presents

“GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE”

A special holiday program featuring a staged reading of A Christmas Carol

December 12, 2021 at 4pm

Dear Friends of Music at Asbury,

After Saints Matthew and Luke, it’s possible that Charles Dickens wrote the most famous Christmas story ever told.

In 1843, Charles Dickens wanted to draw attention to the reality of poverty and the incredible suffering it created among England’s people. Rather than write a political pamphlet about the subject, as was the custom in his day, Dickens chose instead to write a ghost story.

And what a ghost story it was!

Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is one of the most influential books of the last two hundred years.

Scrooge’s late night visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come have been filmed, staged, and parodied innumerable times and continue to inspire would-be Scrooges to give more freely of themselves and their treasures.

For many of us, the Christmas season just wouldn’t be the same without this story.

Crestwood just wouldn’t be the same without Asbury Church, either. This month marks the beginning of Asbury’s 250th anniversary celebration. Since December 10, 1771, our congregation has called this neighborhood home–reaching out with a ministry of hope, peace, joy, and love in Jesus’ name.

Like “A Christmas Carol,” I pray that our congregation’s efforts inspire you to be kind and generous, not only during the holiday season, but all year long. And in the year to come, I hope that you’ll join us for more spiritual, service, and cultural programs as we mark two and a half centuries together in Crestwood.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Rev. Jason Radmacher

MUSIC AT ASBURY presents

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONEProgram Created, Scripted, and Directed by

Mauro Contrastano

Mary Thombs, Music Director and Chorus MasterJonathan Riss, Organist

Starring

Miguel Acevedo, Mauro Contrastano, Laura Leopard, Julia Breanetta Simpson

Joseph Diaz, Caitlin Adler, Jaden Marrero, vocal soloistsWilliam Schaeffer, trumpet

and a special appearance by the Westchester Children's Chorus - Cantus

Erica Zimmerman, director

“Dearly Beloved”“I’m Old-Fashioned”

Robin Aleman

“Make Way for Tomorrow”Anthony Valbiro

“Long Ago and Far Away”Michael Quigley

“Ol’ Man River”Anthony Valbiro

WithRobin Aleman and Michael Quigley

Organ Prelude

Welcome

Variations on Adeste Fidelis Marcel Dupré

Rev. Jason Radmacher

Deck the Halls Traditional Welsh carol Choir and Audience

“God Bless Us, Everyone” from the musical A Christmas Carol Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens Music by Alan Menken

Choral arrangement by Harrison Beck

Jaden Marrero, Caitlin Adler, Joseph Diaz, soloists

Westchester Children’s Chorus

Stave I Marley’s Ghost

Mauro Contrastano

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Words by Charles Wesley Music by Felix Mendelssohn

Choir and Audience

Stave II The First of the Three Spirits

Laura Leopard

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Traditional English carol, 18th century

Choir and Audience with Joseph Diaz, soloist

The Second of the Three Spirits Miguel Acevedo

Stave III

Words by Christina Rossetti, Music by Harold Darke and Gustav Holst,

arranged by Stuart McIntosh and Harrison Beck

Caitlin Adler, soprano with the Asbury Choir

Stave IV The Third of the Three Spirits

Julia Breanetta Simpson

Joy to the World Words by Isaac Watts, Music by G. F. Handel

Choir and Audience

Stave V The End of It Mauro Contrastano

“God Bless Us, Everyone” from the film A Christmas Carol (2009) Words and Music by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri

Arranged by John Purifoy and Ted Ricketts Company with Joseph Diaz, soloist

William Schaeffer, trumpet

We Wish You a Merry Christmas Traditional English carol

Choir and Audience

Organ Postlude Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella Traditional French carol, arr. Keith Chapman

In the Bleak Midwinter

ABOUT THE ARTISTSMauro Contrastano, director (Marley’s Ghost), is an accomplished musical theater actor and director, having performed in twenty-four productions and directing four musical revues for Asbury Summer Theatre from 1987 until 2007. Mauro has performed in productions with the St. Joseph's Players in Bronxville, Town Hall Community Theatre in Eastchester, Four Star Players in Yonkers, New Rochelle Community Theatre, and has performed and directed for Actors Conservatory Theatre in Yonkers. He also appeared in a production of The Merry Widow with the New Rochelle Opera Company. Mauro is currently the director of theater programming at the Pelham Manor Club, where he has directed and performed in a number of shows, including his most recent original show, “Plastically Challenged.”

