Lewis Spratlan, and NY Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, and co-produced with Pete Townshend of The Who.  Bob is a co-founder of the award-winning trio Dreadnaught, and is Music Director for the Music Hall and its acclaimed series Writers On A New England Stage.

Drummer Rick Habib

As Dreadnaught co-founder and drummer, Rick has toured and recorded extensively – sharing the stage with John Entwistle (The Who), NRBQ, and Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) among others.  Rick has performed with other regionally-known artists, including Jon Nolan, The Molenes, Ed Jurdi, and Tom Yoder. 

Guitarist Shaun Michaud

Shaun has toured North America with Fates Warning and Event, had his music featured in numerous television programs, and is the Lead Engineer for PARMA Recordings.  Shaun’s new group The Collectibles is currently preparing is debut release.

Vocalist Renée Dupuis

A graduate of the Hartt School (Hartford, CT) in Voice, Renee performs with various ensembles and music theater productions, and is a vocalist/pianist for The Bandit Kings, a Boston-based group which has performed at venues across the US.  She is the Manger of Artist Coordination for PARMA Recordings and works closely with numerous world-class

Keyboardist Chris Sink

Chris is a sought-after keyboard player based on the New Hampshire seacoast who has performed with a variety of jazz, soul, funk, and rock groups including Moon Minion, Amorphous Band, Dreadnaught, Gramafoma, and PowerMoneyCake, among others. 

Tickets

Tickets for A Merry Funny New England Christmas are $40 and $28 and can be purchased at The Music Hall box office at the Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth), on the phone at 603.436.2400, or online at www.themusichall.org

Submitted by Kathleen Soldati, director of marketing, The Music Hall