Red Bank Theater Watch: Chris Cornell, The Grateful Dead and A Christmas Carol

There is some great music in the lineup at Count Basie this week, a perfect antidote to the post Thanksgiving slump. 

Start the week off right with Chris Cornell, relive the past with a tribute to the Grateful Dead on Friday, and get in the true holiday spirit on Saturday with A Christmas Carol Holiday Tour. 

Chris Cornell hits the Basie stage on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Best known as the lead vocalist for the band Soulgarden and a crucial architect in the 90’s grunge movement, Cornell has been making solo hits since 1998.

Cornell was also the vocalist behind the group Audioslave and the founder and vocalist for the band Temple of the Dog, a tribute band dedicated to his former roommate Andrew Wood.  Cornell has also contributed to the soundtracks for Great Expectations, Mission Impossible II, and Casino Royale.

Cornell is a five time Grammy Award winner, taking home awards in such categories as Best Metal Performance, Best Hard Rock Performance, Best Original Song, Best Metal/Hard Rock Video and Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film for his work on Casino Royale in 2007.

Cornell’s latest work includes the song The Keeper which was recorded for the film Machine Gun Preacher. The Count Basie show will be a unique, all acoustic show in support of latest release. Each ticket also includes a digital download of the new album.

On Friday, Nov. 25, take a break from all Black Friday shopping and head to the Basie for Dead on Live ’71-’72, A Grateful Dead Tribute with Marc Muller. This tribute captures all the music from one of the most important periods in the Grateful Dead’s career. 

The performance will include songs from the albums Grateful Dead (AKA Skull and Roses), Europe ’72, and Jerry Garcia’s solo album Garcia. This is guitarist Marc Muller’s second tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead.

On Saturday, Nov. 26, get into the holiday spirit when Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s national tour of A Christmas Carol lands at Count Basie. A Christmas Carol is the legendary Charles Dickens’s play that tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s Christmas Eve redemption. The Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s production has been performed over 100,000 times in more than 60 cities nationwide each holiday season.

This production comes to life on the Count Basie stage with two dozen actors and a live orchestra. The cast will perform traditional carols that the whole family will enjoy, including God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Away in a Manager, and Here We Come A Wassailing.

Schedule:

Tuesday, Nov. 22 2011: Chris Cornell Solo Acoustic Tour, 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 25, 2011: Dead on Live ’71-’72: A Grateful Dead Tribute, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011: A Christmas Carol National Tour, 8 p.m.