Holiday Pops

Since the launching of the kids matinee, I've made sure to check out the Holiday Pops each year. It's a great show and, beyond the usual shrimp cocktail and cheese plates, the Pops has been smart to add P, B, & J and giant M & M cookies for the kiddie shows. (The girl ate her sandwich after merely poking at the pocket last year.)

One change I noticed this year. In the past, the Pops has at least pretended to give Chanukah a fighting chance against the battering ram that is Christmas in America. This year, though, no "Dreidal" song or even hint people might celebrate something else.

I asked the Pops why, and here's what music director Keith Lockhart and artistic planning director Dennis Alves had to say through a spokesperson:

"With the exception of Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and the Sign-a-Long, the repertoire for Holiday Pops changes every season. So some years there is a Hanukkah work, some years there isn't. We try to balance well known works with new ones. Last season we added The Twelve Days of Christmas, which is also being performed this season. This year we have the premiere of The Polar Express."