JM Productions Press - Entertainment Producer since 1981

Popular holiday show returns after five-year hiatus By R. Scott Reedy, correspondent November 20, 2007 Hull - Local entertainment presenter John F. McDonald Jr. doesn’t have to go any further than the Stop & Shop in Wollaston to be reminded of the enduring place his holiday show, “What Christmas Means to Me,” has in the hearts of its many South Shore fans. “At this time of year, whether I’m on the Red Line or in line at the supermarket checkout, it is inevitable that someone will stop me to ask if we’re doing our Christmas show. The problem often is that we get more requests from patrons than interest and availability from our cast who are busy with their own lives raising families and singing in church choirs. We’d love to do the show annually, but we can’t always get the cast together for the necessary rehearsal and performance time,” explained McDonald last week by telephone from his Quincy home. “This year, after a five-year hiatus, I am very happy to be able to report that we will be doing four performances of the show at Raffael’s in Hull, Dec. 6-7 and 13-14.”

First presented at Woodward School for Girls in Quincy in the 1980s, “What Christmas Means to Me” has since been produced at the Common Market, St. Ann’s Church, the old Raffael’s, and the Fox & Hound Wood Grille in Quincy. While the venues have changed, some things about the perennial favorite remain the same.

“Sheila Fahey and I have been in every production of the show since the very first year and we’ll be in it again this time around,” says McDonald. “Sheila has made the story of her life experiences at Christmas, from her parents and her siblings through her own husband and children, into a now-legendary monologue that is a true highlight every time we do this show.”

Fahey — a Neponset native and former Boston meter maid known for her starring role in the musical revues “Connie, Brenda, Patsy and Me” and “Guys by Dolls” — will be joined not only by McDonald this year, but also by her frequent co-stars and collaborators Patricia Lee and Maryellen Anson from Braintree, Kathy Teevens Fitzpatrick from Quincy, and Jennifer Fahey of Neponset. Each of the performers will share their favorite holiday music — including “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Silent Night” and “White Christmas” — as well as their own special memories. McDonald promises solos, full-cast medleys, a visit from a certain red-suit wearing North Pole denizen, and a monologue all his own.

“I will probably talk about my experience as a Santa Claus at the Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan many years ago. I was just one Santa away from being chosen to appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was a very memorable time in my life and I have some great stories to share. I’ve loved this time of year since I was one of eight children growing up in Wollaston. Every year, my mother would sit us down in front of the television to watch the classic Christmas specials with Perry Como, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. That is probably why I have loved holiday music since childhood.”

McDonald is keenly aware that much has changed in his own life, in the lives of his cast, and in the world since “What Christmas Means to Me” was first performed some 20 years ago.

“Our show is sentimental and there is considerable poignancy about the people we have loved and lost over the years, but we also make certain that there is a great deal of humor and fun. It makes me very proud that so many people tell us that they consider this show to be a not-to-be-missed holiday tradition. This is the one show I still do as a performer, because it means so much to me. What we set out to do is calm everyone down during these hectic weeks, remove the commercialism, and focus on the warm and fuzzy meaning of Christmas.”

JM Productions will present “What Christmas Means to Me” at Raffael’s at Nantasket, 25 Hull Shore Drive, Hull, on Dec. 6-7 and 13-14. Tickets for show only are $30 per person with seating at 8 p.m. Tickets for dinner and show are $50 with seating beginning at 6:30 p.m. Special hotel packages for the Clarion Hotel on Nantasket Beach are also available. For tickets, call JM Productions at 617-786-7469, Raffael’s at 718-925-4515 or go online at www.jmproductionspresents.com. (Link)

"Two for the Road" at Raffael’s in Hull by John Amodeo EDGE Boston Contributor Sunday Oct 28, 2007 Raffael’s in Hull For those of you on the South Shore who think that the only sophisticated nightlife is available in downtown Boston, consider Raffael’s, a wonderful Italian restaurant and dinner theater located within the Nantasket at the Clarion in Hull.Located across from the beach, the sight, smell, and sounds of the ocean greet you as you arrive, and remain visible from the large bank of windows in the new dinner theater room, a delightful difference from Raffael’s old digs in North Quincy, from where they moved four years ago. This location, though more remote for city dwellers, is well worth the drive. John McDonald, of JM Productions, continues to book interesting talent into the dinner theater room, which is separate from the lovely restaurant and bar. What’s nice about that is that patrons are clearly there for the show, and behave respectably throughout, keeping conversation to a minimum, if at all. The room itself is spacious, bright, cheerful, and has that wonderful view. And the room is set up so that no table feels very far from the stage. When he books cabaret, which depends on intimacy, that is a key feature of the space.

