This holiday season, make the Yuletide gay with drag queens and feather boas! Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s annual show, The Christmas Ballet, will take place at the Blue Shield of California Theater in San Francisco on December 13–24. Smuin will offer a clever twist on this holiday classic for one night only, The Christmas Ballet’s LGBTQ+ Night, on Friday, December 20.
After her dazzling performance last year, beloved local drag queen Lady Camden—the drag persona of former Smuin dancer Rex Wheeler—will return to the stage, hosting both the event and the Afterparty. Through a lively set of performances in an array of genres, this show will celebrate Christmas, the arts, and the queer community. What better way to toast the holi-gays?
The Christmas Ballet was established in 1995 by the company’s founder, Tony and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Michael Smuin. He wanted to create a show that could be enjoyed by everyone—featuring a range of multi-denominational songs and multi-genre dances that would get anybody in the spirit. Thirty years later, this show has been established as a holiday favorite in San Francisco, with thrilling new acts every year.
This season, Smuin Artistic Director Amy Seiwert has taken the reins on the holiday tradition, bringing a fresh perspective to a beloved tradition. Lady Camden and the rest of the cast are sure to “serve” up an exciting show, with acts including Christmas classics like “Ave Maria” and “Joy to the World,” as well as cheerful contemporary numbers like Wheeler’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and the iconic “Santa Baby” featuring the “world’s longest feather boa.” The LGBTQ+ Night performance is packed with special programming and casting that highlight the San Francisco LGBTQ+ community.
Lady Camden is most well known for her unforgettable appearance on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Wheeler’s training at the British Royal Ballet School gave him grounding in classical repertoire and his skill set was later broadened at Smuin, where he danced a variety of contemporary works by choreographers including Jiří Kylián, Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, and Michael Smuin, among others. Wheeler’s performing arts career set him up to become an acclaimed drag queen, performing around San Francisco at cornerstones such as Hamburger Mary’s, Oasis, and Beaux. After a successful run on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lady Camden toured worldwide as a featured performer in RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World.
Audiences will also want to don their best gay apparel for the official Afterparty in the Grand Lobby of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Co-hosted by Lady Camden, The Imperial Council of San Francisco, and Friends of Smuin, the Afterparty will feature tequila cocktails and tastings donated by Casa San Matias. During this night of queer community, attendees will enjoy drag performances, photobooths, and dancing—all while supporting queer artists.
Twenty-five percent of the evening’s ticket sales will be donated to organizations that support the queer community. “The holidays are an important time to come together so we can celebrate and give back to the organizations that support the queer community and celebrate queer artists,” says Seiwert.
This year, Smuin Contemporary Ballet will continue to partner with Project Open Hand, an organization originally founded in 1985 to deliver meals to people with AIDS, which has expanded to serve seniors and people with other acute and chronic conditions. Funds will also go towards the Imperial Council of San Francisco, which supports diverse community-based charitable organizations, as well as The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Queer Cultural Center, which offer grants to underfunded queer artists.
The LGBTQ+ Night performance of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet will take place at 7:30 pm on Friday, December 20, 2024, at the Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (700 Howard Street, San Francisco). Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet will run from December 13–24 in San Francisco. Tickets for the LGBTQ+ Night and the Afterparty are available at the Smuin Ballet website (https://www.smuinballet.org/) or by
calling 415-912-1899. https://bit.ly/3OERVQ8
Arts & Entertainment
Published on December 5, 2024
Recent Comments