No comments about Christmas with the Drifters.

No comments about Treasury of Elizabethan Music.

4 comments about Sharon, Lois and Bram's Elephant Show- Live In Your Living Room (1989 VHS).

1. Any of Sharon, Lois and Bram's video's, tv shows are all beneficial to young children and their families today. It's just good old fun, not like some crap that children are watching nowadays. It's humerous, and fun to watch and partipate in any of Sharon, Lois and Bram's functions. Excellent Children's Show!



2. I have missed my Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show for years and years. I am so glad that I ordered this video cassette. I can remember everyday in the summer my grandpa would come and get me from my house and take me over his to watch it. I recommand this to any parent who wants their child to have a good positive show to watch. This is it!



3. I find it quite interesting that a video was actually made of this show. I was about four when it was on Nickelodeon, and though I can hardly recall anything of great importance from the show, the theme song still pops into my frontal lobes unannounced and stays for days. If you can get your kids to enjoy corny but well put together shows from the eighties and early nineties, this would be a great find. Educational, non-violent entertainment. Add this to your collection of recorded eposiodes of Eureka's Castle, Pinwheel and the Wonderful World of David the Gnome.



4. I purchased this item hoping that it would be just like the old TV show that I remember watching. It was really my fault that what I received wasn't what I expected. I must not have read the full description that this was just a copy of an old concert. I would purchase another video, but I would make sure that what I was getting was the actual show.

No comments about Nostalgia Navidena.

2 comments about Happy Holidays.

1. Contains a good assortment of Roger Whittaker's Christmas carols, including the surprisingly difficult to find Ding Dong Merrily on High. Although one of my favorites, Roger's version of this carol is not available on iTunes and isn't included on his other Christmas albums.



2. I am very pleased with the music on this CD. It has two songs that I love. The first is "The Holly And The Ivy" and the second is "Home For Christmas". I first heard "Home For Christmas" several years ago on the radio and I have been looking for a CD that it was on so that I could add it to my Christmas music collection and I am thrilled to finally find it.

5 comments about Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical (1998 Original Cast).

1. Nuncrackers: the Nunsense Christmas musical takes us back to Mount St Helens Convent where we find the Little Sisters of Hoboken preparing for a Christmas presentation of The Nutcracker, with Sister Leo dancing the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy, in the new public access cable television studio Reverend Mother built using the winnings from the Publishers Clearing House. However, as usually happens with the good Sisters, things go horribly awry and the Sisters, along with Father Virgil and students from Mount St Helens School, attempt to repair the televised Christmas program the only way they know how; through their faith and a few Broadway musical numbers! If your theatre company is looking for something different to produce for the holidays, or if you just enjoy reading scripts, Nuncrackers is a fresh new option. This script full of colorful characters, hilarious dialogue, loving jabs at the Catholic faith, and a non-stop sense of merriment, is wrapped up in a beautiful Christmas package to share with and delight the entire family. My rating is based on the fact that I have enjoyed the other Nunsense materials written by Mr. Goggin, but too many sequels take the shine off of the original concept. If this is your first taste of the wacky world of Nunsence, then you are in for a treat with Nuncrackers: the Christmas Musical



2. Great CD! I saw this production (the original cast) and it was fabulous.. The songs are hysterical, especially while being performed, and who couldn't love those kids? hee hee! (Had to put that, cuz I was a kid in the show.. LOL.. it was very funny though, the audiences had a lot of great laughs!)



3. I got the opprotunity to work on the crew of this funny show and loved avery minute of it! The CD sounds just like the cast that I worked with (Jeff Trachta, Dawn Wells, Dody Goodman) and I would recomend it to anyone who loves humorous musicals. I only wish that they included Father Vergil as Julia Childs on the CD as well (it was the funnyest part). The diffrent memories and wishes of the nuns are made into songs, my favorite being All I Want For Christmas.



4. I never actually saw the show, but I performed it ten times in front of an audience. The songs were great, my favorites included "In the Convent" which had C-O-N-V-E-N-T instead of R-E-S-P-E-C-T, "All I Want for Christmas", and "Twelve Days prior to Christmas". Of course everyone loved Sister Amnesia's idea of a Christmas present: a polish Christmas Card, and Reverend Mother's Scratch and Sniff Mel Gibson. Saint Victoria's secret, and Sister Julia's(portrayed by Father Virgil for reasons found out in the show)way to make a fruit cake kept the audience full of laughter. For the people who liked the deep heartfelt ballads there were "Jesus Was Born in Brooklyn" and "The Christmas Box". Even during rehearsal we were cracking up when Sister Amnesia and the kids sang "Here We Come a Waffeling", "The Holly and the Ivory", and "The First Noel the Angels Did Say Was to Certain Poor Leapords". I can still hear Reverend Mother saying "No Amnesia it's...." Of course a big part of the show is Mount Saint Helen's own rendition of the Nutcracker. You see, after Sister Amnesia won the publisher's clearing House sweepstakes they spend the money on a TV studio. They are now filming their very first Christmas speacisl, in which Sister Leo will play the Sugar Plum Fairy in there own rendition of the Ball Breaker(Nutcracker).Unfortunately the Sugar Plum Fairy can't dance so a very drunk Father Virgil and Reverend Mother both come out fully clad and then begin to fight. It's extremely funny, but not all that suitable for young children. This is a play where there really is something for everyone.



