In This Program
The Concert
Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Monday, December 22, 2025, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Ming Luke conducting
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
David J. Xiques guest director
San Francisco Symphony
Jerry Herman
“We Need a Little Christmas”
Vince Guaraldi
(arr. David Benoit)
Peanuts Symphony
Good Grief Medley
Red Baron
Peppermint Patty Goes to Pebble Beach
Grace and Happiness
Good Sport Medley
You’re in Love, Charlie Brown
Groovin’ Snoopy Medley
Pumpkin Medley
Woodstock’s Medley
Vince Guaraldi
(arr. Tedd Firth and David Benoit)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Traditional
(arr. Kennedy)
Christmas Sing-along
Deck the Hall
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
This concert is presented without intermission.
Lead support for the San Francisco Symphony Chorus this season is provided through a visionary gift from an anonymous donor.
A Charlie Brown Christmas—LIVE!
Ming Luke, Conductor
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
David Xiques, Guest Chorus Director
San Francisco Symphony
Jason and Sean Mendelson, Music Producers, A Vince Guaraldi Peanuts Symphony
Natasha Adorlee, Creative Producer and Choreographer
Liza Gennaro, Director and Choreographer, Charlie Brown Christmas
Elena Zahlmann, Stage Director, Charlie Brown Christmas
Nancy Foreman, Wardrobe Supervisor
Cathleen Edwards, Wardrobe Consultant
Actors/Dancers
Michael Covert, Narrator
Michael Starr, Dancer (Charlie Brown)
Marco Ramos, Dancer (Linus)
Kelsey McFalls, Dancer (Lucy)
Juliann Witt, Dancer (Sally)
Natasha Adorlee, Dancer (Snoopy)
Keon Saghari, Dancer (Charlie’s Gang/Tree)
Erik Debono, Dancer (Charlie’s Gang)
Nik Korkos, Dancer (Charlie’s Gang)
Jenelle Gearlan, Dancer (Boa Tree)
Allie Papazian, Dancer (Point Tree)
Jackie McConnell, Dancer (Point Tree)
Isaac Bates Vinueza, First Act Male Dancer
Alexander Vincent, Narrator (Charlie)
Sydney Fu, Narrator (Lucy)
Henry Wu, Narrator (Linus)
James Coniglio, Schroeder
Chloe Heaton, Sad Tree
Jessie Rice, Woodstock
Peanuts Symphony: All arrangements © 2022 Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. (BMI). “Good Sport Medley” and “Groovin Snoopy Medley” © 2025 Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. (BMI).
A Charlie Brown Christmas Courtesy of Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez Productions © 2025 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. All rights reserved used with permission. Music from A Charlie Brown Christmas: All compositions written by Vince Guaraldi, except “Christmas Time is Here” written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi. Published by Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc © 1964, 65 et al. and Renewed. International Copyright Secured. All rights reserved.
“Just Like Me” by Lee Mendelson and David Benoit. Published by Songs of Universal, Inc., David Benoit Music and Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc. All rights for David Benoit Music are controlled and administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Artists
Ming Luke
Ming Luke serves as music director and principal conductor of the Nashville Ballet, education director for the Berkeley Symphony, and music director for the Las Cruces (New Mexico) Symphony, Merced Symphony, and Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra. He has also appeared with San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet Orchestra, San Diego Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Bolshoi Orchestra, and collaborated with leading choreographers including Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, Cathy Marston, Benjamin Millepied, and David Dawson. His recent performances at Classical Tahoe were broadcast on PBS, and as a pianist, he has soloed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He made his San Francisco Symphony debut with a virtual Chinese New Year concert in January 2021 and made his live debut in December 2023.
Luke has been recognized nationally for his work in music education and has designed and conducted more than 150 education concerts and programs with organizations including the Berkeley Symphony, Houston Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, and San Francisco Opera. He has served on grant panels for the National Endowment of the Arts and the Grants and Cultural Committee of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. He holds a master of fine arts in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor of music in music education and piano pedagogy from Westminster Choir College.
