NYSE Euronext Celebrates 86th Annual NYSE Holiday Tree Lighting on Thursday, Dec. 10

Stockhouse.com
Public Invited to Attend, Performances Begin 3 p.m., Tree Lighting 4:55 p.m.

NEW YORK, Dec 03, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

--Live Performances by Billy Ray Cyrus, The Manhattan Transfer, Twisted Sister with Broadway's "Rock of Ages", Collective Soul, Stryper, Honor Society, Alexa Ray Joel, David Nail, Joshua Bell, Kate Vogele, Tamela Mann and The Monsignor Donovan Choir with Special Appearances by Valerie Smaldone, Kym Johnson, the New York Jets Flight Crew and Santa Claus

--Live Broadcast Feed Available via Ascent 3419 from 3 p.m. -- 6 p.m.Live Webcast of Tree Lighting from 4:50 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.

A cast of music superstars and local New York City talent will perform during the 86th annual NYSE Euronext holiday tree lighting festivities on Thursday, December 10th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the illumination of the 65 ft. tall and 34 ft. wide Norway Spruce taking place at approximately 4:55 p.m. on Broad Street directly in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The 86th annual NYSE Euronext holiday tree lighting will feature Grammy(R)-winning country music star and actor, Billy Ray Cyrus; Grammy-winning jazz group, The Manhattan Transfer; rock bands Twisted Sister with Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler and James Carpinello from the Broadway musical, "Rock of Ages;" Collective Soul and Stryper; pop rock band, Honor Society; singer/songwriter and daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel; country music artist, David Nail; Grammy-winning violinist, Joshua Bell; One Tree Hill actress and singer/songwriter, Kate Voegele; Meet the Browns actress and gospel singer Tamela Mann and teen choir, The Monsignor Donovan Choir. Valerie Smaldone; Dancing with the Stars', Kym Johnson; the New York Jets Flight Crew and Santa Claus will also make a special appearance during the festivities, which is open to the public.






"The NYSE Euronext holiday tree lighting is an outstanding New York tradition and great kick-off to the holiday season," said Duncan L. Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext. "The all-star celebrity line up and local choir will provide a thrilling and memorable performance. I want to thank each of them for their participation and invite the pubic and the Downtown New York community to join us."

The NYSE Euronext holiday tree has been Downtown New York tradition since 1923. This year's tree, which hails from Ramapo, N.Y., will be adorned with 10,000 multi-colored lights, 250 multi-colored decorative balls bearing the NYSE Euronext logo, and a 6 ft. star, all supported on a 8 ft. by 10 ft. base fashioned as a holiday gift box. Performances will begin at 3 p.m. and continue through 6 p.m. and will be available to television networks via a broadcast feed at Ascent 3419. The tree lighting (from 4:50 p.m. -- 5 p.m.) will be available for viewing on www.nyx.com.

Also, adding to the festivities, several of the musicians performing at the tree lighting ceremony will walk the NYSE trading floor and ring the NYSE Closing Bell(R) at 4 p.m.

New York Stock Exchange Holiday Tradition:

The NYSE community has been celebrating the holiday season for over two centuries -- marking the time of year with extended holidays and abbreviated trading hours. In the late nineteenth century, brokers rung in the holiday with tin whistles and horns. Occasionally, the festivities were complemented with a saxophone quartet and a banjo player on the trading floor. In the last few years of the nineteenth century, the holiday festivities subsided and were celebrated in quieter ways, with a religious service at Trinity Church or caroling outside the Exchange.

The first NYSE holiday tree lighting took place in 1923 and has taken place annually. (Note, the tree was not lit in 1973 because of the energy crisis.) Over the years, the NYSE holiday tree lighting ceremonies have grown to include participation by world-class celebrities and musicians as well as listed companies. The NYSE tree lighting ceremony is one of the oldest in New York City and the NYSE holiday tree is one of the most visited attractions during the holidays.

NYSE Euronext 86th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony - About the Performers:

BILLY RAY CYRUS (www.billyraycyrus.com)

Billy Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor. Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, also stars with his daughter Miley on Disney's hit series "Hannah Montana." Cyrus will be seen starring in Hallmark's "Christmas in Canaan" and "The Spy Next Door" with Jackie Chan. Pushing deeper into his rock and country music roots, Cyrus released his newest CD "Back to Tennessee" earlier this year.