5. I recently performed this show, portraying the character Father Virgil Manly Trots. I had some reservations about the music at first, but when listening to this, it cannot be taken seriously. "Nuncrackers" has some of the most raunchiest underlying lyrics I've heard in a while. "It's better to give than it is to receive. For in giving you get back much more, that's what we believe..." or "All I want for Christmas is a one night stand..." Ha! "The Christmas Box" is one of the only serious ballads in the show, besides a corny version of "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem" sung by Sister Robert Anne. "In the Convent" is a rousing take on the Village People's "In the Navy." The "Christmas Sing A Long" is a random smattering of just about every Christmas carol known to man. We had a great time performing the show. What the music lacks it makes up for in the staging! Where else can a Father dress up like Sister Julia (Child of God) and get drunk while putting on a cooking show!?!? Don't get me wrong, the songs will leave you humming the melody after the first listen, and you NEED to hear each piece a couple of times to pick up all of the nuances! So, get the CD. If you're lucky enough to catch a live performance of it, even better!

5 comments about A Christmas Carol.

1. The very first time I ever saw this musical, I was in 3rd grade, which would be 2000. I went to see it with a family friend and his mom, and I absolutely adored it. That trip was very special, especially because that friend's older sister was in it, one of the 30 angels in the choir. From that point on, it was my dream to be in the angel choir too. And since she was in it through our school, I knew I would get my chance. 3 years later, in 6th grade, choir auditions came around at school and I made it! You could definitely say that that was the best day of my life. And so I performed with 29 of my friends about once a week, and I remember every moment of it - however, having this CD definitely helps to relive the memories. =) If you didn't get a chance to see this show before it closed last year, buy this CD - it obviously won't be the same but it's pretty darn close! And for those of you who have seen it, you'll love reliving it for yourself. Just get this CD!! It has perfect orchestrations, witty songs and it's an all around joyful experience. And I'm not just saying that because I was in it. =D



2. The very first time I ever saw this musical, I was in 3rd grade, which would be 2000. I went to see it with a family friend and his mom, and I absolutely adored it. That trip was very special, especially because that friend's older sister was in it, one of the 30 angels in the choir. From that point on, it was my dream to be in the angel choir too. And since she was in it through our school, I knew I would get my chance. 3 years later, in 6th grade, choir auditions came around at school and I made it! You could definitely say that that was the best day of my life. And so I performed with 29 of my friends about once a week, and I remember every moment of it - however, having this CD definitely helps to relive the memories. =) If you didn't get a chance to see this show before it closed last year, buy this CD - it obviously won't be the same but it's pretty darn close! And for those of you who have seen it, you'll love reliving it for yourself. Just get this CD!! It has perfect orchestrations, witty songs and it's an all around joyful experience. And I'm not just saying that because I was in it. =D



3. All of Menken's work has had a unique sound that still allows melodic lines to soar in a way unheard since Rodgers & Hammerstein. Whether it be the 60s Do-Wop style of Little Shop of Horrors or the intense soaring classical-romantic style of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, he creates soaring music. One of these shows would certainly be A Christmas Carol.
   
   The music starts out perhaps a slight bit weak, lacking in melodiousness, but Ahrens (of Once On this Island and Ragtime Fame) is able to redeem this with important story characteristics which allow the second half to be a ton of fun musically as well.



4. What this show lacks in originality or variety, it makes up with charm and pure enjoyment points. We all know the story, Scrooge regects the Christmas spirit and is, in result, is visited my three ghosts to show in the past, present and future of Schrooge's Christmas'. What makes this show unique is that it is almost entirely sung through. However, this is also the downfall of the show. There is not quite enough material to merit a the opera-esque elements of the show. Unfortuantely, there are a lot of reprisals of the music, and it is the weaker songs that are repeated again and again, which makes it occasionally tedious. Also, it borrows elements from menkins other musicals, like Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast. The same mediocre material moves from tedious to boring when streched across three shows.
   
