Fair readers, all, please lend an ear

We’ve made it (barely) through this year

Bereft of Bowie, Albee, Prince

Let’s make an effort to evince

Times of yore suffused with gladness

Absent fancy tech-toy madness

But let’s forget the coal-black lumps

And all the baubles hawked by Trumps

Let’s leave behind the Twitter volley

And move instead to bells and holly

Polish the menorah slowly

Feel the power of the holy

Attend the wonders of Tracie Thoms

Of wranglers, stagehands, and all kids’ moms

Rockwell, Caprio, and Croiter

Move along, don’t dare to loiter

Long backstage with talking loudly

Make your exit slowly, proudly

Onward to the party merry

Hattie, Adam, front-guy Jerry

Peter’s such a friendly door-man

Just ask Anna (Maddie Corman)

Cannon, Markoff: enter laughing

Lift a glass, start Randy-Graffing

Pour a gin and make it iced, stiff

Don’t forget to clink with Wolfe, Liff

Find a nook and stoke the fire

Share some grog with D. M. Schreier

Shine the goblet and make it gleam

Hoist it fast skyward, dear Vadim

Oberholtzer: brio! panache!

Show some swank to Frank and then Josh

Dab bold glitter, try on glam rock

Boogie, Stephanie Janette Block

Christian Borle can move like Jagger

Wins awards for Bardic swagger

Andrew Rannells? Mormons, Georges

Our Miss Reaser: she is gorgeous

Load up tinsel, pile on glitz

Blaze a path for Uranowitz

Nog will surely well embolden

Hoover, Weiner, Sarah Holden

Sound alarums: dancers freaking!

Anthony and kids are geeking!

Gather round the twinkly bright star

(William Finn and James Lapine are.)

Rulers, thrones, and some seraphim

Play loud chords with M. Starobin

Feast your eyes on the less angelic

Deviled eggs, they’re no ‘60s relic

Prepped by Yaney, scarfed by Kinney

Guaranteed to make folks whinny

Wash them down with some Chardonnay

Fire up Rudolph: mush that sleigh!

Moving on to PSM Scott

Ladle cider, serve it up hot

Top it off with wine Venetian

Drain the bottle to completion

Chase it down with some Vivaldi

Strains to hearten Sher, Rinaldi

Master-casters Hickman and Swee

Join Anne, Ira, ‘neath the tall tree

Is that Santa? I hear knockings

Greenberg, Cabnet: Quick! Your stockings!

Cody, Jenny, Julias, Jess

Spruce up nice in festive dress

As do Kati, Neal, and Herr Brown

Mix in Paul and paint the whole town!

Julie Halston, remember when?

We went to see our close sick friend

Dressed as a nurse, circa ‘53

You cracked up Lenox Hill: peals of glee!

Such angels of mercy ‘round us move

Keeping all souls in Christmas groove

Teachers, doctors, lawyers, saints

Eager to answer all complaints

Drama, too, can bring a healing

Giving voice to what we’re feeling

Born of crisis, Falsettos can teach:

Kindness helps (I’ll here end my year-end speech).

André, Linda, I’m so grateful

In this year jam-packed with hateful

Cases of falsehood and derision

Spewing forth a gruesome vision

Gifts of gold and frankincense, myrrh

Can’t bring calm: Aleppos occur

Where to focus to ease our woe?

Hark, the Beaumont, and its next show

J.T.’s Oslo provides a chart

Two sides in a room, that’s a start

Meantime, let’s trill jolly lieder

Underneath the fir and cedar

I will now try to take my leave

To beat the traffic on Christmas Eve

Home, I’ll savor the Yuletide mirth

Ever-fragile is peace on earth.

Brendan Lemon is the editor of lemonwade.com.