G.H. Harding

TREE LIKE ME — Monday morning, gossip-sites were ablaze with this missive from one Tree Paine – Taylor Swift’s publicist – about swirling rumors about the singer’s love life:  Travis Kelce’s sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, subtly supported Taylor Swift after the “Anti-Hero” singer’s publicist clapped back at rumors about her love life. Eagled-eyed fans noticed that Kylie “liked” a post from the Today Show  about Tree Paine slamming celebrity gossip blog DeuxMoi for spreading “fabricated lies” about Swift’s relationship with ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Ms. Paine’s PR-firm is called Premium PR and by all accounts, the Nashville-based mistress has had a great ride with Swift. As we go to press, Time Magazine just named her their person of the year.

Back in the day, ZZ Top and Michael Jackson had Howard Bloom; Debbie Gibson and Run DMC had David Salidor; Elton and the Rolling Stones have Fran Curtis; and Billy and Alexa Joel and Christie Brinkley have Claire Mecuri … all stars in our book, but Ms. Paine has Swift.

Brenda Lee

BRENDA LEE — (from People) Brenda Lee has a reason to celebrate the holidays early this year.

On Monday, the singer’s 1958 classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, 65 years following its debut.

In claiming the top spot, Lee broke many records — including those held by Mariah Carey and her mega hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” — as her hit became the third holiday No. 1 ever to be featured on the Hot 100, per a press release.

This marks Lee’s third No. 1 hit in her career. She earned her first No. 1 with her 1960 single “I’m Sorry.”

Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded the Johnny Marks-penned hit debut, and at 78, she’s now the oldest woman to top the Hot 100, surpassing previous record-holders Cher for “Believe” when she was 52 and Carey for “All I Want for Christmas Is You” at 53.

In a press release statement, Lee called the song’s latest achievement “amazing. “I cannot believe that ‘Rockin’’ has hit No. 1 65 years after it was released, this is just so special!” she said. “Thank you to the team at UMG/UMe who worked so hard to celebrate the song’s anniversary this year. But most importantly, thank you to the fans who keep listening.”

Lee continued: “The song came out when I was a young teenager and now to know that it has resonated with multiple generations and continues to resonate — it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. Keep on Rockin’ and Merry Christmas!”

Last month, Lee released the first-ever music video for her Christmas classic, which features cameos from Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. Here’s the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFsZy9t-qDc 

In addition to the music video, she shared the EP, A Rockin’ Christmas with Brenda Lee, in November featuring “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and other holiday favorites including “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock” “A Marshmallow World” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” reimagined by Filous.

For record aficionados: The song was originally released on Decca Records in 1958. Dub Allbritten became Lee’s personal manager in 1956 and remained in that position throughout her formative years. In May 1956, Lee signed with Decca and two months later had her first recording session, supervised by Paul Cohen with the assistance of Owen Bradley

SHORT TAKES — RIP Denny Laine – best remembered from The Moody Blues (“Go Now”) and Paul McCartney’s Wings – and their best album Band On The Run. I loved “Go Now” btw. Here’s Roger Friedman’s take via SHOWBIZ 411: https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/12/05/rip-denny-laine-79-original-member-of-wings-and-the-moody-blues-wrote-the-hit-go-now …

Denny Laine; Linda and Paul McCartney

I didn’t see any reviews from Debbie Gibson’s 2 shows last week at NYC’s Gramercy Theater but Yahoo did run a headline that she had 5 costume changes! They were in support of her 2022 holiday Winterlicious album …The Kennedy Center Honors had their event this past weekend. Congrats all. Can’t wait to see the show next week. Here’s Deadline’s take: https://deadline.com/2023/12/kennedy-center-honors-joe-biden-robert-de-niro-billy-crystal-1235650306/ …

Debbie Gibson (by Troy Smith)

Here’s celebrity-biographer Mark Bego’s interview with NEWHD’s Zach Martin: https://www.spreaker.com/user/bigfatamerican/mark-bego-copy … RIP Norman Lear; Happy Bday Anthony Noto … On the mend: Jerry Lembo!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Kimberly Cornell; Joe Lynch; Victor Kastel; Peter Shendell; Eppy; Kent Kotal; Roy Trakin; Melinda Newman; Tyson Terror; Vincent D’Onofrio; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Sasha Peres; Jacqueline Boyd; Cairo; Tanya Tenor; Jonathan Wolfson; Brad LeBeau; Wayne Rosso; Thomas Silverman; and ZIGGY!

18 days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.

In searching for gifts for kids, we love Krunch Pop Glow Tubes! ($22.95 for 12)This super cool toy can be stretched out and spun to make cool sounds, or you can connect a bunch and have a hoola hoop contest! It’s perfect for both kids and grown-up celebrations and is easy to bring along on trips, making it limitless on-the-go fun that travels well.

