Local Los Angeles Christmas Eve Tradition Returns As the 65th Annual L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Headlines PBS SoCal’s Festive Lineup of December Programming
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Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal get extended access through PBS Passport.
Los Angeles, Calif. – Dec. 4, 2024 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, announced today a festive lineup of 16 all-new, local and national performances, specials and productions for the whole family to enjoy this holiday season. Headlining this year’s programming slate is the return of the two-time, Emmy® award-winning L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION celebrating its 65th year as a local holiday tradition.
A Los Angeles seasonal staple since 1959, the show features a diverse lineup of 28 Los Angeles-based music ensembles, choirs and dance companies showcasing the artistry and rich cultural traditions that make up L.A. County. This year’s live performances introduce new artistic genres, including a circus act and a marionette performance, along with pre-produced mini-documentaries spotlighting some of the artists and their unique stories, offering viewers a fresh perspective and welcoming a new generation of audiences.
The free, ticketed in-person event will take place on Christmas Eve Day at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Audiences can also enjoy the three-hour live broadcast at home on PBS SoCal as well as live stream the program on pbssocal.org and the free PBS App, which will remain available to stream following the broadcast. The 65th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration will air LIVE on Tues., Dec. 24 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m on PBS SoCal and will once again be available to viewers with Spanish subtitles. Encore presentations will also air on Christmas Eve from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and on Christmas Day, Wed., Dec. 25 from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
This year’s celebration brings back esteemed artists including GRAMMY® award-winner Daniel Ho with Hawaiian hula dancers Hālau Hula Keali’i o Nālani, acclaimed Latin music ensemble Gabrielito y La Verdad, the beloved Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and more. New acts to the lineup are award-winning jazz vocalist Anji Tan & Friends, the legendary Bob Baker Marionette Theater, all-female band Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas, and Straight Up Abilities – a dance team comprised of talented individuals with disabilities, among others. For more information, including a full list of performers and details to attend the in-person, ticketed event, visit holidaycelebration.org.
Another highlight of PBS SoCal’s holiday lineup for the past few years has been Concordia University Irvine’s annual celebration featuring festive carols and Christmas favorites. Held at Orange County’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, this locally-produced concert features a 160-voice chorus, handbells, and full symphony orchestra performing under the masterful direction of Dr. Michael Busch, Dr. Jeff Held, Dr. Clarissa Shan and Alex Guebert. COME AND SEE! A CONCORDIA CHRISTMAS premieres on Fri., Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
The beloved “Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir” special also returns for its 21st year, hosted by award-winning Broadway star Michael Maliakel (“Aladdin”) and acclaimed British actress Lesley Nicol (“Downton Abbey”). This year’s program, JOY: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR, features the iconic Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in a stunning 90-minute theatrical performance airing on Tues., Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
The list of programming featuring PBS holiday performances continues with acclaimed conductor Marin Alsop’s collaboration with Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson on their modern take of Handel’s “Messiah” and "Hallelujah Chorus" bringing a fresh, dynamic twist to the timeless masterpiece. With the soulful rhythms of R&B, jazz and gospel, the performance is an electrifying reinterpretation that celebrates and redefines the classic holiday melody into a vibrant new arrangement. TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE GOSPEL MESSIAH premieres on Tues., Dec. 17 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
For Southern California fans of British Drama, highly anticipated holiday specials include CALL THE MIDWIFE returning on Christmas Day, Wed., Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal. Adapted from Jennifer Worth’s best-selling memoirs, this year’s new two-part special wraps up the 1960s as the midwives continue their dedicated work during the holiday season while preparing for a carol concert. The drama has long become a staple of the festive season, with new episodes landing each year without fail to welcome a new chapter in the lives of the medical professionals.
While SISTER BONIFACE MYSTERIES new two-part episode “The Star of the Orient” features the clever crime-solving Catholic nun from the Cotswolds as she investigates a mystery aboard a snowbound train on Mon., Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus. And finally, spend the holiday in the tropics as Saint Marie’s detectives unravel another mysterious murder on the island in DEATH IN PARADISE on Mon., Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus.
The holiday season concludes with an unforgettable New Year's Eve performance by two-time GRAMMY® award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Sara Bareilles. Taking the stage with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Bareilles' artistry is recognized in a career-spanning evening that ranges from her breakout hit “Love Song” to her Tony-nominated work on the Broadway musical “Waitress.” She’s joined by special guests Rufus Wainwright, Emily King and David Ryan Harris. NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER: “Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve with The National Symphony Orchestra & Friends” premieres on Tues., Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
The full lineup of holiday programs on PBS SoCal will be telecast as follows (subject to change):
RICK STEVES EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS – Mon., Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tues., Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
A colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe where viewers will learn about customs from "the old countries," hear local choirs and discover holiday family traditions in England, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
DEATH IN PARADISE: “Christmas Special 2023 Part One” – Mon., Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
It’s the holidays on the island of Saint Marie, but festivities are disrupted when a wealthy business owner is found dead in a ravine. Dressed in a Santa suit, his ominous last words point to foul play launching the British detective inspector and his police team into a holiday investigation.
SISTER BONIFACE MYSTERIES: “The Star of the Orient Part One” – Mon., Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Stranded on a train at Christmas, Sister Boniface is confronted by the theft of a cursed jewel and an impossible murder.
