This Week in Chelsea: December 16-22, 2019

L to R: Must-see singers Billy Stritch, Klea Blackhurst, and Jim Caruso make the season bright, with their annual Christmas-themed run at Birdland Jazx Club. | Photo by Bill Westmoreland

Dec. 21-25, “A Swinging Birdland Christmas” at Birdland Jazz Club | The wonderfully charismatic and terribly talented trio of Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, and Billy Stritch stretch their holiday tradition into its tenth year, with 2019’s run of  A Swinging Birdland Christmas. In the much-loved manner of beloved seasonal specials of days gone by, Blackhurst, Caruso, and Stritch perform swinging arrangements of Christmas Waltz, Kay Thompson’s Holiday Season, Sleigh Ride, I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm, Snow, and It Happened In Sun Valley, among other favorites. The trio will be joined by Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums (Stritch mans the piano, as only he can). This will be a limited engagement of five performances, Dec. 21 – 25. All shows are at 5:30pm, except Mon., Dec, 23, at 7pm. For tickets and more info, click here. In conjunction with the run, the trio is proud to be releasing a new CD, Christmas at Birdland, released on Club44 Records (and featuring guest vocalist Donny Osmond!!). To order, click here.

Through Feb. 11, 2020: “Light 4 Nights” Exhibit at Hudson Guild Gallery. See the below flyer for details. Click here to be taken to the Hudson Guild website.

Thursday, December 19, 6pm: Chelsea Holiday Caroling | The 300 West Block Association invites one and all to join The Chelsea Symphony Brass for a stroll around the neighborhood, to sing holiday carols. Added incentive: Hot chocolate and cookies will be served. On Thurs., Dec. 19, meet at 6pm, at St. Paul’s Church (315 W. 22nd St.). See the below flyer for all the previous info, but in a far more aesthetically pleasing format!

23 Days of Flatiron Cheer | Through Mon., Dec. 23, The Flatiron Partnership presents its annual “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” holiday programming, complete with hot beverage giveaways, a prize wheel featuring gifts from local businesses, tote bags with discounts for holiday shopping, free winter wellness workout classes, a social media contest, activities, and holiday walking tours. See the below flyer for details–and to access the full schedule of events, click here.

December Events at St. Peter’s Chelsea, including Wed., Dec. 18’s “Meditations on the Magnificat” | St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chelsea, familiarly known as St. Peter’s Chelsea, is also known as “The Christmas Church” because it was founded by Clement Clarke Moore, author “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (the world’s most famous Christmas poem), and built on his estate Chelsea.

Their many December events afford you an early opportunity to meet the Rev. Christine Lee, St. Peter’s new full-time priest-in-charge. Rev. Lee is the first female priest-in-charge, and the first Asian American priest in our history. For more info visit stpeterschelsea.org.

Through Wed., Dec. 18: Holiday Season Toy Drive | See the below flyer for details.

Monday, December 16, 6:30pm: Attorney General Tisch James and NY State Senator Brad Hoylman in Conversation |New York’s progressive future is the topic, with SenatorHoylman and Attorney General James in conversation at the CUNY Graduate Center RSVP required. Do so by clicking here, and see the below flyer for details.

—Listings compiled by Scott Stiffler

 

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