Music man Jerry Steichen & friends perform at Deborah Ann’s for Holiday Stroll

Is it the Music Man?  Is it the Candy Man? No, it’sthe effervescent, highly entertaining and über talented Jerry Steichen, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra's Music Director and Conductor…. in person!  Jerry will be taking a break from rehearsals for the RSO’s Holiday Celebration to welcome shoppers who stroll into Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe on 381 Main St., Ridgefield, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. 

Joining Jerry is Kathleen Theisen, keyboardist for the RSO, who together will play four-hand piano duets of all the favorite sounds of the season including special selections from The Nutcracker! The RSO’s T.D. Ellis will join in on what Jerry calls T.D.’s fun bassoon, and Rachel Handman, Concertmaster for the Holiday pops concert, will wow with her violin prowess. Also on tap will be up-and-coming musicians Emily and Alice Kerr from Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra (WCYO), based in Ridgefield.  Bring the kids to hear and meet these extraordinary musicians up-close-and-personal in the most popular place in town, Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe. 

Holiday Strollers who come into Deborah Ann’s to “warm up” by purchasing hot chocolate, sweet treats, or ice cream will be treated to Steichen playing and singing holiday tunes and signing autographs. At 1 p.m., Jerry will draw the winner of a free raffle for a basket of RSO goodies valued at more than $400, including four tickets to an RSO concert, Vineyard Vines silk scarf and tie, and a luscious selection of Deborah Ann’s homemade chocolates.

After all the musical (and chocolate) merriment at Deborah Ann’s, shoppers can enjoy another beloved town tradition: the RSO’s family-friendly Holiday Concert, also on Saturday, December 5, at 8 p.m., in Ridgefield High School’s Anne S. Richardson Auditorium. The musical extravaganza showcases the internationally acclaimed multi-talented vocalist Jessica Medoff, the orchestra’s joyful renditions of seasonal favorites including Christmas and Hanukkah selections, and a guest appearance by Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and emcee Ira Joe Fisher.                    

With a career that ranges from symphony to opera, Broadway to chamber music, Jerry Steichen, a gifted pianist, has appeared on Broadway portraying Manny the Accompanist in the Tony Award-winning Master Class. As a conductor, Steichen toured nationally as the associate conductor with The Phantom of the Opera, The Secret Garden, and Peter Pan and was the principal conductor of CATS in New York for two years.               

Visit ridgefieldsymphony.org, or call the box office at 203-438-3889, for tickets to Holiday Celebration with the RSO at the Anne S. Richardson Auditorium located at 700 North Salem Road, Ridgefield.   The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit professional arts organization. Come hear live music!