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Have You Heard of Christmas?

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Have You Heard of Christmas?
Directed byDoron Max Hagay
Written byMatt Rogers
StarringMatt Rogers
CinematographyCharlotte Hornsby
Edited byRyan McIlraith
Production
company
Rotten Science
Distributed byShowtime
Release date
  • December 2, 2022 (2022-12-02)
Running time
55 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Have You Heard of Christmas? is a holiday musical comedy TV special written by and starring Matt Rogers.[1] The special was released on Showtime on December 2, 2022, and features original songs, stand-up, and comedy sketches from Rogers and guest stars.

The TV special was filmed at Joe's Pub in New York City in front of a live audience with Rogers being accompanied by Henry Koperski on the piano.[2] Rogers also performed the special in a North American tour in the winter of 2022.[3]

Capitol Records released Rogers' Have You Heard of Christmas? album on November 3, 2023. Derived from the TV special, the album features 12 tracks with new mixes.[4]

Synopsis

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Have You Heard of Christmas? follows Matt Rogers and his journey to becoming part of the Christmas canon and establishing himself as the "Pop Prince of Christmas." The musical numbers are intercut with comedic sketches of Rogers and his team coordinating his special and attempting to book the "Queen of Christmas" herself, Mariah Carey. The nine original musical numbers cover topics such as love, infidelity, God, and the true meaning of Christmas.

Cast

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Musical numbers

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Note: Song titles are not officially listed

  1. "(Also) It's Christmas"
  2. "Lube for the Sleigh"
  3. "Have You Heard of Christmas"
  4. "Hottest Female up in Whoville" (with a spoken word introduction of Where Are You Christmas?)[6]
  5. "Every Christmas Eve"[7]
  6. "Rockafella Centa"
  7. "I'ma Have Your Back (This Christmas)" (featuring Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson)
  8. "God & His Tricks (I Am Real)"
  9. "You Still Make it Rain (On Christmas)"

Reception

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Vulture Magazine critic Kathryn VanArendonk called the special " incredible... buoyant and shiny and memorable, and by making it a musical special, Rogers captures that ineffable thing about the holiday that's so captivating and inane and hard to hit."[8] Variety Magazine writer Marc Malkin praised Roger's performance, calling the special "proudly queer with Sandra Bernhard's comedy, Liza Minelli's camp and Hugh Jackman's showmanship running through Rogers' rainbow-colored tinsel."[9] In Describer Magazine, Sean L. McCarthy states: "Rogers both seeks to deconstruct and mock the Christmas industrial shopping complex, while also placing himself firmly within its firmament."[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Matt Rogers Have You Heard of Christmas? | SHOWTIME". SHO.com. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  2. ^ VanArendonk, Kathryn (2022-12-01). "Matt Rogers Makes the Yuletide Gay". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  3. ^ Fessler, Jared. "Interview: Matt Rogers of MATT ROGERS: HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHRISTMAS? at Varsity Theater". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  4. ^ Schube, Will (October 6, 2023). "Matt Rogers Announces 'Have You Heard Of Christmas?,' Shares 'Also It's Christmas'". uDiscoverMusic.com. Universal Music Group. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Hagay, Doron Max (2022-12-02), Have You Heard of Christmas? (Comedy, Music), Rotten Science, retrieved 2022-12-30
  6. ^ "Hottest Female Up In Whoville" | Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? | SHOWTIME, December 2022, retrieved 2022-12-30
  7. ^ "Every Christmas Eve" Official Clip | Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? | SHOWTIME, 24 December 2022, retrieved 2022-12-30
  8. ^ VanArendonk, Kathryn (2022-12-01). "Matt Rogers Makes the Yuletide Gay". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  9. ^ Malkin, Marc (2022-12-01). "'Fire Island' Star Matt Rogers Hopes His New Showtime Christmas Special Gets Him Lube Product Placement". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  10. ^ "'Matt Rogers: Have You Heard Of Christmas?' Showtime Review: Stream It or Skip It?". Retrieved 2022-12-30.