Bay Area Musicals Presents its Holiday Fundraiser ONCE UPON A DECEMBER

Bay Area Musicals (Matthew McCoy, Founder & Artistic Director, and AeJay Mitchell, Managing Director) has announced the line-up of performers for the Company's first annual Holiday Benefit Fundraiser, ONCE UPON A DECEMBER - an evening celebrating family, community, and the Holiday season. This merry and bright holiday cabaret will star some of the Bay Area's best musical performers, including Jenny Angel (Seussical), Alissa Sanchez (The Wedding Singer), JESSE CORTEZ (Crazy for You) and Jack O'Reilly (La Cage Aux Folles, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), among many others (and perhaps even a special appearance by Mr. Claus himself)! Audiences will enjoy beautiful renditions of Yuletide and show tunes, while food and cocktails will be available to purchase.

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER will perform on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., followed by a second show on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. On both evenings, cocktails will be available prior to the performance (beginning at 6:30 p.m.), and both evenings will conclude with a post-performance after-party. Both performances will take place at San Francisco's Gateway Theatre (215 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111). Tickets range from $25 - $45 and can be purchased online at www.bamsf.org/once-upon-a-december.

"I can't believe we are already gearing up for our fifth anniversary season," said Bay Area Musicals Founder and Artistic Director, Matthew McCoy. "Time has certainly flown by since we began back in 2014. We want to ensure that our fifth season is as magical as possible, so we're hoping that our many friends and benefactors come out to celebrate the Holidays with us and raise funds to support the work onstage. There's no better time of year to put "on a show," as the saying goes; our aim is for ONCE UPON A DECEMBER to be a simple, festive, good old-fashioned celebration. Audiences will enjoy the best Holiday music - contemporary and classic - performed live by our best local actors. It will be friendly, fun and warm. I can't think of a better way to end the year and kick off a new one. We invite one and all to come, enjoy, and celebrate where we are and where we're going."

The talent line-up for ONCE UPON A DECEMBER includes many of the best musical performances in the San Francisco Bay Area (all of whom have been seen in Bay Area Musicals productions):

Jenny Angel (Seussical, The Wedding Singer)
Samantha Cardenas (42nd Street)
Danielle Cheiken (42nd Street, Crazy For You)
JESSE CORTEZ (Seussical, Crazy For You)
Andrea Denison Laufer (Seussical)
Ariela Morgenstern (Seussical)
Jack O'Reilly (La Cage Aux Folles, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Alissa Sanchez (The Wedding Singer)
Scott DiLorenzo (The Wedding Singer)
Julio Chavez (The Wedding Singer, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Patrick Brewer (La Cage Aux Folles, The Wedding Singer, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Crazy For You)

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER is generously sponsored by Fort Point Beer Co. and Went Winery. All proceeds benefit Bay Area Musicals. Bay Area Musicals' critically-acclaimed, smash-hit production of the new Gershwin musical comedy CRAZY FOR YOU concludes performances at San Francisco's Alcazar Theatre (650 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102) on Sunday, December 16. The Company's season will continue in 2019 with the Tony Award-nominated VIOLET (February 16 - March 17, 2019) and the Tony Award-winning Best Musical HAIRSPRAY (July 6 - August 11, 2019). VIOLET will perform at San Francisco's Alcazar Theatre (650 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94103) and HAIRSPRAY will perform at San Francisco's Victoria Theatre (2961 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103). Subscriptions to the 2018-2019 season are available now at www.bamsf.org.

Bay Area Musicals (BAM!) is a professional, non-profit theatre organization dedicated to presenting the highest-caliber of musical theatre in San Francisco. Founded in 2014, the Company strives to stimulate and inspire the San Francisco Bay Area community through high-caliber musical theater ranging from familiar classics to challenging new works; to produce professional musical theater at accessible ticket rates; and to engage the community through performance, outreach, and educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.bamsf.org.