MANHATTAN TRANSFER (www.manhattantransfer.net)

Ten-time GRAMMY-award winning jazz/pop super vocal group, MANHATTAN TRANSFER celebrate their 40th Anniversary with the release of THE CHICK COREA SONGBOOK, in stores now via respected specialty label FOUR QUARTERS. The platinum selling, world-wide chart topping super group, widely renowned for broadening the musical landscape with their innovative, genre defying sound, made GRAMMY history in 1981 by becoming the first group to win GRAMMYs simultaneously in both the Jazz and Pop categories. The group also put out the third most honored album in pop history in 1985 with VOCALESE, earning an impressive 12 GRAMMY nominations and surpassed only by Michael Jackson's Thriller at the time. To date, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER has won 10 GRAMMYs and has earned 17 GRAMMY nominations.

TWISTED SISTER (www.twistedsister.com)

Twisted Sister's 37-year legacy includes global sales of 12 million records, 33 Gold and Platinum Awards and more than 9,000 performances, including the iconic rock anthems "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." The band continues to crash through multiple decades and demographics with the 25th Anniversary of their legendary, multi-platinum album, STAY HUNGRY and their upcoming annual TWISTED CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA at NYC's Nokia Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 6.

Go to www.twistedsister.com for a free download of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" - From the CD, Twisted Sister, A Twisted Christmas.

COLLECTIVE SOUL (www.collectivesoul.com)

With seven #1 Rock Hits, 4 Platinum albums and 10 million total albums sold, Collective Soul have returned with their most ambitious album to date, Collective Soul. Produced by Ed Roland and recorded in his Georgia lake house, the album features the summer hit "Staring Down." Songs from their last studio album Afterwords were featured in The Hills, Woman's Murder Club, Shark, Celebrity Apprentice, Brothers and Sisters, 90210 and more. Most recently "Tremble For My Beloved" from their album Dosage appears on the Twilight soundtrack.

Go to www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/CollectiveSoul for a free download of "Welcome All Again" - From the self-titled CD, Collective Soul.

STRYPER (www.stryper.com)

After a quarter century of unprecedented success, the righteous rockers known as Stryper continue their high-voltage, sonic fire burning with the band's latest studio project and tenth career disc, MURDER BY PRIDE featuring the single and video, "Alive." Since the band's label debut in 1984, the quartet has sold more than eight million albums worldwide including their platinum opus, TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL featuring their iconic hit, "Honestly." Stryper's global tour schedule continues through April of 2010.

Go to www.stryper.com/alive for a free download of "Alive" - From the CD, Murder By Pride. (Promo code 777)

HONOR SOCIETY (www.honorsocietyonline.com)

Honor Society has become one of this year's hottest new acts as they have toured with the Jonas Brothers and Jordin Sparks and brought their high energy live performances to new fans around the country. In addition to playing to packed arenas, Honor Society kept the party going as they headlined their 40 city Fashionably Late Tour. Their current video "Over You," can be seen on MTV and Much Music.

ROCK OF AGES (www.rockofagesmusical.com)

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer - and in L.A.'s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the '80's. It's ROCK OF AGES, a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Twisted Sister, Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. Don't miss this awesomely good time, featuring Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler and James Carpinello, where big hair meets big dreams and the result totally wails.

Go to www.rockofagesmusical.com/happyholidays for a free download of "Here I Go Again" (Rock of Ages Promo Version) - From the Rock Of Ages Original Broadway Cast Recording.

ALEXA RAY JOEL (www.alexarayjoel.com)

Singer/songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of legendary superstar Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley, has embraced a DIY ethic and an almost old-fashioned musical aesthetic where everything flows from a well-written song, backed by a pitch-perfect and powerful voice. She is an authentic artist with a distinct vision who is dedicated to being a live performer as well as having as much interaction with her fans as possible. Alexa's amazing poise, confidence and inherent knack for artist-audience rapport make each of her shows a uniquely engaging experience. Since self-releasing her first EP in 2006, Alexa Ray Joel is coming up fast, and she's doing things her own way.

Go to www.alexarayjoel.com for a free download of Alexa's NEW hit single "INVISIBLE".

