Jerry Pia Christmas Concert w/ Bobby Valentine, Mayor Mike Pavia, Frank Mastrone, Gordon G.G. Gebert

Christmas just may come to Stamford a little early this weekend as the Glenbrook Community Center's holiday concert "Twas the Night Before Christmas" pulls out all the stops at the Palace Theater  this Sunday at 5 p.m.

The show will feature performances by children of all ages, along with well-known Christmas personalities like Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Jerry Pia, vice president of the Stamford Board of Education, current member of the Board of Representatives and executive director of Activities for Kids, is celebrating 30 years at the Glenbrook Community Center with this performance, which will showcase Pia and his band, Slik Stuf, alongside the students.

"We hope to do it every year," Teddi Pia, Jerry's wife and co-founder of Activities for Kids, told Patch. "Hopefully we'll be successful."

For the last 28 years, Pia has been staging Christmas plays at the Center, but this was the first year that he has branched out to the Palace Theater with a production of this scale.

"It grew into what it is now," Pia said. "It should be a lot of fun."

Twenty-five students from Activities for Kids, 35 from Westover Magnet and another 25 from various middle and high schools across Stamford will participate in the show.

"It's been interesting because it's, you know, a huge undertaking," Pia said. "It's been a community effort, that's for sure."

The group did a series of rehearsals on Mondays at Westover and then held a final dress rehearsal onstage at the Palace Tuesday night.

Will Fulton, a friend of Pia's, will be performing as a back-up singer in the show.

"He knows I like to sing and asked me to help him out," Fulton said. "It's a great cause and a great show. It's going to be really fun seeing all the kids up on stage."

Other guest performers appearing Sunday night will be Frank Mastrone, a singer currently on Broadway in "Phantom of the Opera," Lynn Collatrella, VP of special events for the Downtown Special Services District, Keyboardist Gordon G.G. Gebert, ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine and Mayor Michael Pavia.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Activities for Kids Scholarship Fund, which provides funding for preschool children ages 2-5, afterschool programs and summer camps.

"There's a super need for scholarships and this turned out to be a good way to do it," Pia said.

Already, they have raised enough money to give away 200 tickets to underprivileged kids and their families.

"It's going to be really nice," he added.

The event will also feature 95.9 "The FOX" Radio's Matt Zako, who will MC and Mayor Mike Pavia & Mayor Dan Malloy.

Frank D'Andrea, Dominick Yorofino,

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Entertainment

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