A new event is sure to become a beloved holiday tradition in the Electric City. Everyone in the community is invited to the inaugural Scranton Jazz Festival Christmas Spectacular on Sunday, December 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ritz Theatre and Performing Arts Center, 222 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton. The event includes a holiday concert featuring the Emmy-nominated Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band with special guest singers, dancers, wonderful narration, a visit from Santa, and a toy drive.
Under the direction of Marko Marcinko, the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band will perform holiday favorites including musical selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi, and The Swingin’ Jazz Nutcracker Suite, an adaptation of the traditional music from The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky arranged by Shorty Rogers, Billy Stayhorn and Duke Ellington. A distinguished group of artists will join the stage as special guest vocalists, including: Kaitlyn Lusk, Lorenzo Pugliese, Chris DiMattio, and Amy Banks. Longtime Scranton Jazz Festival emcee Lawrence Pugliese will serve as the narrator.
In this season of giving, guests are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to benefit We Care & Respect (WRC). Toys will be distributed locally to children in underserved communities.
Tickets to the Scranton Jazz Festival Christmas Spectacular are on sale now at www.theritztheater.com. Tickets are $35 for reserved seating, and $25 for general admission. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. For event updates, be sure to follow Scranton Jazz Festival on social media.
