Past Seasons

Programs, performances and highlights from seasons past.
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Past concert programs

Browse programs from past seasons to explore the music, artists and people who shaped our performances.

Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg

A season built on the idea that light, once shared, never fades. SHINE paired big stage productions with a full calendar of community programming at The Chan, closing with a Pride tribute to Dolly Parton and a set at Outside Lands.

Performances

  • December 12–13, 2025Holiday SpectacularGolden Gate Theatre, San Francisco
  • December 20, 2025Holiday SpectacularCal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
  • December 21, 2025Holiday SpectacularGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • December 24, 2025Home for the HolidaysDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • March 21, 2026Totally ’80s!Curran Theatre, San Francisco
  • June 6, 2026Dolly! A Pride ShowGreen Music Center, Weill Hall, Rohnert Park
  • June 13, 2026Dolly! A Pride ShowCurran Theatre, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Sing for the Cure, a 25th-anniversary concert for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at The Chan (October 30, 2025)
  • Chan programming including a Holiday Sing-Along, Andrew Lippa & Friends, Queer Lunar New Year and an ’80s Sing-Along
  • Crescendo gala at the Westin St. Francis (April 25, 2026)
  • Shine On: An Ensemble Showcase with HomoPhonics, The Lollipop Guild, Aftershock (GMCLA) and Cascade (Portland Gay Men’s Chorus) at The Chan (May 30, 2026)
  • Performed at Outside Lands, opening Day Three on the Lands End Stage in Golden Gate Park (August 9, 2026)

Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg

A season about community and resilience that honored San Francisco’s progressive legacy, from a Holiday Spectacular across the Bay Area to a Pride concert uplifting trans and nonbinary communities.

Performances

  • December 6–7, 2024Holiday SpectacularSydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco
  • December 15, 2024Holiday SpectacularGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • December 21, 2024Holiday SpectacularCal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
  • December 24, 2024Home for the Holidays (35th annual)Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • March 29, 2025Broadway, Our WayCurran Theatre, San Francisco
  • June 7, 2025The Pride Concert with Justin TranterGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • June 21, 2025The Pride Concert with Justin TranterCurran Theatre, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Home for the Holidays moved to Davies Symphony Hall while the Castro Theatre was renovated
  • Crescendo gala at the Westin St. Francis (April 5, 2025)
  • Closed the season on stage with Big Freedia in front of hundreds of thousands at Pride

Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg

The first season in the chorus’s permanent home, The Pansy L. Chan and Terrence D. Chan National Queer Arts Center, celebrating self-worth and community through love songs, drag and a second collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony.

Performances

  • December 8–9, 2023Holiday SpectacularSydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco
  • December 16, 2023Holiday SpectacularGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • December 17, 2023Holiday SpectacularCal Performances, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
  • December 24, 2023Home for the HolidaysCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • March 28, 2024Drag Me to the Movies with Lady CamdenDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • June 18, 2024All We Need Is Love with the San Francisco SymphonyDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Grand opening of The Chan (October 2023), with the chorus’s first rehearsals and performances in its new home, including two sold-out cabarets: Love Songs (and Other Myths) and Our Favorite Things
  • Memory Keepers Initiative conversations with queer elders
  • Crescendo raised over $1 million for the first time
  • The Love Tour to Iowa City, Omaha and Des Moines (July 7–9, 2024)

Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg

Jacob Stensberg’s inaugural season as Artistic Director, celebrating joy, magic and community. It included the world premiere of “Snow” by Ryan Garrett, winner of SFGMC’s first Composition Competition.

Performances

  • October 1, 2022Fabulous and Forbidden Broadway (HomoPhonics and The Lollipop Guild)Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, Sebastopol
  • December 2–3, 2022Holiday SpectacularSydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco
  • December 11, 2022Holiday SpectacularFreight & Salvage, Berkeley
  • December 17, 2022Holiday SpectacularGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • December 24, 2022Home for the HolidaysCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • March 16–17, 2023Disney PRIDE in Concert (Bay Area premiere)Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • July 19, 2023Hello Yellow Brick Road with the San Francisco SymphonyDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Crescendo at the Four Seasons, where Mayor London Breed received the inaugural Nancy Pelosi Ally Award (April 22, 2023)
  • Hello Yellow Brick Road marked 50 years of Elton John’s album and supported the Elton John AIDS Foundation

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

The chorus’s return to live performance and Dr. Timothy Seelig’s final season, capped by his farewell concert with the San Francisco Symphony and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.

Performances

  • December 18, 2021Holigays Are Here…AgainGreen Music Center, Rohnert Park
  • December 19, 2021Holigays Are Here…AgainFreight & Salvage, Berkeley
  • April 10, 2022Voices Rising: Songs of the PhoenixDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • May 19, 2022Fabulous and Forbidden Broadway (HomoPhonics and The Lollipop Guild)Freight & Salvage, Berkeley
  • May 21, 2022Fabulous and Forbidden Broadway (HomoPhonics and The Lollipop Guild)Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco
  • July 13, 2022Final WordsDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Home for the Holidays at the Castro Theatre (December 24, 2021) was cancelled after COVID-19 cases were found in the chorus
  • Songs of the Phoenix, a new song cycle curated by Andrew Lippa with 13 composers and lyricists including Stephen Sondheim and Stephen Schwartz, was released by Broadway Records
  • Crescendo at the Four Seasons honoring BD Wong and Dr. Timothy Seelig (April 8, 2022)
  • Jacob Stensberg was named the next Artistic Director (April 2022)

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

A fully virtual season during the COVID-19 pandemic, streamed free on SFGMC TV.

