For Immediate Release
SEASON 48: SHINE
SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS ANNOUNCES 2025–26 PROGRAMMING WITH HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR CONCERTS;
A TOTALLY ‘80S TRIBUTE; A PRIDE CELEBRATION OF DOLLY!;
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SING FOR THE CURE; THE RETURN OF BROADWAY’S ANDREW LIPPA; A QUEER LUNAR NEW YEAR, AND MORE!
Tickets Now on Sale: www.sfgmc.org
SAN FRANCISCO (October 9, 2025) — The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) today announced programming for Season 48: SHINE, an exuberant lineup of concerts and special events that celebrate joy, community, and queer arLstry. The season features performances across Bay Area venues, along with an expanded slate of inLmate cabarets and musical evenings marking the third year of programming at The Chan NaLonal Queer Arts Center.
Highlights include the return of the very popular Holiday Spectacular; a high-energy Totally ‘80s tribute; a sparkling Pride salute to Dolly!; the return of Broadway’s Tony-nominated Andrew Lippa (& Friends); a fesLve Queer Lunar New Year celebraLon; and the milestone 25th anniversary concert of Sing for the Cure, featuring Broadway star Britney Coleman.
Commenting on the new programming, SFGMC Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg said, “This season, we radiate joy as our unapologetic selves. We celebrate the strength, resilience, and warmth of the LGBTQ+ community with the season’s theme—SHINE! Light, once emitted, never dissipates. Beaming with hope (and glitter!), we use our voices to highlight inclusion, community, and kindness. It is our moment to shine.”
SFGMC Chief ExecuLve Officer Christopher Verdugo added, “We are honored to conLnue building on the success of The Chan NaLonal Queer Arts Center, now entering its third year as a cultural home for queer performance and creaLvity. SHINE represents not just a concert season — it’s a celebraLon of the resilience, arLstry, and joy that define who we are.”
HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR
The holidays shine brightest with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Spectacular! Led by Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg, eight performances across four venues are planned for this cherished tradition that blends the warmth of festive classics with the sparkle of campy showstoppers, wrapping audiences in joy, laughter, and glitter. From heartfelt harmonies to over-the-top surprises, the Chorus brings hope, unity, and some much-needed razzle dazzle to the season! Gather your friends, family, and chosen families, because no Bay Area holiday is complete without this spectacular celebration of love and light.
Golden Gate Theatre, One Taylor Street, San Francisco Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 at 7.30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.
Tickets: starting at 35
Cal Performances Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets: $43 to $98
Green Music Center Sonoma State University, Weill Hall, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Tickets: $31 to $118
Home for the Holidays – Special Christmas Eve Edition
Davies Symphony Hall 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets: starting at $35
TOTALLY ’80S!
Mid-March 2026 Date, Venue and Ticket Details Coming Soon
Big Hair! Bigger Voices! The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus goes Totally ‘80s with this vivid flashback to a decade when music gave our community strength, joy, and resilience. From the protest anthems and power ballads to dance floor faves, this concert celebrates the artists and songs that carried us through hardship and inspired us to keep moving forward. Join SFGMC for a radical night of iconic tunes that defined a decade and continue to light the way forward today.
DOLLY! A Pride Show
Mid-June 2026 Date, Venue and Ticket Details Coming Soon
Rhinestones. Wigs. Heart. The icon, the legend, Dolly Parton is the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus muse for Pride 2026. She taught us how to be unapologetically ourselves, lead with kindness, and play a guitar with acrylics on. She’s inspired a new generation of misfits, dreams, and drag queens with her iconic looks, only to be outshined by her message of radical compassion. Did someone say “Dolly Look-Alike Contest?” Come dressed and ready to Shine!
The 2025–26 Concert Schedule at the Chan Center (additional events will be announced soon)
Sing For The Cure
Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Chan Center, 170 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Age Guidance: Ages 4+
Tickets: $50 Premium; $35 General Admission; purchase online www.sfgmc.org
Members of the SFGMC and Bay Area community, alongside narrator and sensational Broadway (Company, Sunset Boulevard, Tootsie, Beautiful) star, Britney Coleman, will perform Sing For The Cure in a special benefit concert! This groundbreaking work was originally commissioned in 2000 by former SFGMC Artistic Director, Tim
Seelig and remains a compelling evening of heartfelt stories and powerful music that will resonate with everyone. A portion of the net proceeds from the concert support Bay Area Cancer Connections.
