On Dec. 14, Mike Eldred was in Naples, Fla., preparing for an evening show in which he would sing with the Naples Philharmonic. But he readily admitted that the snow reports from Whitefish were on his mind.
“I’d much rather be on Big Mountain skiing,” Eldred said. “I’ll definitely get up there within 24 hours of arriving.”
Eldred, a recording artist and veteran Broadway performer, is slated to take the stage at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Dec. 21 for his “Home for the Holidays” tour.
While Nashville is his year-round home, Eldred said he views the Flathead as just as much of a home as Tennessee.
“I haven’t ever done a holiday Christmas concert in the Flathead before,” Eldred said. “Clearly it’s my favorite time of year to be there in the snow.”
The “Home for the Holidays” show is an evening of Christmas and holiday songs, with Eldred singing and Nashville pianist Jeff Steinberg accompanying him. The show will benefit the Flathead Food Bank.
Eldred brings a considerable resumé to the stage; he won Nashville Scene’s Best Musical Theatre Performer and was nominated as Nashville Music Awards Male Vocalist of the Year. He has performed with Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood, CeCe Winans and Michael Bolton.
On Broadway, Eldred starred as Jean Valjean in the powerhouse production of “Les Misérables,” and was in the original cast of the Tony-nominated play, “The Civil Wars.”
Steinberg also brings some serious credentials to the performance. He currently serves as a frequent POPS conductor for The Nashville Symphony and has written for the Maynard Ferguson and Count Basie bands.
Steinberg arranged for and performed with Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Perry Como, Diahann Carroll, Michael Feinstein, Crystal Gayle, Robert Goulet, Shari Lewis and Bob Hope. And when he graduated from the Berklee School in 1969, he joined The Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Buddy DeFranco and toured the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Japan.
The Dec. 21 show will last anywhere from an hour and 15 minutes to 90 minutes, Eldred said, and will consist of standard, familiar Christmas tunes as well as original songs.
And while Eldred has performed in the Flathead before, he has never given a Christmas concert. That, coupled with the fact that he loves this time of year, has Eldred excited for the Whitefish performance.
“The best part for me is doing it for so many friends and people who I really consider family; that will be very nice,” Eldred said. “It’s being home, which is why we aptly called it ‘Home for the Holidays.’”
The show won’t have an intermission, but there will be audience participation sections, Eldred said, and there could be some surprises in the works as well.
Along with performing for friends and family, Eldred said he is pleased to use his talents to benefit a deserving organization, such as the food bank.
“I’m getting to the point after all these years where it makes sense to use my music to help folks,” Eldred said. “It just makes sense. Otherwise, you go, ‘Why are we doing this again?’”
The concert is sponsored by Don K Subaru, and will begin at 8 p.m. Copies of Eldred’s Christmas album, “Let it Be,” will also be available for sale.
“Home for the Holidays” will be an experience unlike anything else in the valley right now, Eldred said, though the core of the show likely will be familiar to those trying to find some respite in the hustle and bustle.
“I try to find the songs that focus on peace and calm and comfort and all the things that take away from the madness of the season,” Eldred said.
For tickets, which range in price from $20 to $29, visit www.sands.skytics.com or call 730-2817.