LA County Holiday Celebration – The 63rd Annual Event

The Audience at LA County Holiday Celebration - Photo by Timothy Norris
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The LA County Holiday Celebration presents its free holiday spectacular on December 24, 2022 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This one-of-a-kind holiday special has become a tradition in Los Angeles County. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center is pleased and proud to again host this annual musical extravaganza.  The Music Center, LA’s premier performing arts destination, and PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s primary PBS stations and award-winning public media producers, jointly offer audiences the chance to experience this two-time Emmy award-winning production featuring 22 music ensembles, choirs, and dance companies from the many neighborhoods and cultures that make up Los Angeles County.

Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre – Photo courtesy of The Music Center

Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano and Emmy award-winning television host, Suzanna Guzman, will return as co-host for her ninth year and has graciously agreed to interview.

Holiday Celebration Co-Host Suzanna Guzman at the 59th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration – Photo by Timothy Norris

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF THE LA COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION?

Suzanne Guzman:  The Holiday Celebration won two Emmy Awards for their 59th and 61st  productions. The first time I hosted was about 25 years ago, and I’m excited to be back again this year. I’m a professional and principal singer with the LA Opera and sang more performances than any other female soloist. I was born in LA and am imbedded with LA County and its many cultures. My father, who was born in Pasadena, was the first Mexican-American captain in the LA Fire Department. I’m an Angelino to the bone. Besides singing for the LA Opera, I work with LA County for the Arts Department and the Music Center Educational Division. I’ve performed short introductory shows from Hawaii to Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale and everywhere in between. I was involved with a radio station for 20 years and had a TV show in 2014. I’ve been involved in high school awards programs, and I was the Virgin in the “La Virgin de Guadalupe” program at the Cathedral of the Angels in LA for 18 years. I have been involved in the Holiday Celebration at least eight times or more. I love to give back to my community.

WHAT KEEPS BRINGING YOU BACK TO THE HOLIDAY CELEBRATION?

SG:  The production values are so high. The Holiday Celebration highlights the sound of Southern California. So many groups return over and over. The talent in Southern California is amazing. And this is the one time a year when the Music Center is 100% free of charge; even the parking is free.

HOW IS PERFORMING AT THE HOLIDAY CELEBRATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GIGS YOU MIGHT PERFORM AT DURING THE BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON?

SG:  At the Holiday Celebration, I’m not a singer. I’m a host. When I do a live event in opera or musical theater, it takes months to prepare for the role. At the Holiday Celebration, all I have to do is show up. It’s a beautiful event, and I get to enjoy it fully because the focus is on the performers. Then they repeat the show on PBS all day on Christmas.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES THIS EVENT SO DIFFERENT, UNUSUAL, AND SPECIAL FOR THE AUDIENCE?

SG:  For the past couple of years, people were hesitant to go out because of COVID. Now it’s a scary triple threat. The real difference between then and now is that this is live entertainment. It touches the heart like nothing else. It gets under your skin and into your heart; it connects you and the audience. You are uplifted by this. It’s really fun to watch live performers and the way they handle anything unexpected. There’s no substitute for live entertainment.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

SG:  My co-host is somebody I haven’t met yet. She’s a champion roller skater, and I’m sure that the experience will be fun and joyful. Everybody is always so skilled in this program. Ken Shapiro, the producer, always makes sure that everything is perfect. I’m proud of the LA County Board of Supervisors and grateful to PBS and the Music Center to put this on. It’s a tradition, and I hope it goes on forever.

Holiday Celebration Co-Host Candice Heiden – Photo courtesy of IMDB

Lorenzo Johnson, founder and director of the gospel choir, Lorenzo Johnson and Praizum, also agreed to interview.

Lorenzo John and Praizum – Photo by Timothy Norris

TELL US ABOUT YOUR GROUP. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN A PART OF THE LA COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION?

LORENZO JOHNSON:  The choir has been active since 2006. It’s an LA-based community choir that sings inspirational and gospel music. Our members come from all over California; lots of them are from metro LA. We started as young adults who grew up in church and the music industry. We encourage people through our messages: the love of Jesus Christ and the love of music. There are 25 singers and five musicians playing accompaniment to the choir. The name Praizum comes from what African Americans say in church, “Praise him,” in African American dialect. We perform in different venues, maybe church groups in a church or at community events. And we make music videos too with 90s pop singers like Charlie Wilson and One Republic. We’ve even performed at the Greek Theatre. We’re able to navigate through culture barriers, so performing at the LA County Holiday Celebration isn’t anything new. We’re becoming a staple at the Holiday Celebration. We’ve performed every other year for the past ten years or more. We keep coming back because of the level of excellence this event brings. It’s about the African American community – but it also brings together all different cultures and so many nuances in our community. This event brings a diverse community together to celebrate.