JOY: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR – Tues., Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., Dec. 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square join Broadway star Michael Maliakel and acclaimed British actress Lesley Nicol (“Downton Abbey”) in performing classical and popular Christmas music.
TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE GOSPEL MESSIAH – Tues., Dec. 17 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., Dec. 21 at 10:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Conductor Marin Alsop, with colleagues Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson, reimagines Handel’s “Messiah” and Hallelujah Chorus" blending the timeless classic with chords of R&B, jazz and gospel.
CRANE CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: CELEBRATING A MIRACLE – Tues., Dec. 17 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Nearly 300 musicians from The Crane Chorus, the Crane Symphony Orchestra and select ensembles perform a variety of old and new holiday selections as well as Hanukkah related songs and hymns.
A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS WITH THE BACH FESTIVAL SOCIETY: JOYFUL SOUNDS – Thurs., Dec. 19 at 8:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
From the Knowles Memorial Chapel on the campus of Rollins College, the Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, along with guest soloists Mary Wilson and Stephen Mumbert as well as the Bach Festival Children's Choir, perform custom arrangements of treasured holiday classics.
CHRISTMAS WITH SIR JOHN RUTTER AT PRESTON HOLLOW – Thurs., Dec. 19 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
John Rutter conducts the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church's Sanctuary Choir, the Boy Choir of St. Mark's School of Texas and soloists Josefina Maldonado and Erin Hannigan in a selection of his most popular works and familiar carols.
HOPE COLLEGE CHRISTMAS VESPERS 2023 – Thurs., Dec. 19 at 10:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
A tradition at Hope College since 1941, over 250 student musicians participate in Christmas Vespers in ensembles that include the Hope College Orchestra, Chapel Choir and College Chorus.
COME AND SEE! A CONCORDIA CHRISTMAS – Fri., Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Enjoy festive carols and Christmas favorites, old and new. Concordia University’s critically-acclaimed choirs, handbells and orchestra showcase more than 200 performers from eight vocal and instrumental performing ensembles under the masterful direction of Dr. Michael Busch, Dr. Jeff Held, Dr. Clarissa Shan and Alex Guebert.
NAVIDAD: A CONCORDIA CHRISTMAS – Fri., Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and on Tues., Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
NAVIDAD: A CONCORDIA CHRISTMAS features student and alumni musicians performing from the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall featuring 200 students from Concordia University’s critically-acclaimed choirs, hand bells, orchestra and commercial music program.
BALL AND VASE – Sat., Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
When an elderly magician (Austin Pendleton) nearing the end of his life learns his grandson will not be visiting for Christmas, he struggles to reconnect with the world one last time by attempting to perform at a local pub that he used to visit with his wife.
DEATH IN PARADISE: “Christmas Special 2023 Part Two” – Mon., Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
The holiday mystery continues on the island of Saint Marie as the British DI and team investigate the puzzling death of a wealthy business owner that threatens to overshadow the town's holiday celebrations.
SISTER BONIFACE MYSTERIES: “The Star of the Orient Part Two” – Mon., Dec. 23 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
In Part Two, Sister Boniface continues to search for the murderer as the identity of the frozen remains is revealed.
MARY BERRY’S HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS – Mon., Dec. 23 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Acclaimed food journalist and chef Mary Berry spends Christmas in her mother's homeland of Scotland to enjoy a winter break soaking up her Scottish heritage and enjoying traditional festive delights with familiar faces, as well cooking up some of her own indulgent dishes.
65TH ANNUAL L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION (LIVE EVENT) – Tues., Dec. 24 at 3 p.m. on PBS SoCal with encores on Tues., Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
The two-time Emmy® award-winning live event will feature 28 L.A. County-based music ensembles, choirs and dance companies, a circus act and more with performances by GRAMMY® winner Daniel Ho with Hawaiian hula dancers Hālau Hula Keali’i o Nālani, acclaimed Latin music ensemble Gabrielito y La Verdad, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, all-female Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas and the legendary Bob Baker Marionette Theater.
CHRISTMAS CAROLE – Tues., Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus and Wed., Dec. 25 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
A modern take on the Dickens tale following a Christmas-hating businesswoman whose money only makes her more miserly.
THE SAVOY AT CHRISTMAS – Wed., Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
The holiday season has arrived at the first luxury hotel in Britain, The Savoy, and staff are pushed to the breaking point as they welcome hundreds of residential guests and diners across Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Narrated by Celia Imrie (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”).
CALL THE MIDWIFE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2024 – Wed., Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal – New!
Adapted from Jennifer Worth’s best-selling memoirs, The British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London wraps up the 1960s as the midwives continue their dedicated work during the holiday season while preparing for a carol concert. The new two-part special has the neighbor-hood gripped by the news of an escaped prisoner and fears grow that he may be in the local area after a spate of break-ins.
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS: KWANZAA – Thurs., Dec. 26 at 6:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Exploring the seven principles that form the foundation of Kwanzaa and how each principle plays a role in the Black community.
NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER: “Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve with The National Symphony Orchestra & Friends” – Tues., Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., Jan. 1, 2025 at 12 a.m. on PBS SoCal Plus – New!
Sara Bareilles takes the stage at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra for song and celebration; guests include Rufus Wainwright, Emily King and David Ryan Harris.
For more details about each show and a full list of holiday programming, please go to pbssocal.org/holidays.
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