HARRY SHEARER & JUDITH OWEN PRESENT A VERY VIRTUAL ‘CHRISTMAS WITHOUT TEARS’ (a seasonal variety show benefiting the US & UK music community)
With guest appearances by Jeff Goldblum, Steve Lukather (featuring Ringo Starr), John Goodman, Richard Thompson, Chris Difford, Julia Fordham, Donald Fagen, Leland Sklar and many more
Streaming from Friday 11th December 2020 until Sunday 13th December 2020 Tickets from Nugs.TV
Raising funds for Music Venue Trust #SaveOurVenues (UK), Help Musicians (UK), NIVA (National Independent Venues Association #SaveOurStages USA), The New Orleans Musicians Clinic (USA)
An antidote to the most stressful of seasons, the Annual Christmas Without Tears Variety Charity live program goes virtual for its 15th year
“the show started as a party in our home to try to comfort Judith, a Welsh woman prone to melancholia, who could not stand that the fact that Christmas in Southern California was about 78 degrees and sunny” as Harry Shearer tells it.
What began as a humble holiday house party to chase away Judith’s yuletide blues became a charity event and performance in 2005 when they staged it to aid the people of New Orleans after Katrina. – over the years, live shows in London, New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles raising funds for selected charities benefitting for those who are at risk including Elton John’s Aids Foundation, Our Friends Place. West London Mission, Snow City Arts, The New Orleans Musicians Clinic among others.
The show has featured invited performers and surprise guests who drop into Harry and Judith’s onstage living room and share a song or a joke to bring the holiday spirit to all. Comics, magicians, and even circus acts have been welcome additions, adding the perfect mix that makes this a true variety show.
Hosted by Harry Shearer and Judith Owen, Christmas Without Tears 2020 includes guest video appearances by: Richard Thompson Jon Cleary Julia Fordham Steve Lukather (featuring Ringo Starr) Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony Jeff Goldblum The Stanton Moore Trio Howard Levy Trixie Minx Paranormal phenomenon Clinton Baptiste Paul Shaffer Amy Engelhardt (the Bobs) David Blenkhorn Davell Crawford Evan Christopher & David Torkanowsky The Orion Orchestra Donald Fagen Bryan Batt John Goodman Chris Difford Kermit Ruffins Tommy Foster with Scott Nesbit Phil DeGruy Leland Sklar Bellamy Young Catherine O’Hara Beth Nielsen Chapman Doña Oxford Mario Cantone Jeffrey Young The SongBirds (Gaby Moreno, Erica Canales and Dannielle DeAndrea) Classical Kicks (Lizzie Ball, Meghan Cassidy, Gabriella Swallow)
House band: CJ Vanston
And more surprises….
December 11th premiere FRIDAY from 2PM PT * your ticket will allow you to watch the webcast as many times as you want all weekend from the time you activate the stream until Sunday Midnight PT
Tickets: $9.99 donation - see Nugs.TV
Additional Christmas Without Tears donations to: www.gofundme.com/CWT2020
HarryShearer.com JudithOwen.Net ChristmasWithoutTears.com
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This year benefiting US and UK music community that has been devastated due to the closure of live shows and venues.
NIVA (National Independent Venues Association – #SaveOurStages USA) The New Orleans Musicians Clinic (USA) Help Musicians (UK) Music Venue Trust #SaveOurVenues (UK)
In years past 'Christmas Without Tears' has welcomed Rob Brydon, Weird Al Yankovic, Tim Minchin, Jane Lynch, Richard Thompson, John Goodman, Fred Willard, Matt Lucas, Donald Fagen, Catherine O'Hara, Alfie Boe, Maureen Lipman, Julia Fordham, Alan Cumming, Claire Martin, Stephen Merchant, Christopher Guest, Chris Difford, Graham Gouldman, Elizabeth McGovern, Alex Lowe, Adam Hills, Clare Teal and many more.
