Gregory Toroian Holiday Show: Hearts Be Light

Post author:Bart Greenberg
Post published: December 16, 2025
Reading time:2 mins read

Gregory Toroian Holiday Show

Hearts Be Light

Pangea, NYC, December 2, 2025

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Respected music director/arranger/pianist/coach Gregory Toroian offered a holiday program at Pangea that featured several of the students from his workshop. Each of the five performers presented a mini-cabaret show filled with Christmas material. Of course, there was some variation of talent through the evening; a few of the singers were clearly ready for the next step, and one was an already established name who brought the concert to a close.

In his patented character as a funny curmudgeon, Toroian and his trio—Skip Ward on bass and David Silliman on drums—opened the evening with the charming “Schroeder Overture,” that featured the music from the classic Charlie Brown Christmas special by Vince Guaraldi.

Following that was the confident Brenda Henry. She knew her material and was sure of how to use her excellent voice. She projected a relaxed presence that allowed the audience to relax as well. Her quartet of numbers were fresh and clever, with a special highlight being the witty “Christmas in the Sand” (Colbie Caillat). Henry will definitely be heard from again.

Next up was Carolyn Wells. Unfortunately, she lacked the energy and certainty of her predecessor. But she did bring a specific southern twang to her selections, including the standard “Hard Candy Christmas” (Carol Hall). Jeff Stoner, the lone male singer in the group, followed. He brought a great sense of humor to his reminiscences of his childhood. With its consistency of attitude, his set perhaps seemed most like a mini-cabaret show. His “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (Irving Berlin) was breezy and charming.

Blessed with a velvety voice, Carol Savvas presented the most spiritually oriented songlist of the show. Sweet and charming, she included a touching rendition of “A Child Is Born” (Thad Jones/Alec Wilder) within her group of four songs. The best-known performer, Jackie Draper, seemed to have a tremendous time during her set. The most unusual number was the traditional “The First Noel,” here delivered in French as a gentle waltz.

Tags: drums, David Silliman, Bart Greenberg, Skip Ward, Gregory Toroian, Thad Jones, Vince Guaraldi, American Songbook Association, Jackie Draper, ASA, A Child Is Born, Bass, Hard Candy Christmas, Music Director, coach, arranger, The First Noel, Colbie Caillat, Christmas Show 2025, Brenda Henry, Christmas in the Sand, Carolyn Wells, Jeff Stoner, Carol Savvas, composer, Cabaret Scenes, pangea, Broadway, Cabaret, Broadway Musicals, Carol Hall, Irving Berlin, American Songbook, Christmas, NYC, Pianist, CD, Alec Wilder, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Cabaret Reviews, CD Reviews, Charlie Brown, Clubs

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."