Sean and Jason Mendelson
Sean and Jason Mendelson (Music Producers) are the children of Lee Mendelson, the producer of A Charlie Brown Christmas and all the classic Peanuts specials and films. In 1963, Lee Mendelson hired Vince Guaraldi to score Mendelson’s documentary on Charles Schulz, and the next year to score A Charlie Brown Christmas. Guaraldi wrote and performed all the Peanuts animation music until his untimely passing in 1976. Mendelson also wrote the lyrics to Guaraldi’s holiday standard “Christmas Time is Here,” for A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Sean and Jason Mendelson, who also provided the voices for some of the characters in Peanuts specials, have now embarked on a musical journey to honor both Guaraldi and their father. They have produced the last seven Guaraldi Peanuts soundtracks, all achieving Top 10 status on Billboard’s Jazz Album chart. These premiere soundtrack releases include A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, and It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown, all from the last few years.
Sean and Jason are honored to be stewards of Guaraldi’s fantastic Peanuts melodies. They worked with David Benoit, the legendary jazz pianist and Guaraldi torch-bearer, to arrange these symphonic versions of these timeless themes. They are thrilled to work with the San Francisco Symphony to introduce families to these jazzy classical arrangements.
Natasha Adorlee
Natasha Adorlee (Creative Producer and Choreographer, Snoopy)is an Emmy Award–winning choreographer, filmmaker, composer, and dancer based in San Francisco. She was the final artistic fellow with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery and has performed with Robert Moses’s KIN, ODC/Dance, and Kate Weare & Co. Since winning 10 international awards for her short film Take Your Time in 2018, Adorlee has established herself across multiple fields. Her commissions include Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works, Kansas City Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet, BalletX, Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet II, Ceprodac, Ballare Carmel, Ballet22, and Arizona Ballet II. Beyond the stage, she has created original works for Pixar Animation Studios, Oculus, National Geographic, and The New Yorker. Adorlee founded Concept o4 to expand access to dance through multimedia experiences. She is the recipient of the Grand Prize at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival, a Jacob’s Pillow Fellowship, and a 2025 National Choreographers Initiative selection.
Liza Gennaro
Liza Gennaro (Director and Choreographer) is a choreographer and dance writer. Her book Making Broadway Dance, published by Oxford University Press, was released in 2021. On Broadway, she choreographed the critically acclaimed revival of The Most Happy Fella directed by Gerald Gutierrez and the revival of Once Upon a Mattress starring Sarah Jessica Parker. She choreographed Roundabout Theater Company’s Tin Pan Alley Rag and has choreographed extensively in regional theaters across the country and two consecutive seasons of musicals at the Saint Louis “Muny” Opera. She is currently dean of musical theatre at Manhattan School of Music.
Elena Zahlmann
Elena Zahlmann (Stage Director) joined New York Theatre Ballet in 2000, first as a dancer and then continuing as associate artistic director. She currently serves as associate director of New York Theatre Ballet School. As a principal dancer, she has been featured in works by Frederick Ashton, Merce Cunningham, Agnes de Mille, José Límon, Jerome Robbins, and Antony Tudor. She has originated roles in premieres by contemporary choreographers Richard Alston, Nicolo Fonte, Clove Galilee, Liza Gennaro, Keith Michael, Matthew Neenan, David Parker, Marco Pelle, and Pam Tanowitz.
Nancy Foreman
Nancy Foreman (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a seasoned costume and wardrobe professional known for her extensive work in theater, film, and television, including touring Broadway shows. She has contributed to a wide range of productions, serving in roles such as costume supervisor, costumer, key seamstress, and star dresser. She has supervised close to 15 semi-staged productions for the San Francisco Symphony. She has been involved with Charlie Brown Christmas since 2014, and is a member of IATSE, Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local 784.
Michael Covert
Michael Covert (Narrator) is a singer, actor, and pianist who studied musical theater at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Denver. He has performed in presentations of Big Band Beat, Little Miss Sunshine, Bonnie & Clyde, The 3 Little Pigs, Forever Plaid, and Post Office.
Michael Starr
Michael Starr (Charlie Brown) can be seen in episodes of Disney+’s Encore! and Eric Andre’s Bad Trip on Netflix. Select past credits include Come Fall in Love at the Old Globe, Romy & Michele at 5th Avenue Theater, Mamma Mia! and A Chorus Line at the Hollywood Bowl, and shows with the Goodspeed Opera House, Phoenix Theater Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, Disneyland, Hartford Stage, LA Opera, Musical Theater West, 3D Theatricals, and La Mirada Theater.
Marco Ramos
Marco Ramos (Linus) is a bicoastal actor, dancer, and singer. A graduate of UCLA’s Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program, he has performed Off-Broadway and with companies such as the La Jolla Playhouse, the W Hotel in Hollywood, San Francisco Symphony, and more. He recently appeared nationally in the tour of The Little Mermaid as Flounder, and at the Hollywood Bowl in Monty Python’s Spamalot with Eric Idle, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Craig Robinson, and Christian Slater.