In fact, McDonald seems to feature quite a bit of cabaret, this season booking the fabulous New York performer, Steven Brinberg, who has made a cottage industry out of performing as Barbra Streisand at Don’t Tell Mama’s in NYC. Brinberg performed his show Foreves Barbra, and the reviews were spectacular. This season McDonald also booked Zoe Lewis, a sensational jazz and funk pianist. Both events were packed to the gills.

However, McDonald has also learned something about his audience. "If the performer is not a household name, there has to be a hook in the show title that will bring them in," says McDonald.

One act he booked with a local male cabaret performer had to be cancelled due to slow sales. The performer’s show was based on the Hoagy Carmichael songbook, something too obscure for an unknown performer, however, good he may be. A Sinatra tribute, however, would have packed the house.

"If the performer is not a household name, there has to be a hook in the show title that will bring them in."
This past October 19, McDonald brought in two surefire performers, cabaret artists Carol O’Shaughnessy, Boston’s queen of cabaret, and Jan Peters, who would have inherited the crown from O’Shaughnessy, had Peters not moved to Pennsylvania last year. O’Shaughnessy and Peters teamed up for a show, "Two for the Road," which indeed doubled our pleasure. Singly, these performers epitomize the word "entertainer," and together the synergy is a joy to behold. They tease, they kibitz, and they clearly adore each other. When they sing duets it gets even better, as they did with a genuinely rendered "We Would Make Beautiful Music Together" beautifully paired with "The Best Is Yet To Come."

Their solos were equally effective as Carol declared musically "I Haven’t Got Time," written by the late Brian Lasser, then performed a poignant scene as Fraulein Schneider from the musical Cabaret. If you’ve never seen O’Shaughnessy perform "La Vie en Rose," request it. You will never think of the song in the same way again.

Peters waxed nostalgic for the ocean with a winsome Old Cape Cod, then rocked the rafters with "Blow Gabriel, Blow!" Her authentic and touching rendition of The Lies of Handsome Men suggests the song was written expressly for her. Seeing each of these performers singly is a treat, but McDonald doubled our pleasure by booking them in together.

McDonald continues his partnership with restaurant owner Elio Ricci and chef Mike Seaf, who works miracles in the kitchen. Don’t be put off by the menu on the website which may seem like a typical function room food. The chicken is moist and juicy and full of wonderful flavors. The prime rib is hotel quality, and the fish was eliciting audible mmmm’s around the table.

The rosemary-roasted potatoes are just crispy enough and the vegetables show just how well Seaf understands the wonders of al dente. The service is the right balance of efficient and friendly, and the servers always seem to remember who ordered decaf and who ordered regular.

At reasonable prices for high quality food and entertainment, folks on the South Shore may find they can paint the town red without having to trak all the way into town, while city slickers can get their sophisticated urban entertainment along with lovely seashore ambience.

Raffael’s next presents Bandstand Revue with Elvis Tribute and Dancing on November 16th. Dinner/Show package: $50, Show only: $30. For reservations, call Raffael’s at 781.925.4515 or visit www.jmproductionspresents.com.

One for the money; ‘Two for the Road’
By R. Scott Reedy, correspondent
October 18, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John F. McDonald, Jr.
(617) 786 ~ SHOW (7469)
www.jmproductionspresents.com
jfm@jmproductionspresents.com

(Quincy, MA) – January 21, 2007 ~ JM Productions announces 2007 Dinner Theatre Season! JM Productions enters their 26th year providing “quality entertainment at reasonable rates” for its patrons! The new 2007 season begins March 16 & 17 ~ with their Saint Patrick’s Weekend ~ with shows continuing monthly through the 2007 Christmas Season.

JM Productions dinner theatre shows will be held at Nantasket Beach, the Clarion Hotel, hosted by Raffael’s Restaurant, in Hull MA. The waterfront location of the Clarion Hotel together with an array of artistic talent and scrumptious meals promises to make 2007 an unforgettable year!
 
The 2007 Dinner Theatre Events: