Take a Trip Back in Time with Tim Tamashiro’s holiday concert: Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974
Nostalgia, joy, and the childhood anticipation of Christmas take centre stage this holiday season with celebrated Canadian jazz singer Tim Tamashiro’s production of Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974 taking place Friday, December 10 in the Jack Singer Concert Hall as part of Arts Commons Presents’ BD&P World Stage series with tickets available now! Listen in as “Little Timmy” takes audiences along a retro Christmas adventure with light-hearted stories and a selection of Christmas hits — with a jazzy twist.
Tim Tamashiro is a singer, speaker, and entertainer as well as former host of Tonic on CBC Radio 2. He is a celebrated vocalist across Canada and creator of the unique "story/song" cabaret format featured at Arts Commons. Tim is also an Amazon #1 bestselling author for his book How To Ikigai. Now he takes a step onto the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage with his Christmas-themed production that will leave audiences reliving their best holiday memories.
Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974 is based on a semi-true story about a little boy who discovers the Sears Christmas Wish Book on his front doorstep one day after school. What ensues is a trip back in time to the childhood joys of carols on the AM kitchen radio, holiday TV specials, vintage commercials, and of course, the excitement of Christmas.
“Back in my day,” Tim (55) says, “the Sears Christmas wish book kind of announced the start of the Christmas season. It would have a beautiful little picture of some sort of Christmas experience for a family or for kids, but this is the only way that we could actually go and look through and feel the spirit of Christmas.” The Sears Christmas Wish Book would showcase all kinds of gift ideas from children’s toys to sporting goods.
Tim recalls his own memory of the Sears Christmas Wish Book as a Christmas highlight. "As a child, I remember having the feeling of going through the wish book and my mom would allow us to be able to write or circle things in it with a pencil — not with a pen — so we could circle things and maybe dogear a page in the catalogue so that she would know what it is that we're looking for on Christmas.”
Tim’s show relives childhood memories and vintage Christmas staples that those who grew up in Canada will certainly find a blast from the past, but Tim says the show is truly for everyone — the whole family is invited!
"It's a universal feeling,” says Tim. “That feeling of excitement — the feeling of having the joy of spending time together with our with our friends and family.”
“I'm so pleased with the ways that people have embraced Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974. I've seen grown men standing up and going "I had that toy!" in the middle of a show,” Tim says. “It's really, really fun. People my age, we don't have that feeling of childhood joy all that often. So, when it shows up it gives us a real light that we have forgotten we had,” Tim says.
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974 is still for you! Tim shares that people from all cultural backgrounds will be able to relate to the anticipation of a special occasion because it’s a powerful universal experience. “If you're celebrating Ramadan or Eid, or maybe you're celebrating Kwanza, whatever the occasion, there is a universal feeling of looking forward to having celebrations and having meals together, maybe even exchanging gifts.” Tim says. “I think those paint really powerful images in our heads of connection, family and friendship and something that we can look forward to on an annual basis.”
At the end of the day, coming together with loved ones, having food together, and celebrating in each other's company is a truly connective human experience. Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974 is a show for the whole family that will have you reliving the feeling of childhood joy through the power of nostalgia and the lively jazz vocal stylings of Tim Tamashiro.
Join Arts Commons Presents for Timmy’s Happy Christmas, 1974 on Friday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Visit artscommons.ca for more details!