The Krunch Pop Glow Tubes are also bendable, stretchable, twistable, spinnable, and linkable, so you can create all sorts of shapes and designs to light up your party. And if you’re feeling anxious or stressed, this calming and relaxing sensory fidget toy can help relieve your worries. Just twist and pull the toy to make a satisfying “pop” sound that feels great to touch. The crunchy popping sound is so satisfying that you’ll want to play with it all day long!

Ready for something great, enter the #KrunchmasJoy Giveaway. We are on week 3 of a 4 weeks of Krunchmas” giveaway! Get ten chances to win a pack of delicious Krunch Pop Tubes every week until Christmas!

Andréa Burns, Mary Testa, Priscilla Lopez, and Eden Espinosa. Photo by Julieta Cervantes

Michael John LaChiusa’s The Gardens of Anuncia is based on the early life of Broadway legend Graciela Daniele The two have been collaborators on several projects including Hello Again (1994), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1995), Marie Christine (1999), and Bernarda Alba (2006). This is his love letter to her, complete with a tango-infused score.

This memory musical is directed and choreographed by Daniele, which is surprising as we miss the more intricate dancing moments.

We meet Anuncia (Priscilla Lopez), as she tends to her country garden in America, reminiscing about her girlhood in Juan Perón’s Argentina from 1940s-50s as she trys to avoid attending an awards ceremony, where she’ll be honored with a Lifetime Achievement. Instead, she reflects on her family and childhood, as she brings back her Mami (Eden Espinoza), her Granmama (Mary Testa), and her aunt Tia (Andréa Burns), hoping to honor all the women who supported her journey in becoming an artist. Her distraction is she is looking around her garden for the proper place to bury Tia’s ashes. We see a young Anuncia (Kalyn West), as she is shaped by three very different women. From Tia she learns imagination and music, her Mami enrolls her in ballet class to fix her flat feet and her Granmama gives her drama.

Tally Sessions Photo by Julieta Cervantes

In the meantime Anuncia and a deer (the fabulous Tally Sessions) dance, talk and romance.

Highlights of the show include Eden Espinosa, who will be on Broadway later this season in Lempicka, tango “MalaGueña,”. Andréa Burns makes us love “Listen to the Music” and Mary Testa’s one-liners and description of her secret courtship with Anuncia’s grandfather (Enrique Acevedo) in “Miss The Man” give the show some oomph.

The design of the garden by Mark Wendland and the lighting, by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, give the show it’s magical look.

The Gardens of Anuncia shows the love of the collaborators and of the women who shaped our lives.

The Gardens of Anuncia: Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center through December 31.

My friends and I arrived in Bethesda, Maryland to go to Walter Reade with Camp4Heroes to bring Christmas To Our Vets. The day was extremely foggy.

Having never had the chance to really visit Washington DC my friend and I woke up early with about 3 hours and headed from The National Mall and The Lincoln Memorial.

I had always wanted to see this statue ever since I saw Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.

Not really wanting to walk up a ton of stairs, we decided to use the elevator to the memorial, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as there is an exhibit on Lincoln in this space.

The Lincoln Memorial honors the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Henry Bacon is the memorial’s architect and Daniel Chester French designed the large interior statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln (1920), which was carved in marble by the Piccirilli brothers.

Jules Guerin painted the interior murals, and the epitaph above the statue was written by Royal Cortissoz. Dedicated on May 30, 1922, it is one of several memorials built to honor an American president.

In getting to the memorial you pass the most amazing statues. These actually stand guard to the bridges to The National Mall.

Around the exterior are these.

What is the most surprising thing, is that these statues, The National Mall, Lincoln, the Washington Monument and other buildings that surround the area, are gigantic. We see the crowds at The National Mall and we actually do not comprehend how many people are actually there. Think New Years Eve in Times Square and triple it. 

The National Mall also including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and World War II Memorial. More on those tomorrow.

C. B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, and The LEGO Group Senior Graphic Designer Mark Tranter will be at the Fifth Ave LEGO Store this Friday, December 1st from 5pm-6pm signing the Avengers Tower set—the most iconic building in the Avengers Universe, with 5,201 pieces and an all-star cast of 31 figures.

The Avengers Tower, formerly known as Stark Tower, was a high-rise building complex located in Manhattan. Constructed by Tony Stark, the tower was powered by an Arc Reactor that made it capable of running itself for over a year. The top ten floors housed the research and development initiatives.

Following the dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stark Tower became the main headquarters of the Avengers. However, after the Ultron Offensive, Stark refurbished a Stark Industries warehouse upstate into the Avengers Compound to use as their primary base while Avengers Tower was repurposed for Stark Industries’ use. In the aftermath of the Avengers Civil War, Stark sold the tower and moved all of its equipment to the Avengers Compound.

By 2024, the tower, under its new ownership, had gone through extensive construction and renovation.