San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Holiday Spectacular!
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 3pm
Hertz Hall
This program will be performed without intermission and last approximately 90 minutes.
From the Executive and Artistic Director
Like you, we at Cal Performances enjoy celebrating the holidays with those nearest and dearest to us, so it’s particularly pleasing to welcome you to a December performance this year. As 2024 draws to a close, we’ll enjoy return engagements with two renowned American dance companies, a particularly significant West Coast debut, and a family-friendly holiday concert with a beloved Bay Area artistic institution.
We start with three performances by the beloved Pilobolus dance company (Nov 30 – Dec 1, Zellerbach Hall [ZH]), which once again invites us to step into a realm where imagination knows no limits. In the troupe’s extraordinary re:CREATION retrospective production, the boundaries of gravity and creativity blur, offering an intimate window into the essence of the creative process.
Next, explosive tap dance meets hot jazz rhythms in the acclaimed Dorrance Dance’s intoxicating Nutcracker Suite production (Dec 14–15, ZH). Performed to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s inventive 1960 reinterpretation of the famous Tchaikovsky score, the brilliant Dorrance dancers boogie, slide, and dive through everyone’s favorite Christmas adventure.
In mid-December, Hertz Hall will host one of the most significant West Coast artistic debuts of the season. Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian—among the most electrifying performers of her generation—offers a special US recital, performing a wide selection of songs—“small pieces of opera in a few minutes,” she calls them—by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Grigorian is joined by her frequent collaborator, pianist Lukas Geniušas. (Dec 15, HH).
And finally, in a celebration perfect for the whole family, the beloved San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus returns for an encore performance of its annual Holiday Spectacular! (Dec 21, ZH). Don’t miss the fun as the storied ensemble pulls out all the stops for an extravaganza complete with holiday carols, satirical sketches, ugly Christmas sweaters, Santa outfits, and guest dancers and drag artists. Last season’s holiday concert sold out, so get your tickets now!
And there’s so much more to see this season! I encourage you to visit our website and check out our interactive season brochure that has been designed to provide the best possible reading experience; this dynamic new online tool has also been configured to map perfectly to your device, whether it’s desktop, laptop, or mobile.
As you explore the calendar, I recommend you give particular attention to our 2024–25 Illuminations theme of “Fractured History,” which continues to offer nuanced accounts and powerful new voices to enrich our understanding of the past and explore how our notions of history affect
our present and future. Programming this season includes the return of the multitalented South African stage and visual artist William Kentridge with the Bay Area premiere of his mind-expanding new chamber opera, The Great Yes, The Great No (March 14–16, ZH). (Berkeley audiences will fondly recall the US premiere of Kentridge’s remarkable SIBYL from March 2023, in addition to the many other performances and events that were part of his residency that season.)
I’m also delighted to recognize the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency, which will host three special performances with one of the towering artistic institutions of our time, the peerless Vienna Philharmonic, under preeminent conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (March 5–7, ZH) and joined by pianist Yefim Bronfman on March 7.
And lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our outstanding dance series, distinguished this year by Twyla Tharp Dance’s 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee (Feb 7–9, ZH), toasting the achievements that have made Tharp one of today’s most celebrated choreographers; highly anticipated performances with choreographer Ohad Naharin’s powerhouse Batsheva Dance Company (Feb 22–23, ZH); and the Cal Performances debut of the world-renowned Brazilian troupe Grupo Corpo (Apr 25–26, ZH).
I look forward to engaging with so many fresh artistic perspectives alongside you throughout the season. Together, we will witness how these experiences can move each one of us in the profound and unpredictable ways made possible only by the live performing arts.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
Like you, we at Cal Performances enjoy celebrating the holidays with those nearest and dearest to us, so it’s particularly pleasing to welcome you to a December performance this year. As 2024 draws to a close, we’ll enjoy return engagements with two renowned American dance companies, a particularly significant West Coast debut, and a family-friendly holiday concert with a beloved Bay Area artistic institution.
We start with three performances by the beloved Pilobolus dance company (Nov 30 – Dec 1, Zellerbach Hall [ZH]), which once again invites us to step into a realm where imagination knows no limits. In the troupe’s extraordinary re:CREATION retrospective production, the boundaries of gravity and creativity blur, offering an intimate window into the essence of the creative process.
