'Mistletoe' melodies: New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus to sing familiar, irreverent holiday tunes

Dec. 4—Sometimes holidays don't go the way you expect.

The New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus will kick them off by highlighting the fun, mishaps and mayhem that often accompany the tree and the turkey.

The singers will perform "Something Must Be Wrong with My Mistletoe" at Santa Fe's Lensic Performing Art Center on Friday, Dec. 8. They've also scheduled three shows at Albuquerque's Hiland Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10. Last year, they performed two.

"Every year, our holiday concerts (in Albuquerque) are extremely well-attended to the point that our Sunday matinee usually sells out," said Aaron Howe, NMGMC artistic director. "What we do is a very diverse and entertaining show."

"It's going to be a total hoot," he added. "They're all quirky."

This year's program features familiar tunes such as Darlene Love's "Christmas Baby Please Come Home" and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas," as well as the offbeat and irreverent. The title song refers to a man who buys an abundance of mistletoe expecting a cascade of kisses, but receives none because "the mistletoe didn't work."

"It's a hilarious little piece I found on an album 'Carols for the Cure,' " said Howe. The collection is a fundraiser for AIDS research.

"That kind of sets the theme of holidays that are a little off and you have expectations that don't go," he added.

The singers also will perform Seattle composer Eric Barnes' "The Reindeer Tango," written as a take-off on "Cell Block Tango" from the musical "Chicago."

The concert also will feature a Howe favorite — five songs from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

"It came out 30 years ago this year," Howe said. "It's fun music, but it's programmed for a Christmas concert because it's so weird.

"The music is by Danny Elfman, who was Oingo Boingo's lead singer," he continued. "He's just a great composer and his music is so strange and spooky."

The section "Opera Takes a Holiday" will set holiday lyrics to famous opera songs and arias.

"We're reworking the 'Toreador Song' (from 'Carmen'), but it's about Santa Claus," Howe said.

More familiar songs will include "Silent Night" from the play "All Is Calm," "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Blue Christmas."

"A really good concert has to have some laughter and some tears," Howe said.

The concerts represent the most ambitious shows Howe has directed.

"I have a 25-piece orchestra, so there are a lot of logistics into arranging them. We have a dance team; we have a lot of solos and small groups. It's a spectacle more than choral music."

Audiences can also expect costumes and sets.