A full-time classroom teacher by day, actor/singer Miguel Angel Acevedo (Ghost of Christmas Present) is a well-known face to community/regional theater fans throughout Westchester County. For several years, Miguel has had leading roles with Actor’s Conservatory Theater, Clocktower Players, Yorktown Productions, Armonk Players, and Curtain Call Theater (Stamford, CT). With Asbury Summer Theatre, he appeared in “West Side Story,” “Can-Can”, “Fiddler on the “Roof,” “Our Time,” and both performed and choreographed in additional AST productions, including “Chess”, “She Loves Me”, as well as Mauro [Maw-roh] Contrastano’s conceived/directed productions of “Songs from the Homefront”, “Big Broadcasts of…”, “Songs in ¾ Time”, and “Love is in the Air.”

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Laura Leopard (Ghost of Christmas Past) had an active career as an Equity Actress prior to founding her company, Leopard Solutions, the premier legal database resource for legal recruiters, attorneys, law firms and law students. As an actress, her credits include An Ideal Husband at The Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, Quartett at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Amadeus at the Barter Theatre in Virginia, and Claire in Proof at Mill Mountain Theatre in Virginia. She is also a founding member of Gotham Radio Theatre, which performs classics from theatre, literature and the silver screen with actors and sound artists performing live in vintage radio style. For the past several years, Gotham Radio Theatre has had a residency at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. With Gotham, Laura has appeared as Mame in Auntie Mame, Rudolph in Rudolph's Tale: A 1964 Christmas, Julia Sterroll in Fallen Angels, Irene Adler in Redheads and Bohemians, Monica/Joanna in Present Laughter, and Elvira in Blithe Spirit.

Vocalist/actress Julia Breanetta Simpson (Ghost of Christmas Future) has appeared around the country at regional, dinner and stock theatres in such productions as Ain't Misbehavin', Dreamgirls, For Colored Girls, One Mo' Time, Tintypes, and When the Nightingale Sings. She has also appeared in off-Broadway theatres and other venues in New York including New World Stages, the Triad, and the Metropolitan Room. Julia earned her BFA degree in Musical Theatre at Syracuse University and is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and M.A.C. Ms. Simpson performs throughout the Tri-State area in her one-woman shows "Harlem On My Mind," "How Sweet the Sound," “Julia and the Duke,” and her new show, “Classy and Sassy: A Cabaret Tribute to Lena Horne.” Julia Simpson is the founder and CEO of Breanetta Productions, whose mission is to honor and celebrate contributions made to society and world culture by African Americans through plays, musicals, and concerts that inspire, educate and entertain.

Mary Thombs, music director, has served as Minister of Music for Asbury United Methodist Church since 2006, where she directs both the adult and children’s choirs, plays the organ, and appears regularly as a soprano and violin soloist; from 1996-2006 she was Asbury’s Director of Children’s Music and soprano soloist. She has been a member of the violin and voice faculties of the Riverarts Music Program in Hastings-on-Hudson since 1996 and is the former head of the voice faculty at The Dwight Conservatory in NYC; Mary has also served on the faculties of the Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ and the JCC Thurnauer School of Music in Tenafly, NJ. She is a former concertmaster of both the Sarah Lawrence Community Orchestra and the Sound Shore Orchestra in Mamaroneck.

Jonathan Riss, organist, is the music director at Irvington Presbyterian Church and Director of Choirs at Hastings High School and Farragut Middle School, where he has led an award-winning program of six choirs and taught 8th grade general music since 2013. Mr. Riss also serves as Accompanist for the Riverside Choral Society in Manhattan, and Artist-in-Residence at Cultural Arts Playhouse in Syosset. He is the 2013 recipient of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) Choir Master Prize, and has toured the United States and Europe as guest accompanist for numerous international choral festivals. Mr. Riss holds degrees in Choral Conducting and Music Education from Temple University and Ithaca College, and earned the prestigious distinction of Fellow of the American Guild of Organists in 2016. He serves as an All-State Voice and Vocal Jazz Adjudicator for NYSSMA and is Chair of the 2023 AGO Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Convention.

Founded in 2016 by choral educator Amanda Gundling, The Westchester Children's Chorus provides a community-based opportunity for students to further develop their vocal skills, musicianship and artistry through a shared engagement in singing. A diverse community of children comprise four auditioned ensembles spanning 1st - 12th grades. WCC performs regular seasonal concerts and often collaborates with local youth orchestras, musicians and adult choirs. Its students have performed with the Westchester Chorale, have sung the National Anthem at Harlem Globetrotters and West Point basketball games, and perform at local holiday events throughout Westchester County. As of Fall 2021, WCC has enrolled students from 24 different schools in 11 school districts. Cantus is an ensemble of 18 girls, grades 3 – 5, conducted by Erica Zimmerman.