DAVID NAIL (www.davidnail.com)

Missouri native David Nail's MCA Nashville debut I'm About To Come Alive marks the 3rd highest new artist debut on the country charts for '09 and delivers a Miranda Lambert duet and tunes penned by Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts' lead. People boasts "[it's] a rewarding set that showcases his soulful, nuanced vocals" and awarded it 3 out of 4 stars. He's performed at Chesney's pre-show tailgating parties and opened for Sugarland. Single "Red Light" sits in the Top 10 on the charts.

Music from his new CD I'M ABOUT TO COME ALIVE can be streamed at www.davidnail.com.

JOSHUA BELL (www.joshuabell.com)

With more than 30 original albums to his credit, Grammy award winning violinist Joshua Bell has captured the public's attention like no other classical violinist of his time, enchanting audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare beauty, as performed on his legendary Stradivarius violin made in 1713. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader, Bell has earned countless awards and honors for his work as a concert stage performer and recording artist. On his latest CD, "At Home With Friends" the Sony Masterworks artist fulfills a life-long career dream of recording with a diverse roster of musicians including Chris Botti, Sting, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, Anoushka Shankar, Marvin Hamlisch, Tiempo Libre, among others.

Music from his new CD can be streamed at http://www.joshuabell.com/music/at-home-with-friends.

KATE VOEGELE (www.katevoegele.com/)

She's spent the last two years juggling life as a full-time singer-songwriter, part-time actress and a college student. In less than a year Voegele went from being a complete unknown to a TV star, and from a girl writing songs in her dorm room to a bonafide recording artist with legions of loyal fans. It was by virtue of her talent and sheer determination that Voegele scored the tie-in of a lifetime: playing the spunky Mia on popular teen drama One Tree Hill, but performing her own music. Thanks to that confluence of events, her MySpace Records debut, Don't Look Away, sold close to a quarter million copies, climbed to No. 4 on the iTunes chart and sent Voegele upstream to Interscope (which has a distribution partnership with MySpace). Now Voegele is seeing her musical wish list come true with A Fine Mess, her second serving of undeniable pop-rock charm, produced by Mike Elizondo (Maroon 5, Fiona Apple) available now. www.katevoegele.com. She is reprising her role in One Tree Hill this season and has a HEADLINING TOUR that kicked off in her hometown of Cleveland, OH on October 7th.

TAMELA MANN (www.tamelamann.com/website.htm)

TAMELA MANN co-star of Tyler Perry's MEET THE BROWNS television series on TBS just released her sophomore solo Gospel CD "The Master Plan" on TillyMann Music Group, distributed by Central South Distribution, recently debuting at #2 on the Billboard Gospel charts. MEET THE BROWNS, which just began its new season, is the #1 rated show for black audiences and the #1 rated series on TBS. Tamela and her co-star on MEET THE BROWNS, husband David Mann who plays Mr. Brown, have also appeared in Tyler Perry's movies Meet The Browns, Madea Goes To Jail and Diary of A Mad Black Woman. For more information please visit www.pressvillage.com/tamelamann.

VALERIE SMALDONE (www.valeriesmaldone.com/)

A five-time Billboard Magazine Award winner, Valerie is perhaps best known for her years of success holding the #1 position in the New York radio market as the midday host of New York's Lite FM, 106.7. In addition, she was a creator and host of 'Spotlight On,' a nationally syndicated radio program that featured in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting and Celine Dion. Valerie also conceived, produced and hosted a talk/music program geared toward women for Clear Channel on-line.

KYM JOHNSON

Kym Johnson has accomplishments in all styles of dance and has studied them since the age of three. After a successful career representing Australia in competitive ballroom dance, Kym was cast as an original 'Burn The Floor' member, touring worldwide for five years before joining Dancing With The Stars, Australia. After winning the Australian show, Kym was invited to join the US syndication of Dancing With The Stars and recently won the show with her partner Donny Osmond. Kym made her film debut in the hit Australian movie Strictly Ballroom.

FLIGHT CREW CHEERLEADERS

The New York Jets Flight Crew was created in 2007 to enhance the overall fan experience by infusing additional energy and enthusiasm to each home game. Members of the multi-talented, multi-purpose entertainment team are dancers, athletes and active participants in the Jets community. Whether they are performing a choreographed dance routine or appearing at New York Jets charity events, every member of the New York Jets Flight Crew is committed to excellence and serving as role models for Jets fans across the globe.

SOURCE: NYSE Euronext

NYSE Euronext Media Judy Shaw, 212-656-4290 Jshaw@nyx.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009