Hello all...the holidays are upon us, and looking at our strong line-up of holiday themed performances here at the Kimmel Center, I am rather concerned about the current state of holiday merriment in our city! It's overload! When I was a kid, I really treasured going with my family to a holiday orchestra performance, or the Christmas show at Radio City...it just felt like the holidays to me. My concern stems from the overkill of radio stations playing nothing but Christmas music for two months, and stores breaking out the holiday gear before the jack-o-lanterns are even blown out! It is my hope that families are still making time to bring the children to wonderful live performances like the ones we will be hosting, even in the face of holiday overload. It's events like these that carry with them the true spirit of the holiday season. The sharing of a unique event with family, friends and other members of your community. As I didn't grow up in a terribly religious environment, the holidays have always been a time for celebration of the strength of community and family. As a lover of the arts, and of the season, I wish you all a very relaxed holiday experience, and I invite you all to turn off the radio, avoid the department stores, and come share an experience with us.