HILLSDALE—Ciarán Sheehan, one the best known and most accomplished Irish-American tenors, and a group of artists with an extraordinary resume of Broadway and other musical accomplishments will return to Hillsdale on Tuesday, Dec. 19 in celebration of Christmas, marked by joy, love, faith and charity.
“I am so excited to be returning to St. John’s in Hillsdale, and to our wonderful audience in northern New Jersey and southern parts of New York state. In fact, I know that during these past two years some traveled from as far as Pennsylvania to enjoy with us a wonderful evening of Christmas joy and music,” said Sheehan.
“The artists who will perform with me are not only friends, but also very accomplished performers whom I admire. Craig Schulman is the only man to have played the three iconic Broadway roles of “The Phantom,” Jean Valjean and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Kaley Voorhees is the youngest actress to have ever played Christine in “Phantom” on Broadway and has enjoyed success in the international tour and Broadway.
“We’ll also have world champion Irish fiddler Heather Bixler and our accompanist Broadway conductor Sue Anderson. We’ll be bringing the best of Broadway and Christmas to Saint John’s, and I can’t wait to see you all.”
Asked how the decision to once again organize this spectacular Christmas concert in one of the largest churches in our area came about, Msgr. Peter Smutelovic, pastor of Saint John the Baptist in Hillsdale, shares that “when people from the community and from some pretty faraway places began to enquire in the early days of September not will we have our Very Broadway Christmas Concert but rather when will it take place I knew that our past Christmas Concerts have become truly memorable. So then the decision was not that difficult. I am very grateful to Ciarán and our Broadway friends, as well as to all in our community for their effort and dedication in making this extraordinary event possible.”
Members of the Saint John’s community agree. “I am so excited St. John the Baptist is bringing the Christmas Concert back. What a great way for our community to celebrate this special time of year. The talent of the performers is incomparable. A not-to-be-missed show,” said Marie Rocco, a longtime resident of Hillsdale.
Bill Filon from River Vale highlights that “the Christmas Concert is a way to bring our community together in spirit, song and love as we celebrate this blessed and joyful season.”
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Sheehan played the role of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and in Toronto for more than 1,000 performances.
He has also appeared on Broadway in “Les Misérables” and in the role of Raoul in “The Phantom of the Opera.”
His other New York stage performances include numerous appearances with The Irish Repertory Theatre Company, Tom in Grandchild of Kings, Shaughnessy in The Hostage, Ciarán in The Irish…and How They Got That Way. As producer, Sheehan created the sold-out productions of “The Molly Maguires” directed by Tony Award-nominated director Sheryl Kaller at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., in which he also starred.
He has three PBS specials to his credit – “The Irish…and How They Got That Way,” “From Galway to Broadway,” and “Ciarán and Friends. “As a solo artist he has sold out Carnegie Hall four times and The National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland.
Smutelovic said. “We know that our Christmas Concert on Dec. 19 will be even bigger and better than those in the past two years. Certainly, we will enjoy spectacular performances by Ciarán and our Broadway friends. And, a true reward for all our effort and our community’s sacrifices will come when we will hear during the post-concert days leading up to Christmas that “the concert has wonderfully set us up for the joy and celebration of Christmas,” and many weeks into the new year hear in our community that “the entire experience was once again unforgettabl.”.
For ticket information visit christmasconcert.stjohnhillsdale.org or call Saint John the Baptist offices at (201) 664-3131 Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.