Boston Pops, Lockhart and Doolittle Ring In the New Look at Jorgensen 12/4

Jorgensen has decked its halls, and the Boston Pops are coming over for the party.

The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra with Conductor Keith Lockhart will bring its traditional holiday fare, complete with an audience carol sing and a visit from the Jolly One, to the gala reopening of the renovated Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m.

But that's not all. Special guest Melinda Doolittle, the one Simon says should have won "American Idol" in her season, will perform holiday spirituals, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and other carols. Gloriae Dei Cantores, under the direction of Elizabeth Patterson, is the guest chorus lending its support to a program that includes Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from "Messiah," improvisations on carols and a Santa medley.

The evening will also include an orchestration of "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas" narrated by dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy, RoBert McCarthy, and the Pops' signature "Sleigh Ride."

Concert-goers will enter Jorgensen's Fourth Annual Winter Gala - "A UConn Hoo-skies Celebration" - through a fall of giant snowflakes and to the sound of "Hoo-skies" caroling around a tree on the front patio. The hall decorations will carry out the Dr. Seuss "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" theme, featuring ice sculpture, holiday displays and even Cindy Lou Who-inspired do's sported by the ushers.

Since 1995 when Keith Lockhart took the helm of the Boston Pops, now in its 125th year, he has presided over 1,200 concerts, 12 recordings, 68 television shows and some three dozen tours. Building on Arthur Fiedler and John Williams' traditions, he has commissioned new works and garnered the orchestra's first Grammy nomination. Known for an infectious passion for music, he introduced the innovative JazzFest and EdgeFest series, which champion jazz and indie artists. He has collaborated with the Tanglewood Music Center and student musicians at Boston Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and the Boston Public Schools. In August 2010, Lockhart was named principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra. He reigns at the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, broadcast nationally on CBS to 10 million viewers.

Doolittle, the Nashville-trained powerhouse vocalist from St. Louis and Tulsa, was a favorite in season six of "American Idol." She released her debut album, the retro-soul "Coming Back to You," and then a debut book, "Beyond Me." Even before "Idol," she sang backup for stars such as Michael McDonald and Aaron Neville. Since then she has performed at the White House, the Musicians Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center and the "Today Show." She has visited Africa twice with U.S. delegations to work with Malaria No More. Doolittle made her Boston Pops debut at "Gospel Night" in June 2010.

Gloriæ Dei Cantores, "Singers to the Glory of God," has delivered its elegant brand of sacred choral music to audiences in 24 countries and on 40 recordings. The group was featured in the opening of the 900th anniversary of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, on live broadcasts with the BBC, and the soundtrack of the film "Lorenzo's Oil." The choir sings at weekly services at the Church of the Transfiguration in Orleans, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is located at 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. Regular tickets are $30, $50 and $60. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 860.486.4226, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., or order online at jorgensen.uconn.edu. Convenient free parking is available across the street in the North Garage.