Singer and songwriter Anthony Nunziata is returning to Scranton this holiday season to perform with local students. Students from the Valley View High School Chorus and Occhipinti Dance Company will be joining Nunziata for his “Christmas & Italy” concert on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Theater at North in Scranton.
The concert is part of Nunziata’s annual holiday tour, which includes 20 performances across 17 cities. This will be his fifth year performing at the Theater at North, and he has invited the Valley View High School Chorus to join him as his special guests every year. He said he loves having the opportunity to provide a platform for local arts organizations.
“It brings me back to when I was a young person, and people from Broadway would come to visit my elementary school or high school. … I get to give them a pep talk and make myself available for any questions that they may have for me. It’s the least that I can do in terms of giving back to young people,” he said.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Nunziata said Scranton feels like a home away from home for him. He said he loves coming back every year, and he especially enjoys interacting with the audience and connecting with them through his music.
“What I love about Scranton, it reminds me of home. People are standing up. People are singing. I like that people feel very comfortable to really, for 90 minutes, just enjoy themselves and to allow themselves … to really feel all the feelings. That’s my goal always is for an audience to feel comfortable to laugh, to cry and to escape for a little bit,” he said.
Nunziata will be performing a mix of classic Christmas songs such as “The Christmas Song” and “O Holy Night,” Italian arias including “O Solo Mio” and “Santa Lucia” and some songs from his new album, “Christmas & You,” which was released on Nov. 7. Nunziata said the new album, which features 13 original Christmas songs, captures all of his favorite styles of Christmas, from full string sections to acoustic, prayerful songs.
“It’s an exciting challenge and journey to consistently come up with new ideas to celebrate the holiday, but it’s a fun exploration for sure,” he said.
The 2025-26 Valley View High School Chorus will perform at Anthony Nunziata’s “Christmas & Italy” concert Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Theater at North in Scranton. (Courtesy of Gina Pascolini)
Over 40 students from Valley View High School will be joining Nunziata on stage. They will perform six songs throughout the show, including “Carol of the Bells,” “Noël Nouvelet” and “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle.” Gina Pascolini, Valley View choral and musical director, said the students are excited for the concert, and they enjoy performing with Nunziata every year.
“He’s very interactive with the audience, and I think the kids really appreciate that. It’s a different way of reaching out to the community and beyond what they do here at Valley View,” she said.
The students have been preparing for the “Christmas & Italy” concert, as well as their other holiday performances, during their daily rehearsals. They presented their own Christmas concert at the high school on Dec. 3, and they will be caroling at local restaurants on Dec. 17 and at Mid-Valley Manor on Dec. 19.
Pascolini said the Valley View music department is blessed to have a fantastic group of students, and she is proud of the work they have put in to prepare for their upcoming performances.
“You see their progress on a daily basis, and then you get that warmth and that sense of pride, knowing they are accomplishing something so wonderful because they often do not think they have the potential or the talent to do what they’re doing,” she said.
Tickets for the concert are $34 and can be purchased online at thetheateratnorth.org or in person at the box office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. or on the night of the show starting at 5 p.m.
If you go
What: Anthony Nunziata’s “Christmas & Italy” concert featuring special guests Valley View High School Chorus and Occhipinti Dance Company
When: Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.
Where: The Theater at North, 1539 N. Main Ave., Scranton
Tickets: Cost is $34.Tickets can be purchased online at thetheateratnorth.org or in person at the box office.