Karen Mack & Elliot Roth: The Elliot & Karen 4th Ever Superfun Holiday Thing

Post author:Bart Greenberg
Post published:December 22, 2025
Reading time:2 mins read

Karen Mack & Elliot Roth

The Elliot & Karen 4th Ever Superfun Holiday Thing

Pangea, NYC, December 7, 2025

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

People don’t come nicer than Karen Mack and Elliot Roth, so spending some time with them to celebrate the December holidays was more than satisfying. Lots of humor, a steady supply of music, and some charming guests all contributed to the upbeat mood. Lavondo Tomas on bass and Christopher Heinz on drums were in on the fun too, and Roth manned the piano and shared vocalist duties with Mack. Special guests Maria Gentile and Sean Harkness were the most generous of attendees.

Roth and Mack kicked things off with their smooth delivery of a happy wintry medley (all arrangements by Roth) of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne), “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (Irving Berlin), “Winter Weather” (Ted Shapiro), and “A Marshmallow World” (Peter DeRose/Carl Sigman). This set the mood for the evening with its mix of romance and silliness. Mack sang the lovely, less-known number “It’s Almost Christmas” (Ingrid Michaelson/Ian Axel/Chad Vaccarino). Roth then teamed up with master guitarist Harkness for an Elvis-inspired “Please Come Home for Christmas” (Charles Brown) and displayed his impressive falsetto.

The delightful Maria Gentile played guitar as she performed her own composition, the very funny “Me and My Sister.” Harkness returned to share his favorite non-denominational, non-holiday holiday song “My Favorite Things” (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II) and included lots of fascinating jazz riffs. Roth contributed his own composition, “No More You This Holiday,” a sweet rock/blues song, and Mack delighted the audience with a terrific monologue about potato latkes before performing the inclusive “This Chanukah” (Daniel Cainer). The only criticism I would make was that Mack chose to stay upstage throughout the show rather than taking center stage as she deserved.

A great deal of variety followed, from the gentle swing of “Snowbound” (Dave Frishberg) to the mellow mood of “The Christmas Song” (Mel Tormé/Robert Wells) and the intricate “No Place Like Home” (John Stephens (Legend)/RuthAnne Cunningham). Bringing the festivities to a close was an a cappella and speedy version of a mix of “Sleigh Ride” (Mitchell Parrish/Leroy Anderson) and “Ring-a-Ding-Ding!” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn). This medley was the perfect send off for a show that was all about holiday fun.

Tags: Winter Weather, ASA, Elliot Roth, American Songbook Association, Charles Brown, Please Come Home for Christmas, A Marshmallow World, Ingrid Michaelson, Daniel Cainer, Chad Vaccarino, Ian Axel, Peter DeRose, Snowbound, Mitchell Parrish, Sleigh Ride, Karen Mack, Bart Greenberg, It’s Almost Christmas, RuthAnne Cunningham, Legend, John Stephens, No Place Like Home, his Chanukah, This Holiday, No More You, Me and My Sister, Carl Sigman, Christopher Heinz, Lavondo Tomas, The Elliot & Karen 4th Ever Superfun Holiday Thing, drums, Bass, Ring-a-Ding-Ding!, Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Ted Shapiro, Cabaret Scenes, pangea, Broadway, Cabaret, Sean Harkness, Broadway Musicals, Irving Berlin, Jule Styne, Maria Gentile, Richard Rodgers, Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, American Songbook, Lyricist, NYC, My Favorite Things, Leroy Anderson, Robert Wells, Dave Frishberg, composer, Clubs, CD Reviews, Cabaret Reviews, The Christmas Song, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Elvis, CD, Oscar Hammerstein II, Mel Tormé

Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."