Performances

  • October 17, 2020It’s Our Birthday (virtual), with Kristin Chenoweth and the premiere of Andrew Lippa’s “What Will We Hear?”Online, SFGMC TV
  • December 24, 2020(At) Home for the Holidays, the 30th anniversary (virtual)Online, SFGMC TV
  • March 11, 2021Angels (virtual), marking 30 years of the AIDS requiem “When We No Longer Touch”Online, SFGMC TV

Highlights

  • Chasten Buttigieg received an inspiration award for his LGBTQ youth advocacy at It’s Our Birthday
  • Crescendo: Voices Rising was held virtually, honoring Rita Moreno, LeAnn Rimes and Terrance Kelly (April 22, 2021)
  • A virtual Pride concert closed the season
  • The chorus opened membership to trans, nonbinary and female singers who sing tenor and bass (2021)

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

A season that opened with the national release of the documentary “Gay Chorus Deep South” and was cut short by the COVID-19 shutdown.

Performances

  • December 6–7, 2019Holigays Are Here: Ring Them BellsSydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2019Holigays Are Here: Home for the Holidays, 30th annualCastro Theatre, San Francisco

Highlights

  • “Gay Chorus Deep South” was released by MTV Documentary Films (fall 2019), including a sing-and-screen event in Sonoma
  • Jon Sims’ piano came home to the chorus (November 2019)
  • The COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 ended the season’s live concerts

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

The chorus returned to St. Ignatius Church 37 years after being turned away there, celebrated the British invasion at Davies Symphony Hall and closed with a tribute to queens of every kind.

Performances

  • October 26, 2018TributeSt. Ignatius Church, San Francisco
  • December 7–8, 2018Brassy & SassySydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2018Home for the HolidaysCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • March 22, 2019The Brits Are ComingDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • June 22–23, 2019QueensSydney Goldstein Theater, San Francisco

Highlights

  • SFGMC’s Artists Portal was announced for the National AIDS Memorial Grove (October 2018)
  • The RHYTHM youth music education program launched in Bay Area schools
  • SFGMC announced the purchase of 170 Valencia Street, the future Chan National Queer Arts Center (January 2019)
  • “Gay Chorus Deep South” won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival (2019)

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

The 40th season began with the Lavender Pen Tour through the American South and ended with the world premiere of Andrew Lippa’s “Unbreakable,” a musical history of the gay experience in America.

Performances

  • September 30, 2017Lavender Pen Tour Kick-Off ConcertGrace Cathedral, San Francisco
  • December 8–9, 2017ElfstravaganzaNourse Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2017Home for the HolidaysCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • March 29, 2018BridgesDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • June 22–23, 2018Unbreakable (world premiere)Nourse Theater, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Lavender Pen Tour with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (October 7–15, 2017): concerts in Jackson, MS; Birmingham, AL; Knoxville, TN; Greenville, SC; and Charlotte, NC, plus nearly 30 community appearances
  • The tour became the documentary “Gay Chorus Deep South”
  • Released the album “40”

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

A season rooted in community, from a return to the Castro to being named Community Grand Marshal of San Francisco Pride.

Performances

  • December 9–10, 2016Babes in JoylandNourse Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2016Home for the HolidaysCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • March 30–April 1, 2017Paradise FoundHerbst Theatre, San Francisco
  • June 16–17, 2017The Gay Kitchen SinkNourse Theater, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Performed at the U.S. Navy’s naming ceremony for the USNS Harvey Milk (September 2016)
  • Outreach holiday concerts and a video response to the 2016 election
  • Crescendo, the signature fundraiser (March 12, 2017)
  • Named Community Grand Marshal for SF Pride 2017

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

A season of surprises that told the stories of San Francisco’s LGBTQ heroes and ended with the biggest boy band ever.

Performances

  • December 11–12, 2015Holigays Are HereNourse Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2015Home for the Holidays, 25th anniversaryCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • April 14–15, 2016Tales of Our City: Our Lives, Our HeroesDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • June 16–17, 2016Heartthrobs: Biggest Boy Band EverNourse Theater, San Francisco

Highlights

  • Crescendo Turns 10, with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (October 11, 2015)
  • Holiday shows in Santa Rosa, Walnut Creek and Berkeley
  • Holiday partnership with the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy raised $30,378.32
  • Valentine’s Day concert in Utah (February 2016)
  • Released the albums “Passion: Song of Love and Life” (July 2015) and “Festive!: Four Years of Favorites” (November 2015)
  • Christopher Verdugo was appointed Executive Director (June 2016)

Artistic Director Dr. Timothy Seelig

A season of new music, including the premiere of Ola Gjeilo’s “New Year’s Carol,” the Bay Area premiere of Jake Heggie’s “For a Look or a Touch” and the world premiere of James Eakin’s “#twitterlieder.”

Performances

  • December 12–13, 2014Dancers, Prancers & Vixens!Nourse Theater, San Francisco
  • December 24, 2014Home for the Holidays, 25th annualCastro Theatre, San Francisco
  • April 1–2, 2015PassionDavies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
  • June 26–27, 2015Elton: The Sing-AlongNourse Theater, San Francisco

Highlights

  • World Series 2014 friendly wager with the Heartland Men’s Chorus (October 2014)

For previous season playbills, please contact the office at info@sfgmc.org.

Keep exploring

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