Holiday Sing-Along
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Chan Center, 170 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Run Time: Approximately 80 minutes
Age Guidance: All ages welcome
Tickets: $25 (ages 13+); Free (age 12 and under); purchase online www.sfgmc.org
Join us for a joyful, all-voices-welcome Holiday Sing-Along! Led by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’s Artistic Director Jake Stensberg, the audience will belt out festive favorites and cozy classics, and as always, there will be a few surprises! Bring your friends, your best sweater, and your loudest CHEER! Lyrics provided, spirits lifted, hearts (and hot cocoa) warmed!
Andrew Lippa & Friends
Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 6 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. Chan Center, 170 Valencia Street, San Francisco Run Time: Approximately 80 minutes
Age Guidance: 21+
Tickets to be announced online at www.sfgmc.org
Broadway Tony-nominated composer and performer Andrew Lippa brings his genius back to San Francisco with Andrew Lippa & Friends. Known for the groundbreaking works I Am Harvey Milk and Unbreakable, Andrew will thrill audiences with songs, stories, and surprises at the piano. Featuring members of SFGMC and exciting guest artists, this will be an evening of music and community you don’t want to miss!
Queer Lunar New Year
Friday, February 20, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Chan Center, 170 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Run Time: Approximately 3 hours
Age Guidance: 21+ only
Tickets: $50 General Admission; purchase online www.sfgmc.org
This Lunar New Year, SFGMC is proud to partner with GAPA (GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance) in celebrating their 38th anniversary! The night promises vibrant entertainment, delicious flavors, and unforgettable performances that showcase the strength and beauty of our LGBTQ+ Asian Pacific community. Join us as we honor the Year of the Horse with the Bay’s best and brightest QTAPI (Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islander) voices.
’80s Sing-Along
Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Chan Center, 170 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Run Time: Approximately 80 minutes
Tickets: $25 (ages 13+); Free (age 12 and under); purchase online at www.sfgmc.org
Break out the neon and big hair – it’s time to belt your favorite hits at our totally rad ’80s Sing-Along! From pop anthems to rock ballads, we’ll relive the decade of synths, shoulder pads, and unforgettable hooks. Lyrics: provided. Vibes: electric. Dance floor: carpeted, but that’s the ’80s, baby! Join us for a night that’s all that!
CRESCENDO Gala
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 5 p.m.
Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco Tickets: starting at $450; purchase online www.sfgmc.org
Crescendo is the night where San Francisco shows up loud, proud, and unapologetically fabulous. Think glam looks, powerhouse performances by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and a ballroom buzzing with joy and purpose. Last year Crescendo raised over $1.3 million, helping SFGMC to shine as a beacon of light on stage, in schools, and throughout our community. This season, the Chorus will be celebrating 20 years of Crescendo. Grab your sequins and get ready for a night that’s nothing short of legendary.
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SFGMC proudly recognizes Main Stage Supporting Sponsors Janet Cluff, Steve Gallagher/Coldwell
Banker, Butch Merideth + Ivan Capanzana, and Chris Stevenson.
Home for the Holidays Presenting Sponsor Terrence D. Chan + Edward Sell in memory of Pansy L. Chan. Totally ‘80s Presenting Sponsor Richard Atkins and Cindy Samuels in honor of Bobby and Michael Kim.
ABOUT SFGMC
Founded in 1978, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sparked a naLonwide LGBTQ+ choral movement with its first public performance at a candlelight vigil on the steps of City Hall following the assassinaLons of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Since that auspicious moment, SFGMC has become an essenLal part of the cultural fabric of San Francisco and beyond—soothing souls in Lmes of pain, lising spirits in moments of triumph, and serving as a North Star of hope, resilience, joy and endless pride. SFGMC is the naLon’s first gay men’s chorus and currently has approximately 300 singers.
Under the leadership of Chief ExecuLve Officer Chris Verdugo and ArLsLc Director Jacob Stensberg, SFGMC has achieved new arLsLc heights and naLonal recogniLon. InnovaLve programming, bold commissions, and acclaimed recordings have broadened the Chorus’s impact, while naLonal and internaLonal tours—including the historic “Lavender Pen Tour,” Gay Chorus Deep South documentary tour, and the recent “Love Tour”—have amplified its mission far beyond the Bay Area.
SFGMC is also a leader in community engagement through educaLon and outreach programs that inspire and empower the next generaLon. In 2019, the Chorus acquired its first permanent home, a historic Art Deco facility in San Francisco’s Mission District, which now houses rehearsals, offices, and The Chan NaLonal Queer Arts Center. Officially opened on October 30, 2023, The Chan is the naLon’s first community arts hub dedicated to LGBTQ+ arLsts and organizaLons, ensuring that queer voices conLnue to thrive, create, and transform lives through the power of music and art. www.sfgmc.org
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