MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY…ER
The San Francisco Symphony has a full holiday season of great music. There’s a youth symphony concert, an evening of chamber music, classics such as Handel’s Messiah, and Peter & The Wolf. Popular entertainers such as Harry Conick Jr. and Seth McFarlane are performing. Ever popular shows are featured such as Elf and How The Grinch Stole Christmas and their soundtracks are performed. One of the newer programs, going on its fifth year is Holiday Gaiety: The Concert featuring popular conductor Edwin Outwater and local favorite drag performer Peaches Christ as the co-emcees. They, accompanied by The San Francisco Symphony, play host to various performers from local comedian Marga Gomez, drag performers Sister Roma and Monet X Change, and singers Jimmie Herrod, and Nikola Printz. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus lends their considerable vocal talents to back everything up.
Peaches Christ and Edwin Outwater. Photo by Cabure Bonugli.
All the performers are part of the LGBTQ+ community, hence the title: “Holiday Gaiety”. Peaches Christ is the quintessential hostess with the mostess, introducing all the acts, while bantering back and forth with Conductor Edwin Outwater. The show reminds me of old variety shows from the 70’s and 80’s like “The Carol Burnett Show”, “Sonny & Cher”, or “Donny & Marie” with more double entrendres and some sexual innuendo not so hidden.
Sister Roma from The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Nikola Printz’s great operatic voice was powerful but what really amazed the audience was her pirouetting in the air with her trapeze act. RuPaul’s Drag race runner up Monet X Change’s sassy banter could keep up with Peaches. She also impressed the audience with her energetic vocal talents. Sister Roma gave Peaches a run for her money with her fierce wit. Pink Martini’s Jimmie Herrod closed out the show giving Mariah Carey some threatening competition with his rendition of “All I Want for Christmas”. With all the singing, dancing and hilarious skits, Holiday Gaiety has become a new annual favorite for me.
Nikola Printz