Kelsey McFalls
Kelsey McFalls (Lucy) trained at American Ballet Theater, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and American Repertory Ballet. She has worked with PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Company C, Peninsula Ballet Theater, Kambara+Dancers, American Contemporary Ballet, and American Repertory Ballet.
Juliann Witt
Juliann Witt (Sally) began her training at the California Academy of Performing Arts and has danced with DTSF, Nol Simonse, Bellwether Dance Project, Fullstop Dance, Concept o4, RAWdance, Garrett + Moulton Productions, and Robert Moses’s KIN.
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
The San Francisco Symphony Chorus was established in 1973 at the request of Seiji Ozawa, then the Symphony’s Music Director. The Chorus, numbering 32 professional and more than 120 volunteer members, now performs more than 26 concerts each season. Jenny Wong was named Chorus Director in September 2023.
The Chorus can be heard on many acclaimed San Francisco Symphony recordings and has received Grammy Awards for Best Performance of a Choral Work (for Orff’s Carmina burana, Brahms’s German Requiem, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8) and Best Classical Album (for a Stravinsky collection and for Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 and Symphony No. 8).
David J. Xiques
Guest chorus director David J. Xiques is the former assistant director for the San Francisco Symphony Chorus where he also sang professionally as a member of AGMA from 1993–2022. He is professor of music at San Francisco State University and a former instructor at the Kodály Summer Certification Program at New York University. Xiques has prepared the SF Symphony Chorus for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Orff’s Carmina burana, Handel’s Messiah, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. He conducted the Chorus onstage in Davies Symphony Hall for the 2016 Día de los Muertos concert. His students from SFSU twice sang with the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra in performances of Holst’s The Planets and have joined the SF Symphony and Chorus in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
SOPRANOS
Elaine Abigail
Adeliz Araiza
Morgan Balfour*
Cheryl Cain*
Laura Canavan
Sarita Nyasha Cannon
Phoebe Chee*
Andrea Drummond
Tonia D’Amelio*
Elizabeth Emigh
Cara Gabrielson*
Susanna Gilbert
Julia Hall
Hyun Suk Jang
Kyounghee Lee
Ellen Leslie*
Jennifer Mitchell*
Bethany R. Procopio
Hallie Randel
Natalia Salemmo*
Meredith Riekse
ALTOS
Nicole Daamen
Marina Davis*
Corty Fengler
Stacey L. Helley
Cathleen Josaitis
Joyce Lin-Conrad
Madi Lippmann
Margaret (Peg) Lisi*
Brielle Marina Neilson*
Tiffany Ou-Ponticelli
Leandra Ramm*
Linda J. Randall
Jeanne Schoch
Kathryn Schumacher
Sandy Sellin
Meghan Spyker*
Kyle S. Tingzon*
Mayo Tsuzuki
Merilyn Telle Vaughn*
Heidi L. Waterman*
TENORS
Justin Chandler Baptista
Carl A. Boe
Alexander P. Bonner
Todd Bradley
Seth Brenzel*
Dean Christman
Christian Emigh
Sam Faustine*
Patrick Fu
Kevin Gibbs*
Michael Jankosky*
Benjamin Liupaogo*
Joachim Luis*
David von Bargen
Jack Wilkins*
John Paul Young
BASSES
Matthew Ahn
Simon Barrad*
Robert Calvert
Adam Cole*
James Radcliffe Cowing III
Rick Galbreath
Richard M. Glendening
Harlan J. Hays*
Clayton Moser*
Julian Nesbitt
Jess Green Perry
Chung-Wai Soong*
David Varnum*
Julia Vetter
Elliot Yates
David J. Xiques
Guest Chorus Director
John Wilson
Rehearsal Accompanist
*Member of the American Guild of Musical Artists
Sing-Along Lyrics
Deck the Hall
Deck the hall with boughs of holly.
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
’Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la, etc.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la, etc.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la, etc.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Strike the harp and join the chorus,
Fa la, etc.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la, etc.
While I tell of Christmas treasure,
Fa la, etc.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la,
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la, etc.
Sing we joyus all together,
Fa la, etc.
Heedless of the wind or weather,
Fa la, etc.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
And bring some out here!
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year.
