Review: SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN'S CHORUS HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2024 at Sydney Goldstein Theater

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Spectacular 2024

Sydney Goldstein Theater

San Francisco, California

December 6, 2024

It just wouldn’t be the holidays in San Francisco without the annual offering of cheer, acceptance, tolerance, and love by the world-renowned vocal jewel. With a theme of “Together,” the evening celebrated the chorus and LGBTQ+ community’s stand against hate and fear through compassion and courage. The chorus’ mission bravely takes them on tours throughout the deep south (Lavendar Pen Tour 2017) and recently the Midwest (The Love Tour 2024) to combat anti discriminatory legislation and increase LGBTQ+ visibility. Under the direction of Jacob Stensberg, the 300+ member chorus delivered what we come to expect- an evening of joy, soaring harmonies, and plenty of humor.

Holiday songs get those special arrangements that highlight the music’s possibilities: “Silver Bells,” “Let It Snow,” and Winter Wonderland” are raised to celestial proportions. Chosen amongst  many composers, Daniel Hughes “A Winter’s Breath” was a serene contemplation on the beauty of a winter’s night, and  John Williams and  Leslie Bricusse’s “Somewhere in My Memory”, sung by a choral subset (The Lollipop Guild) from the film Home Alone, is a lullaby to childhood memories.

Based on a speech by LGBTQ+ icon Cleve Jones, “Don’t Take It for Granted” is a special collaboration by the chorus’ Joseph Shapiro and singer/songwriter Holly Near enjoining us to remember to stay strong, stay proud and stay beautiful. Empowering and the political join with wild humor in every show. Comic performances included Flory Jagodas’ “Ocho Kandelikas” (as performed by Idina Menzel), a crazy out of numerical order “12 Days of Christmas”, and “Wrap Me Up” (Jimmy Fallon, Meghan Trainor, Sean Douglas, and Gian Stone).

I always wait for the transcendent moments when seeing the SFGMC, a piece that can transport and lift you to great heights. Their performance of composer Nicholas Ryan Kelly’s “Cold Moon” was that goosebump moment. Written as a Christmas song for people that hate Christmas songs, the choruses units of Tenor I, Tenor II, Baritone, Bass (TTBB) interweave such beautiful harmonies that the secular becomes almost celestial. Similar beauty was evoked with a sign language version of “Silent Night.” The only sound coming from the hand movements of the three hundred members became a moment of introspection and inner silence. The finale, “Celine Navidad,” was a wild Celine Dion fueled Nativity tableau that puts the gay in the sacred. A fitting finale to balance the sublime with the ridiculous.