Walt Disney Concert Hall – December 28, 2025
We enjoyed this concert so much last year that we decided to go again this year. I scored tickets through Today Tix and paid $47 for West Terrace seats. They were really the perfect seats too. We had terrace seats last year, so I knew where I wanted to sit. Sunday traffic was fine. I entered the Disney Concert Hall parking from Lower Grand as usual. It was $10. When we scanned our tickets we were told to walk straight back and take the elevator to the 4th floor. The elevator opened right next to our door, so those were excellent instructions.
This concert is not presented by LA Phil, as we learned last year. The production company provides their own performers, conductor and musicians and they contract with San Diego Ballet for the dancers. This year we began with the William Tell Overture, which is certainly a lively way to begin. Then the soprano, Sera Gösch took the stage (after we sang happy birthday to her). She was miked. I can’t remember ever hearing miked opera singers – maybe at the Hollywood Bowl, since it’s so large and outdoors – but certainly not at WDCH. She was fine, but I think last year’s soprano was better. She was also super pale. We’re talking cadaver pale. I hope she’s taking vitamin D supplements because she didn’t look like she’s ever seen the sun. The dancers came out for Emperor Waltzes Op. 437 and I’m pretty sure they were the exact same dancers as last year. We were then introduced to the tenor, Brian Cheney, who was not surprisingly also miked. The two performed a duet: “Das eine kann ich nicht verzeih’n” from Wiener Blut. We had a tenor aria, few polkas, some more dancing (costume changes for the dancers after each dance) and then intermission.
After intermission, they opened with Offenbach’s “Can-Can”, and more singing and dancing. There were some problems with Sera Grösch’s mike. I really think it would have been better had they just not miked the singers. The program concluded with Strauss’ Carmen Quadrille, Op. 134. Once the program concluded, we got what we’d really come to see – the New Year’s Eve portion of the show. We heard Auld Lang Syne and then the dancers came out in their final costume of the evening and waltzed to the Blue Danube.
This show is a classic, which explains how they made it to their 30th anniversary. It’s really a wonderful way to ring in the new year.