Ilana Keller

@ilanakeller

There are plenty of holiday tunes that yearn for an old-fashioned Christmas.

But Ben Rauch's vision eschews mistletoe, holly and snow in favor of malls, hairspray and sand.

"Jersey Christmas," a holiday song that celebrates all things Garden State, is the latest offering from the Marlboro native.

Among Rauch's credits are appearances in HBO's "Girls" and "Gossip Girl" and the films "The Bronze" and "Jersey Boys," as well as extensive theater and voiceover work.

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The "Jersey Christmas" music video, an infectious blend of kitsch, nostalgia and Jersey 'tude, opens with Rauch piloting a DeLorean back to the 1980s Jersey Shore.

"When I was growing up, the old-fashioned time was the '50s and '60s. Now, looking back, the '80s, that was the good old time," Rauch said. "I think it was a great time for New Jersey. It was when Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi came out, and Frankie Valli was still going strong, John Travolta and Danny DeVito and all these fellow New Jerseyans were at their peak. I love the '80s and 'Back to the Future' and we just thought if we can get a DeLorean and go back in time to New Jersey, in the ‘80s, during Christmastime, that would be wacky and fun."

WATCH THE VIDEO:

The video was filmed at iconic Jersey hotspots including Asbury Park's Stone Pony and Silverball Museum.

The song was co-written by Gaby Gold, who cameos in the video as Mrs. Claus. Its nods to EZ-Pass, Jersey diners and the Turnpike as well as Jersey's cultural icons will have you smiling and shaking your head.

Skee-Ball also makes its way into the video, a nod to Rauch's fond memories of summers on the boardwalk.

"We would go to Keansburg all the time," he said. "There was this french fry stand right near the haunted house. That french fry stand was just the best in the world. I can still taste those french fries. And going to Asbury Park and the pizza there and the Skee-Ball and playing those games and getting those tickets. And getting like one little toy for 500 tickets."

Rauch grew up around the Shore's community theater scene, musical directing and playing in the pit for groups including the Marlboro Players and Red Bank's Phoenix Productions, among others.

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Talent runs in the family — his sister Melissa plays Bernadette on TV's mega-hit "The Big Bang Theory," and their mom also has deep theater roots in the area, currently working with Matawan's Spotlight Players.

"Jersey has a lot of great community theaters," Rauch said. "We're really blessed."

Rauch's love for New Jersey was evident following superstorm Sandy when he released a song called "The Water's Edge," with proceeds going toward storm relief.

"We wanted to help with the rebuilding efforts and make people aware," he said.

It also will shine through in his debut album, a full-length feature that will be called "Tales from the Turnpike," which will include "Jersey Christmas."

"It will be all comedy music, pop rock comedy music. Everything has a comedic twist to it," Rauch said.

Visit BenRauchSite.com and Facebook.com/BenRauchUpdates for more information.

In the meantime, Rauch hopes "Jersey Christmas" will bring a few more smiles into the world.

"There’s so many negative things going on in the world and we really just wanted to make people happy and make people laugh and bring people together," he said. "Even if you’re not from New Jersey, there’s something special about the state."

The song is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

Ilana Keller: 732-643-4260; ikeller@gannettnj.com