   However, the show is a lot of fun, and will make you begin counting down the days until Christmas!
   The best songs are LINK BY LINK, the song Marley sings to forsee the arrival of the three ghosts, ABUNDANCE AND CHARITY, a sort of MGM big chorus number by the ghost of christmas present, and DANCING ON YOUR GRAVE, the song the gost of christmas yet to be sings. Its atmospheric and a little creepy.
   
   Overall, its a great family musical for the christmas season.



5. I'll agree this is nothing new, but this CD has great music on it. Very exciting and fresh, to go with this old story. The vocalists are great, the lyrics fit right into the story, and the orchestrations are wonderful. After listening to this CD I never want to see "A Christmas Carol" any other way. I strongly suggest this CD for everyone. It is a family show, as well as being a wonderful one for new and old listeners. This CD tells the entire story, there no need to read a synopsis because its all here. Favorite Song: "Dancing On Your Grave"

5 comments about A Christmas Album.

1. This cd is a must for all Kenny Rankin fans. His interpretation of the classic Christmas tunes warms the heart. I just received my cd and though it June - I have been transported to December 25. Every Christmas tune is here - just put the cd on and your on your way to trimming the tree. A great collection - by a great singer



2. Hello and who cares there is a mention of reindeer and santa... i will be playing this cd all year. Am i a kenny ranklin fan..you bet from the first album... does this make a difference on how this album received 5 stars from me..no way..he is simply perfection in voice and style.



3. I received this CD from Amazon just 5 days before Christmas and it was a wonderful addition to my Christmas music library. Kenny's vocal stylings and guitar work are magnificent as usual. I especially enjoyed his rendition of O Little Town of Bethlehem sand We Three Kings. The latter has NEVER been one of my favorite carols. I've always found it rather a boring song, but Kenny Rankin gives a wonderful interpretation of it that I really enjoy.

   The singing, the arrangements and the accompaniements are all first rate. It is a GREAT addition to any Christmas music library!!!




4. I must confess to being a big Kenny Rankin fan. But this album is among his best. It's certainly a step up from most Christmas albums -- because Kenny can really sing (he not only has a great range, he slides through the range quite effortlessly!). I even like to listen to this in July!



5. So glad to have it now!

5 comments about Billboard Rock N Roll Christmas.

1. A couple harder to find classic rockers"Queen","Foghat",and "Canned Heat" make it a good pick.Packaged with many very good standards by which all rock n' roll yule tuneage should be judged is party delight.Besides the finale takes you back to a time when you cared less and a smile came easy.



2. There is much to commend "Billboard Rock N Roll Christmas," starting with the opening track of Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas." Billy Squier's "Christmas is the Time to Say 'I Love You'" and George Thorogood & the Destroyer's "Rock and Roll Christmas" certainly get the place hopping. But then we have Weird Al Yankovic's "Christmas at Ground Zero." Now, I love Weird Al and I know all the words to this song, but it is just out of place in this collection (and I have expressed similar concerns on other Christmas collections when a novelty song is thrown into the mix). Then we are back on track with Foghart and some old chestnuts that have been roasting on the fire for a long time with offerings from the Kinks, the Beach Boys, and Canned Heat. Then we have Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" routine. At least coming at the end of the album it is not as much of a distraction, but I find it impossible to believe Billboard could not have come up with a couple of other choice rock 'n' roll Christmas songs without the comedy. Those caveats aside, this is a solid little Christmas rock collection that should easily add five songs worth having to your music library, not to mention a classic Cheech & Chong routine.



3. I'm not sure how these particular songs came to be chosen for this CD. The Billboard CD series supposedly features the highest charting songs, based on the Billboard music charts. Well, most of the songs on this particular CD didn't make the Billboard charts at all! Only the Billy Squire, Beach Boys, Canned Heat and Cheech & Chong tracks actually charted. They really should have included Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" and John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)", but they probably were unable to license those particular songs. But to be fair, Billboard didn't have Christmas charts every year, so many of the songs here probably would have charted if Billboard published Christmas charts during the years the songs came out. Regardless of all that, this is a good collection of rock and roll Christmas songs. Not perfect, by any means, but still a solid collection.



4. This is one a series of "budget" releases covering various aspects of Christmas to be released over the years by Rhino/Wea in conjunction with Billboard, all with 10-tracks each and liner notes in the form of track-by-track comments. Sound quality is generally good to excellent. All have "Billboard" as part of the title.
   
   Some others are: Family Christmas Classics; Top Christmas Hymns; R&B Christmas Hits; Greatest Country Christmas Hits; and Greatest Christmas Hits (1955-Present), and Christmas Hits (1935-1954). Some of the foregoing are also offered in 4-pack and 5-pack editions. In essence, some of these are the one you have to have if you want to recapture the delightful seasonal sounds of your childhood (assuming you're old enough to recall the periods covered).
   
