Although you might know him from playing one the outsized, boisterous characters in The Producers or The Little Mermaid (where he was that fish-loving chef), or camping it up in When Pigs Fly, John Treacy Egan has a tender, serious side singing just as himself in the recording studio. His On Christmas Morning is ingratiating and inviting. It's a satisfying mix of old chestnuts like "The Christmas Song" with more recent fare like the evocative title song by David Foster and Kenny Loggins or "Grown-Up Christmas List" by Foster and Linda Thompson Jenner. The persuasively sung "Open Up Your Heart" (Steven Silverstein/ Barbara Campbell) is a new addition to the canon and John, who comes off here as very sincere, can carry off the very determined plea and the build of its swelling music. His voice has strength and gravitas when called upon, as in the posing of questions about the birth of the Holy Child: "Mary Did You Know?" and "What Child Is This?" He manages to have focused power vocally without losing the sense of religious awe. Turning to a secular question, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," the wondering is of personal insecurity in the field of romance but is also steeped in believable drama rather than depending on the bathos of neediness/loneliness or the other extreme, sing-song-y easy fluff.

There's an elegance to the endeavor that comes from the dignified piano work and arrangements of David Shenton who, like the singer, can package these Christmas gifts with unabashedly heartfelt intents but not sloppy sentimentality. He uses a small band which also avoids any overly grand strokes—how can you go wrong Christmas-wise with a guitarist named Rudolph (Mr. Vernaz-Colas, quite effective) in the quintet? In the accompaniment and in the singer-actor's phrasing, there is welcome use of little silences to allow an idea or word to sink in or for an effect to be processed. It may be a symptom of having a lot of holiday favorites and not being able to narrow down the list, or the fact that so many such songs address the same limited number of subjects, but the temptation to kill two birds with one stone (translation: medleys of two songs) is given in to on five tracks. They work pretty well, though I think David Pomeranz's hypnotic confidence in the human spirit, "It's in Every One of Us," might have a stronger impact on its own rather than being combo-plattered with "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan. A Santa two-fer and a double dose of snow songs lighten things up when a breather is needed. With intense religious dedication or equally emotion-invested readings on material like "A Place Called Home" (Alan Menken/ Lynn Ahrens, A Christmas Carol), this is not an album for those Scrooges who shirk from genuine expressions of compassion and the human heart. The wonder of Christmas is alive and well.

Kevin on Kabaret - EdgeNewYork

A great discovery It’s always a pleasure to discover those talents who perhaps don’t have the major label backing. This year’s pleasant surprise is John Treacy Egan (currently on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie). His CD, "On Christmas Morning" available on iTunes, and cdbaby.com, offers an assortment of both old and new classics.

The sparkling production, under the music direction of pianist David Shenton (who also plays violin!), was built to last-unlike many indy, on-the-cheap productions that sound dated and cheesy after a few seasons.

"Last year, I did a holiday show at Feinstein’s and had such a good time," Egan told me. "David said we should record it." So they went into the studio over the summer and the rest is history.

"I just got an email from Seth Glassman, who wrote ’A Night of Peace,’ and he really loved it," Egan said, like an excited kid on Christmas morn.

Mariah would be proud of what Egan does with her modern standard "All I Want for Christmas is You," turning it into a jazzy cabaret version all his own. And he brings his Broadway pipes to great effect on the oft-recorded anthem, "Grown Up Christmas List". His subdued and haunting "Mary Did You Know" is the best version I’ve ever heard.

With a voice that can be as big and fresh as a Colorado snow squall or as comforting as a quilt wrapped around your shoulders, John Treacy Egan has delivered a classy gift to us all this Christmas.

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