“Giddy yap, giddy yap, giddy yap, let’s go, Let’s look at the show…!”

Why just have a “Happy Holiday” when you can have a “HEP Happy Holiday“? On Friday, December 1st, the Manhattan hotspot Pangea became a true “Winter Wonderland” as the award-winning Sue Matsuki and her loyal trio of musical collaborators (Gregory Toroian on piano, Skip Ward on bass, and David Silliman on percussion) ushered the audience into the holiday spirit. Sue Matsuki’s annual Christmas-themed show has become a highly anticipated Yuletide tradition for many in New York City’s cabaret world. In fact, one of the numbers, the superb It’s Christmas Time, paid tribute not only to the season but also to Manhattan itself, with lyrics like “It’s Christmastime, and I’m a New York girl in love!”.  Can this popular performer pay homage to such eternal holiday classics as Winter Wonderland and yet still create a fresh, original, and exciting night of Christmas cheer?  The answer is an emphatic “Yes!”  

Matsuki kicked off with the eternal Carol of the Bells, adorned with haunting piano work by Mr. Toroian.  This holiday staple is well-known to entire generations of Americans, but what many of us may NOT know is that Carol of the Bells was originally called Ukranian Bell Carol.  With a hope that Ukraine finds peace as we approach 2024, Matsuki even sang the original lyrics, which are just as simple yet every bit as lovely as the words we’ve come to know. No matter what version of this song or any other she may be singing, Matsuki has been endlessly praised through the years for her voice.  It’s indeed a voice which would rival any angel atop a Christmas tree.  This makes Sue especially well-suited for such numbers as the heartwarming, lush All Those Christmas Cliches.  It’s impossible not to be moved by Sue’s delivery.  Later on in the show, a similar feeling is provoked with Mel Torme’s I’m Gonna Miss You. Adorned with some exquisite piano work by Toroian (More about that later…), the song was guaranteed to bring a tear to anyone’s eye, even the Grinchiest of Grinches. And of course, no holiday show could be complete without Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  Introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, this classic has been reworked and reinterpreted many times.  This evening’s version was clearly enjoying a newly energized arrangement, both sweet and funky.  My own personal marker for how well any artist sings this song is how intensely they build up the anticipation with the climactic lyric “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” before, shall we say, “bringing the song home”. As you may have guessed by now, Matsuki did NOT disappoint!

Matsuki’s voice may be the envy of all sorts of creatures, heavenly or otherwise, but Sue can do more than just tear at the audience’s holiday heartstrings.  As anyone who has seen Matsuki perform already knows, this singer is very generous with her playful side. Sleigh Ride is romantic, fun and flirty, bolstered by Sue’s robust delivery.  Equally as jolly is That Holiday Feeling, in which she duets with her longtime creative partner Toroian.  (Toroian is also musical director and arranger of the show.)  Let’s just say that the song’s title lives up to its name.  Gregory Toroian gets to further show his impressive vocal skills when he goes solo for Celebrate Me Home.  The song is an underappreciated classic just ripe for rediscovery. Toroian continued with more of that aforementioned exquisite piano work with an homage to famed jazz pianist Vince Geraldi.  I can guarantee that the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, so fondly remembered from so many childhoods in animated form, has never sounded more modern and alive. The audience really “dug” it!

As mentioned earlier, Sue Matsuki isn’t afraid to show off her playful side.  Among her fans and showbiz peers alike, she’s also known for her smart sense of humor. On this night, the audience was treated to a review of some of the most common “Misread Lyrics” of holiday songs. These included everything from “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart… but the very next day, you said you were gay” to “Later on, we’ll PERSPIRE, as we dream by the fire.” and “He’s makin’ a list, chicken and rice!”  I actually wanted to take an audience survey as to who liked the misread lyrics better than the original…  But there was no mistaking any lyrics of or meaning behind Sue’s hauntingly beautiful rendition of It Wasn’t His Child, an unsung gem of a song about the ultimate unsung hero of Christmas.   

 Yes, kids, there was a sing-along, with a Santa’s list of everything from Most Wonderful Time of the Year to White Christmas to Feliz Navidad. Sue graciously provided the lyrics sheet, as if anyone didn’t know the words already (except for any of those famous “misread lyrics”…).  The audience at Pangea that night included many of Matsuki’s peers int he cabaret world: Deborah Stone, Eva Steinberg, Tracy Stark, Jackie Draper, Kati Neiheisel, Maria Corsaro, Leslee Warren, Goldie Dver, David Sabella, Karen Mack, and Gretchen Reinhagen… so you can imagine how amazing the sing-along sounded.  So much talent in one room should be illegal!

The lore of Christmas in New York City (aptly nicknamed “The City That Never Shuts Up” by Sue), can never be overestimated; it’s arguably stronger than ever as the world completely emerges from its pandemic cocoon once and for all.   Sue Matsuki truly captures that transgenerational lore, with her show’s combination of her own personal holiday memories, exciting new versions of our beloved holiday classics, and a few numbers which have become Sue Matsuki’s own patented annual traditions.  A favorite of these is Sue’s annual unwrapping of Pretty Little Dolly.  Forst performed by Mona Abboud on the Johnny Carson Show in 1966, the song sounds more deliciously demented than ever as 2023 comes to a close. Sadly, A Hep Happy Holiday also had to come to a close.  I won’t give away the (second) encore… but I will say that it should be a New Year’s Eve classic.  With Sue Matsuki as our forecaster of comfort and joy, 2024 is promising to be our best year yet!

Sue Matsuki is Producer of Urban Stages’ Winter Rhythms 2023, which continues through December 17th.  Winter Rhythms 2023 marks the 15th year that Urban Stages welcomes noted musical artists to its stage during the holiday period. Winter Rhythms brings the talents of well-known and up-and-coming singers, musicians, lyricists, and composers to the attention of the New York theater community. All proceeds go to Urban Stages’ Outreach, a city-wide program that tours and makes available online free plays and art programming for all ages.  Flor tickets and more info, visit http://www.urbanstages.org/winterrhythms2023.

Also visit www.SueMatsuki.com.