Laurie Berkner to bring Hanukkah music
MORRISTOWN — Celebrate the holiday season as the Laurie Berkner Band performs traditional holiday songs, originals from her well-loved album A Laurie Berkner Christmas, Hanukkah music and an array of her greatest hits during The Laurie Berkner Band Holiday Concert, coming to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Tickets are $19-39.
Recognized as "the queen of children's music" (People magazine), Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records, LLC. She has released 11 bestselling, award-winning albums over the course of the past two decades, was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr. and appeared regularly on the network's Jack's Big Music Show. Laurie helped develop the short-form animated musical preschool series Sing It, Laurie! on Sprout TV and has written the music and lyrics for two Off-Broadway children's musicals, Wanda's Monster and The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess, produced by New York City Children's Theater. A third NYCCT musical, Interstellar Cinderella, is set to open in November 2017. Laurie is also the author of a delightful series of picture books based on her songs, published by Simon & Schuster. We Are the Dinosaurs was released in March 2017, Pillowland is due out in November 2017, and Monster Boogie is scheduled for Spring 2018. Laurie tours nationwide, performing both solo and with The Laurie Berkner Band. What sets Laurie apart? Her music speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grownups.
In her holiday shows, Laurie and her longtime collaborators Susie Lampert, Bob Golden, and Brady Rymer — the "band" — will celebrate the season with such traditional, secular songs as "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman," plus originals from Laurie's well-loved album A Laurie Berkner Christmas like "Santa's Coming to My House Tonight." Laurie and the band will pay tribute to Hanukkah with "Candle Chase" and "The Dreidel Song." They'll also perform an array of Laurie's greatest hits, such as "We Are the Dinosaurs," "Victor Vito," and "Pig on Her Head," along with several soon-to-be-classics from Laurie's new album Superhero. Kids should plan to bring their dancing shoes and a stuffed album (for their heads), and Laurie hopes everyone will join in the holiday spirit and sing along.