About the ProgramFive decades of celebrating Los Angeles Go to: ABOUT | ARTISTS & PROGRAM SELECTIONS | PRODUCERS | CREDITS The "L.A. Holiday Celebration 2010" is a one-hour highlight version of the live six-hour Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration that took place in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center on Christmas Eve 2009. The Holiday Celebration marked its 50th anniversary on that occasion. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has sponsored an admission-free holiday-themed show as a gift to the people of the County every December 24 since 1960. Attendance has become a seasonal tradition for many Angelenos. The 1,000-1,500 performers participating in the show each year represent the many cultures and holiday traditions found in Los Angeles County. The participants include community, youth and professional choirs, orchestras, and dance companies from throughout the County. The Celebration, produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, is the largest holiday show in the region. The first annual free Holiday Celebration - then called the Christmas Program - took place at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. In 1964 Holiday Celebration moved to the just-opened Music Center. In 1965 public television station KCET began broadcasting the celebration live in Southern California. The first one-hour "best of" compilation of the live show aired nationally on PBS in 2002. The late Kenneth Hahn, Supervisor of the Second Los Angeles County District from 1952 to 1992, was the father of Holiday Celebration. Kenneth Hahn cared deeply about the accessibility of the arts to everyone. He personally helmed the fundraising for the first show. When Dorothy 'Buffy' Chandler came to him seeking his support for the proposed Music Center, he told her that he would support it if he could be sure that the Music Center would be open free to the residents of the County at least one day each year. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center continues to host the Holiday Celebration to this day. `
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Features![]() Eat, Sing and Be Merry ![]() Inside the Artistry ![]() Bonus! Holiday Celebration Plus |
L.A. Holiday Celebration is a production of the L.A. County Arts Commission. © 2010 LAHC. All Rights Reserved. Published November 16, 2010 |