Media enquiries to:
Sue Harris, [email protected] 0777 568 5376 David Burns, [email protected], 07789 754089
Beneficiaries:
Music Venue Trust (UK) #saveourvenues
Music Venue Trust (MVT) is a UK Registered Charity which acts to protect, secure and improve UK Grassroots Music Venues for the benefit of venues, communities and upcoming artists. MVT has announced a new phase of its hugely successful #saveour venues campaign, which will be focused on securing the future of 30 venues who have been deemed ineligible to receive funding from the recent government backed Cultural Recovery Fund.
A range of targeted activity under the #saveourvenues banner has been announced, based around a combined effort by audiences, local communities, local councils and the creative community to prevent the permanent closure of these remaining GMVs. MVT are now urging everyone who cares about these venues to write to their local MP, council, local charities, and anyone else they can think of to demand action to prevent them being closed for good.
And if they go they will never come back. http://musicvenuetrust.com/
Thank you – Mark Davyd, Beverly Whitrick, Toni Coe-Brooker UK Charity number: 1159846 @musicvenuetrust #saveourvenues
**** Help Musicians (UK)
Help Musicians is an independent UK charity for professional musicians of all genres, from starting out through to retirement.
For nearly 100 years, we have been providing a broad spectrum of help, support and opportunities to empower musicians of all ages, at any stage of their career, from times of great need like presently, to times of opportunity.
Musicians have been hit hard by the impact of the Coronavirus, and in response to the pandemic, Help Musicians has supported over 18,000 musicians with over £11m in financial hardship funding across the UK. The Fund offers a one-off payment of £500 to help alleviate immediate financial pressures.
While opportunities for musicians to earn are still severely limited, we understand that more support is needed to ensure the thousands who are falling through the gaps in government support, or unable to survive on what they receive, can get through the coming months. We have just launched phase 3 of our hardship funding, a crucial lifeline for musicians at this time. www.helpmusicians.org.uk
Thank you - Lucy Twaite - UK Charity 228089 @HelpMusiciansUK #saveourvenues
Facebook: HelpMusiciansUK Twitter: HelpMusiciansUK Instagram: HelpMusicians
**** National Independent Venue Association – USA #saveourstages
NIVA's mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent venues and promoters throughout the United States.
These entertainment hubs are critical to their local economies and tax bases as employers, tourism destinations, and revenue generators for neighboring businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail. Independent venues exist in every state across the country; they were the first to be closed, they will be the last to open. The economic recovery process will extend past just reopening the front doors, requiring solutions unique to the industry.
The mission of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States.
This is our final push to Congress and there won’t be another opportunity. We NEED the #SaveOurStages Act passed in order to keep independent venues nationwide from closing permanently. Please help us #SaveOurStages now. www.nivassoc.org
Thank you – Rev. Moose and Stephen Sternschein @nivassoc
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The New Orleans Musicians Clinic (USA)
Founded by a coalition of music advocates on May 1, 1998, the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic (NOMC) became the 1st comprehensive medical clinic for musicians, performing artists, and cultural workers in the United States.
The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic has provided medical care to musicians and performing artists in New Orleans for more than 21 years. We offer occupational and comprehensive health services for musicians, performers, cultural workers and tradition bearers of New Orleans (Mardi Gras Indians, Social Aid & Pleasure Club Members). We serve any patient over the age of 19 and their family, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The NOMC also accepts private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. https://neworleansmusiciansclinic.org
Thank You – Kari Elgin, Michael Lamendola @MusiCNOLALIVE
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Webcasst hosted by: Nugsnet
Founded in 1997 as a fan site for downloading live music, nugs.net has evolved into the leading source for official live music from the largest touring artists in the world. Metallica, Pearl Jam, Phish, Jack White, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruce Springsteen and many others distribute recordings of every concert they play throughnugs.net. The platform offers downloads, CDs, webcasts, and the only streaming service dedicated to live music, delivering exclusive live content to millions of fans daily. nugs.net is available on iOS, Android, AppleTV, Sonos, BluOS, and Desktop. Visit nugs.net or get the app at nugs.net/app. A 30- day free trial is available.
Producer contact: Steve Lee World Lee Consulting Ltd. [email protected]