Steve March-Tormé, Michael Bailey to star in ‘For Kids From 1 to 92′ concert at Raue Center

A show coming to the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake deserves its “extravaganza” billing.

The matinee features 13 musical talents including a rock music veteran and Steve March-Tormé, son of Mel Tormé, which explains the concert’s title, “For Kids From 1 to 92,” a lyric from his dad’s “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting).” A welcome prelude to Christmas, the show will be performed at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23.

“Steve and I wanted to come up with a Christmas show,” said the multi-talented Michael Bailey, a vocalist and bassist with a long career as a choir director and member of the Vic Ferrari band. “We came up with something: here’s a jazz piece, here’s an a cappella piece, here’s a rock-pop type thing.”

Each of the 13 artists has their chance to shine, from the drummer to the violin players, he said, noting he and Steve “like to share the stage and let other people take the glory off the field – their turn to impress.”

Comprising their STEEM band are seven vocalists, two keyboard players, four guitarists, percussion including chimes and glockenspiel, drums, all the woodwinds, trumpet and trombone, Bailey said.

The show features timeless songs, many with arrangements by Mel Tormé.

“You see the quality and care put into them,” Bailey said.

In addition to the music, Bailey and March-Tormé will share a lot of funny stories.

“I talk about some of the gifts I got growing up [like] lawn darts with steel ends that kill people,” Bailey said. “It’s not a boring show; I would not stand for it. I’m an entertainer, I love doing what I do.”

March-Tormé will share how “The Christmas Song” came to be written.

For the concert, he will play keyboard, snare drum and guitar. During his long career, he’s recorded with Liza Minnelli, and Quincy Jones suggested him for a project after seeing him perform at a tribute to Henry Mancini at the Hollywood Bowl. His numerous credits include singing with his father at the Kool Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall. He currently can be heard hosting radio programs celebrating the music he knows so well.

“I’m a good storyteller,” March-Tormé said in a previous interview.

A musical number for the holiday show came about during COVID, called “I Remember Christmastime.”

Bailey came up with the lyrics and March-Tormé with the melody. Bailey said his inspiration was a desire to think about happy things and good times as a counter to the stress of the pandemic.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun with that one,” Bailey said. “[There will be] four or five songs where we’ll all layer vocals – three-, four-, five-part harmony. For this band, I think these are the best people you could ever have in one band. It’s the right chemistry. … I think we have the most creative, most listenable holiday show in the Midwest. Something that’s really going to warm your heart.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “For Kids From 1 to 92” concert

WHERE: Raue Center For The Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake

WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23

INFORMATION: 815-356-9212, rauecenter.org