Berenstain Bears Save Christmas: The Musical

A NEW HOLIDAY FAMILY CD FROM THE LATE STAN BERENSTAIN 4-TIME EMMY WINNER JAMIE BROZA and 7-TIME EMMY WINNER ELLIOT LAWRENCE 'This production should become a Christmas classic!' School Library Journal, November, 2006 Good Mood Records presents the musical version of the deeply loved book -- 'The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas'. The story takes the listener to Bear Country, where everyone has gone Christmas-crazy - fighting for the last toy on the shelf and jamming the roadways with honking cars. Into this melee walks Rip-Off Ralph, who caters to everyone's weakness by exhorting them, in a theatrical soft-shoe, to quot;join the diamond stick pin group and get filthy rich in one fell swoop!quot; As the Bears fall for his Holiday Sweepstakes scheme and cover their homes with quot;enough Christmas lights to blot out the stars,quot; they hope to prove that quot;nothing can succeed as well as wretched excess.quot; Watching the Bears on his scanner machine and not liking what he sees, Santa Bear declares he'll cancel Christmas. But Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and the cubs save the day with simplicity, acts of kindness and warmhearted hospitality. It is hard to find anyone who is not familiar with the quot;Berenstain Bears.quot; The Berenstain's currently have three million books in print. The music on 'The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas: The Musical' comprises the score to a live musical theatre production that premiered in Omaha in 2005. Writing the book and lyrics for the stage version of 'The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas: The Musical' was the last theatrical project undertaken by Stan Berenstain, who, from his youth, loved the theatre, becoming an avid fan of shows from the quot;Golden Agequot; of Broadway. Stan's 'Berenstain Bears' co-author and wife, Jan Berenstain, and artist son, Mike Berenstain, collaborated with him on the musical's book. The father and son team of Elliot Lawrence and Jamie Broza have created a musical score that is at once hip and edgy and at the same time cozy and holiday comfortable. In the tradition of Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Leonard Bernstein, their collaboration with the Berenstains has turned out a musical score that is perfectly in tune with the nuance of Broadway. From the blues-tinged slinkiness of Rip-Off Ralph's opening soliloquy to the broad lyricism of Mama Bear's heartwarming quot;Christmas of Oldquot; children will listen to this dramatic work glued to their imaginations. This CD features a fantastic cast of singers! Elliot Lawrence (composer,Papa Bear) has been Music Director of the Tony Awards show since it's television inception. He served as conductor and orchestrator for a host of fondly remembered original Broadway productions, among them 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' (winning a unique Tony Award for music direction), 'The Apple Tree,' 'Golden Rainbow,' 'Here's Love,' 'Golden Boy,' and 'Sugar.' He is the recipient of seven Emmy Awards for as many shows, including 'The Kennedy Center Honors,' for which he has been Music Director for the past 13 years. Jamie Broza's (composer, Rip-Off Ralph) compositions and arrangements have been honored with four Emmy Awards and a Clio Award. The first two CDs he released as a solo children's artist have been warmly received. 'Bad Mood Mom and Other Good Mood Songs,' winner of a Parents' Choice Gold award, also made Parents' Choice's list of the top 25 children's CDs in the last 25 years. His follow-up CD, 'My Daddy Is Scratchy' also won a Parents' Choice award, as