Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays is the latest edition of the long-running CBS holiday special, and its partnership with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Home for the Holidays has always encouraged just that – to raise awareness about placing kids from the foster system with new families. But this year, in addition to hosting the show, performing himself, and singing a few seasonal songs with guests Jennifer Hudson, Tori Kelly, The War & Treaty, and James Bay, Josh Groban also introduces a judge in his robes, who officiates an adoption right there on the Home for the Holidays stage.
JOSH GROBAN & FRIENDS GO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Tonight, from the Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, it’s “a holiday special that celebrates the power of family.”
The Gist: The stage is decked out in holiday-themed florals and fancy snow and icicles as Josh Groban, in his burgundy tuxedo, sings “Believe,” his Grammy-winning song from that uncanny valley Christmas classic The Polar Express. The string section soars and two drummers onstage add percussive notes. But it’s the children’s chorus, with pint-sized kids in red cheeks and scarves, who rightly hog all of the applause. If Josh Groban suddenly appeared at your local elementary school’s holiday recital, it might look something like this. But that’s the theme Home for the Holidays is working with, as Groban also hosts mini-interviews with former foster kids, who these days enjoy Christmas mornings with their families. It’s cute overload time as one little boy guesses Santa’s age as roughly one thousand-and-a-half.
“There are thousands of children still waiting for a place to call home,” Groban says later, and viewers are encouraged to visit the website of the Dave Thomas Foundation. But the organization’s mission also unfolds right in front of the theater audience, as a young couple makes official their adoption of a little girl named Apple. James Bay’s gotta follow this showstopper of a heartwarming holiday moment, and he does his best, performing “Hope,” a Lumineers-y number from his latest album. Jennifer Hudson also has a new record out, her first Christmas-themed release, and she sings “Find the Love,” one of its classy originals.
A holiday special isn’t complete without duets, and when it isn’t officiating adoptions, Home for the Holidays also features Groban singing with his special guests. Tori Kelly joins him for a nice R&B-flavored run through the Donny Hathaway chestnut “This Christmas,” the voices of Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Trotter, who perform as The War and Treaty, are absolutely gigantic on the standard “Do You Hear What I Hear?” And J-Grob is joined by J-Hud for an interpretation of “O Holy Night” that arrives complete with a Christmas orchestra to match their considerable vocal power.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Family-friendly vibes are also part of the holiday cheer in CMA Country Christmas. And if you’re talking about seasonal-ready celebrity duets, you gotta check out A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter and the collision of two of 2024’s biggest pop stars, Sabrina and Chappell Roan, as they sing “Last Christmas” by Wham!
Our Take: Can’t say we’ve ever seen any type of show, Christmas-themed or otherwise, conduct an official adoption in front of a live audience. But hey, Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays is committed to promoting its centerpiece cause. With cutaway segments that feature tearful kids and the parents who took them in – one little girl, before she was rescued from a sketchy foster situation, says “I was worried Sana wouldn’t know where I was” – and Groban himself turning to the camera to raise awareness, the special can sometimes feel like a charity telethon. But while that stuff takes up a hearty part of the spotlight, Home for the Holidays has also booked some serious singing talent. Groban himself, obviously – he lends an almost conversational quality to “Celebrate Me Home,” a difficult song to sing. But also Groban with guests. The duet portions of Home for the Holidays really hit, and the metric ton of vocal power onstage really amplifies stuff like “Do You Hear What I Hear” and “O Holy Night.” These are Christmas standards we’ve all heard a million times, and in a million different versions. It’s a credit to Groban and his guests, and a gift to us, that they sound so fresh here.
Sex and Skin: What? Come on. No way. More like cute and cuddly.
Parting Shot: As the credits roll for Home for the Holidays, Josh Groban follows his Jennifer Hudson duet with his own interpretation of Kenny Loggins’ “Celebrate Me Home.”
Sleeper Star: Jennifer Hudson can do it all. Incredible singer, EGOT status, daytime television show host, and sleeper star of this special, because Hudson can also disarm you with a funny anecdote about the cold weather Christmases of childhood in Chicago.
Most Pilot-y Line: “Get ready to witness the creation of a family through adoption, right here on our stage!” An accompanying interview with the adoptive couple, as they describe their journey to becoming parents, will threaten to turn on your waterworks.
Our Call: Stream It. Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays keeps the mood joyous as it centers how magical Christmas can be for kids everywhere. Groban’s also a charming host, and musically, it’s his duets with Tori Kelly, The War and Treaty, and Jennifer Hudson that really bring the show home.
Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Josh Groban & Friends Go Home For The Holidays’ on CBS, Featuring Light Seasonal Sounds … And An Actual Adoption On Stage! appeared first on Decider.