Next, explosive tap dance meets hot jazz rhythms in the acclaimed Dorrance Dance’s intoxicating Nutcracker Suite production (Dec 14–15, ZH). Performed to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s inventive 1960 reinterpretation of the famous Tchaikovsky score, the brilliant Dorrance dancers boogie, slide, and dive through everyone’s favorite Christmas adventure.
In mid-December, Hertz Hall will host one of the most significant West Coast artistic debuts of the season. Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian—among the most electrifying performers of her generation—offers a special US recital, performing a wide selection of songs—“small pieces of opera in a few minutes,” she calls them—by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Grigorian is joined by her frequent collaborator, pianist Lukas Geniušas. (Dec 15, HH).
And finally, in a celebration perfect for the whole family, the beloved San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus returns for an encore performance of its annual Holiday Spectacular! (Dec 21, ZH). Don’t miss the fun as the storied ensemble pulls out all the stops for an extravaganza complete with holiday carols, satirical sketches, ugly Christmas sweaters, Santa outfits, and guest dancers and drag artists. Last season’s holiday concert sold out, so get your tickets now!
And there’s so much more to see this season! I encourage you to visit our website and check out our interactive season brochure that has been designed to provide the best possible reading experience; this dynamic new online tool has also been configured to map perfectly to your device, whether it’s desktop, laptop, or mobile.
As you explore the calendar, I recommend you give particular attention to our 2024–25 Illuminations theme of “Fractured History,” which continues to offer nuanced accounts and powerful new voices to enrich our understanding of the past and explore how our notions of history affect
our present and future. Programming this season includes the return of the multitalented South African stage and visual artist William Kentridge with the Bay Area premiere of his mind-expanding new chamber opera, The Great Yes, The Great No (March 14–16, ZH). (Berkeley audiences will fondly recall the US premiere of Kentridge’s remarkable SIBYL from March 2023, in addition to the many other performances and events that were part of his residency that season.)
I’m also delighted to recognize the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency, which will host three special performances with one of the towering artistic institutions of our time, the peerless Vienna Philharmonic, under preeminent conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin (March 5–7, ZH) and joined by pianist Yefim Bronfman on March 7.
And lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our outstanding dance series, distinguished this year by Twyla Tharp Dance’s 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee (Feb 7–9, ZH), toasting the achievements that have made Tharp one of today’s most celebrated choreographers; highly anticipated performances with choreographer Ohad Naharin’s powerhouse Batsheva Dance Company (Feb 22–23, ZH); and the Cal Performances debut of the world-renowned Brazilian troupe Grupo Corpo (Apr 25–26, ZH).
I look forward to engaging with so many fresh artistic perspectives alongside you throughout the season. Together, we will witness how these experiences can move each one of us in the profound and unpredictable ways made possible only by the live performing arts.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
A message from the Company
Hello, and Happy Holidays! Welcome to our second annual performance of Holiday Spectacular at Cal Performances! We are beyond thrilled to celebrate this magical season with you, our beloved audience, in an unforgettable night of music, joy, and togetherness. This event marks a time when we come together to reflect, celebrate, and renew the spirit of community that is at the heart of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
Tonight, we are reminded of the incredible power of music to bring us closer and uplift us. As you look around, know that this joyful gathering at UC Berkeley is made possible by people like you—people who champion the arts, support LGBTQ+ voices, and believe in the transformative power of music. Your support allows our singers to bring forward not only their talents but also their authentic selves. Each performance is an opportunity to inspire, comfort, and unite, and it’s your generosity that sustains our mission and helps us reach new hearts each year.
In a year when the arts continue to face challenges, your presence here tonight carries extra meaning. By being here, you are a part of preserving a rich legacy of musical expression and social change. Your support ensures that the Bay Area continues to be a beacon of artistic freedom, creativity, and acceptance.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tradition with us, for celebrating diversity, and for making our work possible. It is our sincere wish that tonight’s performance brings light, laughter, and warmth into your hearts and homes this season.
With gratitude and all our best wishes,
—Chris Verdugo, CEO
Jacob Stensberg, Artistic Director & Conductor