HOW IS PERFORMING AT THE HOLIDAY CELEBRATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GIGS YOU MIGHT PERFORM AT DURING THE BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON?

LJ:  It’s televised, for one. Most events have a specific genre, but this one is more eclectic. Various cultures are all represented in this event. It’s an opportunity to see diverse cultures. The pandemic was a difficult time. I lost my aunt to COVID, and its impact was devastating on our community. That makes this even more meaningful. During the pandemic, a lot of our pieces were pre-recorded, not live. Then I pitched the idea of having group members in Zoom boxes. Even last year, when we were scheduled to perform, I ended up with COVID. I thought we’d have to withdraw, but fortunately we had videos that highlighted the group. Being live makes coming back so much more exciting and enthusiastic.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES THIS EVENT SO DIFFERENT, UNUSUAL, AND SPECIAL FOR THE AUDIENCE?

LJ:  Even though society right now if full of discrimination and a heightened amount of hate crimes, the idea of coming together with a culture concept about how we’re more alike than different is important. Even though we have different ways to celebrate, we all come together with hope, love, and joy for the season. I’m excited to be part of this moment in time. All our brothers and sisters come together to celebrate in their own way.

WHAT WILL YOU PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT?

LJ:  We sing a contemporary song that talks about a king, and then we do a medley around it with more traditional songs. We finish with our last classic, “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.” Everything is centered around the birth of Christ.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?

LJ:  Absolutely. Our inspirational music offers a lot of hope. I think about my mother, who has cancer. Now we have an original song, “He’s the Cure,” which give a message of hope in life’s struggles. That’s a message we want to keep giving.

ADAAWE – Photo by Taso Papadakis

Finally, Lou Spisto, executive director and producer for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, agreed to interview about his group’s participation in the Holiday Celebration.

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles – Photo by Gennia Cui

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR GROUP. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN A PART OF THE LA COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION?

LOU SPISTO:  The Gay Men’s Chorus was established in 1979. It’s one of the largest arts organizations in the world serving LGBTQ. We’ve been in the LA region for 44 years. Our mission is to change hearts and minds through music. But we also do other work in the community to raise a voice for social and civic issues and things that affect civil rights. We sing in schools and do all sorts of free events. We service in hospitals for the AIDS community, sing at veteran’s events, and recently sang for the Women’s March in May at their rally at City Hall. We do some formal events too, like an upcoming weekend holiday concert at the Alex Theatre on December 17 and 18. We have about 200 members, but how many sing depends on lots of factors. At the Alex, we’ll have 150 members. At the Holiday Celebration, we’ll have 50. We’ve been part of the Holiday Celebration for more than 30 years. We love it and are delighted to be back. It’s an opportunity for the organization to reach the community, some who may not be able to get out. We love entertaining the people who come to the Music Center, and we love reaching a much larger audience on PBS the next day.

HOW IS PERFORMING AT THE HOLIDAY CELEBRATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GIGS YOU MIGHT PERFORM AT DURING THE BUSY HOLIDAY SEASON?

LS:  All of our current members are volunteers. They’re giving from the heart; they’re singing because they’re passionate about music. We really are a family of 200 singers from every walk of life, different ages, different backgrounds. The Holiday Celebration is special because it’s free to the community. We do many free events, but this is a magnificent venue, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. In addition, tens of thousands watch at home. We appreciate the support given by the Music Center. It’s a testament to performance arts in our region – that public officials feel so strongly to put on this event.

WHAT WILL YOU BE PERFORMING AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT?

LS:  We’ll do some Christmas songs and end with a new and different rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. They’re pieces from the Mo-Town event we’re doing at the Alex Theatre.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

LS:  I think LA should be proud of the Gay Men’s Chorus representing the community. We do everything we can to stand for civil rights. What with the Colorado shooting and so many other violent things this year, we feel strongly that we must be the voice for change and support those who advocate for change.

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