   This one, however, seems to have been thrown together under the theme "R&R Christmas" without a lot of thought given to the 10 tracks in that regard. For starters, I certainly don't think that either Weird Al Yankovic's Christmas At Ground Zero or Cheech & Chong's Santa Claus And His Old Lady can be construed as R&R. They are both funny, and the last one even charted over four different seasons (1971 to 1973 and 1998), but it seems they would have been better placed in a volume dealing with Novelty cuts. There are certainly enough like that to fill out a 10-track release.
   
   Among the rest, the ones most are likely to recall are Christmas Is The Time To Say "I Love You" by Billy Squier, which reached # 9 on the Billboard Christmas Charts in 1984, Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys, a # 3 in 1963 and # 6 in 1964, and Canned Heat's Christmas Blues, a # 18 in 1968. None of the others will likely trigger any memories, especially the obscure version of All I Want For Christmas Is You by Foghat, although I must say it's hard to believe that Rock And Roll Christmas by George Thorogood & The Destroyers did not make any charts when it first came out!
   
   Hard to figure why they didn't fill out the album with true R&R Christmas tunes like Bryan Adams' Christmas Time (# 4 in 1985), Jingle Bells by Booker T. & The MG's (# 20 in 1966), Please Come Home For Christmas by The Eagles (# 18 in 1978), and The Man With All The Toys by The Beach Boys (# 3 in 1964). Now THAT would have made this a 5-star entry.



5. I shouldn't have bought this because I dont' even listen to it anymore. I bought it cuz Queen was on it and other good songs but that was it. Most of the songs weren't really great.

4 comments about GRP Christmas Collection, Vol. 2.

1. I wrote a general review of the GRP Christmas Collections CD's on the vol. I page. My faves on this one are Blue Christmas , which is a new song to me, and Christmas Time is Here. There's also fresh, jazzy treatments of standards. I Wonder as I Wander really comes alive. Highly recommend this CD and the other two volumes.



2. No compilation on the market any better than this! I'd buy THIS cd for Spyro Gyra's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" alone!
   All 3 GRP CDs are great. And if you can get your hands on it, try a compilation CD titled "Jazzy Wonderland"



3. I have plenty of Christmas music, more than I can usually play during the season but this one I never can do without. If you like jazz in the smooth jazz vein, soulful renditions of classics, improvised interpretations, than you'll be in heaven with this disc. There are several tracks that wouldn't be Christmas without hearing every year.Don Grusin leads the way with memorable tracks with his choir infused version of "Angels We Have Heard On High." The melodic yet innovative "The First Noel" by George Howard is reminiscent of John Coltrane in his phrasing at times, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Spyro Gyra is a rocking jumping good time, Arturo Sandoval sheds his latin jazz image for a brief moment on Bb trumpet and piccolo trumpet for a classical music introduction that soon transcends into blistering jazz solos than back into classical melodies on "O Come All Ye Faithful," the soulful voices of Carl Anderson and Patti Austin respectively on "O Holy Night" and "Christmas Time is Here" give the disc part of it's R&B edge. The absolute most sublime songs you can ever hear during the season are on this disc. You must hear "I Wonder as I Wander" by the New York Voices which mesh so beautifully with jazz arrangements and horns that will knock your socks off. Another soulful track is "Let There Be Peace on Earth" by Voyceboxing which features some remarkable female singing. The disc closes out with an amazing performance on harp by Deborah Henson- Conant who gives a Middle Eastern meets Western sensibilities to the otherworldly "We Three Kings of Orient Are." Great music for the holidays that you will enjoy year after year as I have since the early 90's.



4. Like the famous Mannheim Steamroller Christmas series, the GRP collections quickly become holiday traditions for all who hear them. The 13 tracks in this second collection demonstrate variety and creativity similar to the original volume. My favorite instrumentals include: "Let It Snow" with Nelson Rangell on piccolo, a great opener for the album; Arturo Sandoval's "O Come All Ye Faithful," which starts out sounding very traditional but then kicks into some of the trumpet master's characteristic bursts of energy; and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from Spyro Gyra, featuring the band's signature blend of alto sax and vibes. My top picks for vocals: a wonderful rendition of "Christmas Time Is Here" by Patti Austin, Voyceboxing's version of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," and "I Wonder As I Wander" by the New York Voices.
   Less impressive are Laima's vocal on "Blue Christmas," which she sings like she's bored with it, and Don Grusin's "Angels We Have Heard on High," which is rather repetitive and uses a children's chorus that makes it reminiscent of some of the music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Not that these are bad tracks - they just seem less interesting (to my taste, anyway) than the rest of this great collection.
   Overall, highly recommended for your enjoyment across many Christmases.