Season 45 to include the return of SFGMC’s much-anticipated annual holiday tradition; Disney PRIDE in Concert, featuring classic and contemporary songs from the Disney songbook; and Hello Yellow Brick Road, featuring songs from Elton John, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz, and more!
SAN FRANCISCO (September 20, 2022)—Today, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) announced the three-concert lineup that makes up the inaugural season of new Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. Featuring over 250 singers of the chorus, Season 45 kicks off with the return of SFGMC’s annual holiday tradition, Holiday Spectacular. In March 2023, SFGMC returns to Davies Symphony Hall for Disney PRIDE in Concert, featuring over 40 classic and contemporary songs from the Disney songbook. The season concludes in June 2023 with Hello Yellow Brick Road, featuring favorites from Elton John, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz, and more.
Conductor’s Society memberships (starting at donations of $120 or more) are available now at sfgmc.org/conductors-society. Member benefits include pre-sale opportunities, discounts, event invitations, and more. Single tickets will be available at a later date.
“We are beyond excited to present the inaugural season of new Artistic Director, Jacob Stensberg,” said SFGMC Chief Executive Officer Chris Verdugo. “Jake has carefully curated a season that embodies joy, magic, and a sense of the what’s to come for SFGMC as we follow our friends down the yellow brick road. At its heart, this season is about community, connection, and celebration.”
“Season 45 is a series of compelling, creative, expressive, and exciting performances that I am so excited to share with the community,” adds SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg. “We kick off with our Holiday Spectacular, which is as emotionally gripping as it is fun and fabulous. We will mount Disney PRIDE in Concert at Davies Symphony Hall in March. This show features over 40 of your favorite songs from the Disney songbook as well as captivating story lines from our own Chorus membership. We wrap up the season with Hello Yellow Brick Road, a celebration of all things Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Wicked, and of course, the Elton John songbook. We look forward to sharing our passion for music and our love for one another: these components have gotten us through 45 years of incredible history, and will be the building blocks of our "yellow brick road" that we use to guide us through the next 45 years.”
This December, SFGMC rings in the holiday season with its much-anticipated annual tradition, Holiday Spectacular. The music will be joyous, the costumes will be fabulous, and the dancing and special surprises will be thrilling. Audiences can expect the entertaining flair, fun, and heart that the Chorus always delivers. There will be holiday favorites, including Jingle Bells and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, classical choral works—including Sure on this Shining Night, and unexpected originals, including a holiday-themed Cher medley!
The Chorus also heralds new traditions with the world premiere performance of “Snow” by Ryan Garrett, winner of SFGMC’s inaugural Composition Competition. This new annual songwriting competition was designed to uplift local art and artists and inspire the creation of fresh new repertoire for the winter season. Each year, SFGMC will hold a call for entries encouraging composers to pen new seasonal TTBB works, accessible to Gay Men’s Choruses and TTBB choruses around the globe.
Says Stensberg: “The way in which Ryan evokes an emotional response to Walter de la Mare’s poetry through soaring melodies and lush harmonies makes him (and his music!) the perfect winner for our inaugural composition competition. We look forward to performing the world premiere in our Holiday Spectacular this December.”
Holiday Spectacular will take place on Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3, 2022 at San Francisco’s Sydney Goldstein Theater; Sunday, December 11, 2022 at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage; and Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Rohnert Park’s Green Music Center.
SFGMC’s annual Holiday Spectacular: Home for the Holidays returns to San Francisco’s iconic Castro Theatre for three performances on Saturday, December 24. On Christmas Eve 1990, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus gathered at the Castro Theatre to bring seasonal cheer to those who had no home to go to. Now in its 33rd year, Home for the Holidays has grown into a holiday tradition where families—both biological and chosen—gather for a night of joyous music and heartwarming festivities!
In the spring, get ready for hit songs from The Lion King, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Mulan, Hercules, Coco and so many more in our extraordinary spring production, Disney PRIDE in Concert. Disney has been dazzling audiences for 100 years—and SFGMC is proud to celebrate our 45th anniversary with some of the most-loved music in the world: the Disney songbook. Returning to Davies Symphony Hall, this two-act spectacular—featuring the 250-member of the chorus and a 25-piece orchestra—combines over 40 classic and contemporary Disney songs with unique storylines that come directly from SFGMC chorus members. Disney PRIDE in Concert will be held on Thursday, March 16 and Friday, March 17, 2023.
Closing out the season, SFGMC will present Hello Yellow Brick Road, a wild and wonderful celebration of not just how far we’ve come, but for all the dreams we’ve yet to achieve. The concert combines highlights from Elton John’s groundbreaking album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, marking its 50th anniversary, along with favorites from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Stephen Schwartz’s blockbuster musical - Wicked. This concert will support the Elton John AIDS Foundation, celebrating their 30th anniversary in their effort to end the AIDS epidemic. Hello Yellow Brick Roadwill take place on Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17, 2023 at the Sydney Goldstein Theater.
About SFGMC
Founded in 1978, SFGMC sparked a nationwide LGBTQ choral movement after its first public performance at a vigil on the steps of City Hall following the assassinations of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Since then, SFGMC has been embedded in the fabric of San Francisco. It has soothed souls in pain, lifted spirits in triumph, and has remained a steadfast beacon of hope.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Chris Verdugo and Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, SFGMC has established a heightened level of performance standards bringing renewed audience and choral industry acclaim. Recent touring schedules, recordings, and outreach programs have broadened its impact and reputation in the community while maintaining its signature blend of humor, personality and ground-breaking performances. In 2019, SFGMC acquired a historic facility that has become its permanent home for rehearsals and offices. The building also serves as The Chan National Queer Arts Center, the first-ever community space for LGBTQ artists and arts organizations.
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