Erica Zimmerman is currently the Elementary General Music Teacher and the grade 4-5 Choir Director at Chatsworth Avenue Elementary School in Larchmont. Ericaholds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Crane School of Music and a Master ofMusic in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior toteaching at Chatsworth, Erica spent four years teaching at Link Elementary School inNew City, NY. Erica has also taught music theory at the Rockland Conservatory ofMusic and is currently an EdTPA Scorer for new teachers applying for their New YorkState Performing Arts Teacher Certification.

Caitlin Adler is a versatile soprano based in the New York City area. A recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with a Bachelors Degree in Voice and Music Composition, Ms. Adler is a member of the New York Choral Society; a frequent guest soprano at Asbury Church; and a solo guitarist and singer/songwriter in the city. In addition to her career as a performer, she is also an intern for the Westchester Children’s Chorus.

This program is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York

State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the governor and the New York State Legislature, administered by Arts Westchester.

2021 Arts Alive Grantee

Tenor Joseph Diaz has had a long association with Asbury Church, first coming to Asbury as a performer with Asbury Summer Theatre and then becoming a part of the Asbury Church Choir, where he appears frequently as a soloist. With AST, Joe was seen in Cyrano, The Most Happy Fella, The Will Rogers Follies, and Our Time. He has sung with the New Rochelle Opera and Chelsea Opera, and has been a featured soloist for the annual 9/11 Memorial Concerts in Manhattan. Prior to coming to Asbury, Joseph Diaz was the tenor soloist at St. Margaret of Cortona Church in Riverdale and The Church of St. Mary in Mt Vernon.

Jaden Marrero is a seventh-grade student at Paideia School 15 in Yonkers and a member of the Asbury Junior Choir.

William Schaeffer started playing trumpet in the 7th grade and went on to get his undergraduate degree in music from Yale University. Monday through Friday, William is a lawyer who spent 27 years as a prosecutor and currently works as an Inspector General for the NYC School Construction Authority. Recently, music has called him back, and he now plays with the Lehman College Community Band, Westchester Summer Band, New Westchester Symphony Orchestra, the Patroons (a rock band), and a new jazz big band. He is a frequent soloist at Asbury UMC, where his musical gift is greatly appreciated. William lives in Colonial Heights with his wife and two daughters.

Harrison Beck, pianist and arranger, is a New York based composer, orchestrator, music director, and performer. His new score for the stage adaptation of Bill Osco’s cult-classic movie-musical 'Alice In Wonderland' had its industry presentation with Joey Arias and West Hyler in 2019, and his orchestrations for Ben Model's new score to Charlie Chaplin’s 'The Adventurer' were premiered by the Boise Philharmonic in 2020. Past New York music assistant credits include The Visit on Broadway, shows at The Public Theater, The Vineyard Theatre, Ma Yi Theater, Cherry Lane Theatre, La Mama. Proud graduate of New York University's Tisch School of Drama and Steinhardt School of Music. He has been the Assistant Minister of Music at Asbury United Methodist Church since 2016.

Under the dedicated and inspired leadership of Lu and Carl Gmoser, Asbury Summer Theatre brought high quality theater to Lower Westchester, presenting over 30 sold-out shows to thousands of delighted audience members during its 32-year history. The members of AST are among the most active and sought-after performers of community theater in the greater New York area, recently appearing in leading roles with the Clocktower Players, the Elmwood Playhouse, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Center Stage Playhouse, Actors’ Conservatory Theater. Many thanks to the AST singers joining our celebration today as part of the “God Bless Us” Choir.

“God Bless Us, Everyone” Choir Soprano Caitlin Adler Robin Aleman Berit Harwood Mary Thombs Delia Torres

Alto Ruth Chiamulera Virginia Bahr Catherine Gmoser Sarah Mironchuk Elvie Sapienza

Tenor Harrison Beck Joseph Diaz Eric NilssonMichael Quigley Patricia Stanton

Bass Kenneth Autencio Mark Dignam Ted Horan Benjamin Saydee

Sarah Mironchuk, Music at Asbury artworkStephanie Schleicher and Brittany Carrasco, videographers

Nathan Yardy, soundLighting by Andrew Gmoser of Silent G Productions

And Michael Quigley as "Uncle Mikey"