We Need a Little Christmas

“We Need a Little Christmas” was first performed by Angela Lansbury in the 1966 production.

In the musical, the song is performed after Mame has lost her fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and decides that she, her young nephew, Patrick, and her two household servants “need a little Christmas now” to cheer themselves up. The original lyrics include the line, “But, Auntie Mame, it's only one week past Thanksgiving Day now!” Since the time the song was written, the phenomenon of Christmas creep has resulted in the normal holiday season beginning much earlier than it once did, which has led to more recent recordings changing the line to, “But, Auntie Mame, it's one week until Thanksgiving Day now!”

Composer Jerry Herman (1931 - 2019) is best known for his work in Broadway musical theater. He composed the scores for the hit Broadway musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. He has been nominated for the Tony Award five times, and won twice, for Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles. In 2009, Herman received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. He is a recipient of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors.

Arranger Ted Ricketts (b. 1945) is a highly creative music professional with national and international experience producing and directing live and recorded music. In his 24-year tenure as Music Director and Producer for Walt Disney World, Ted contributed to hundreds of stage shows, parades, concerts and atmospheric instrumental and vocal groups for Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. In addition, he produced recordings in major cities in Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. As an innovative composer, arranger and orchestrator, Ted's commissioned and published works have been heard on television, commercially produced albums, in Walt Disney theme parks, and performed live throughout the world. Mr. Ricketts holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Masters of Arts in Music from California State University at Long Beach. Early in his career, he served as Assistant Director of the marching band and concert band at Long Beach City College. At the high school level, Ted was Director of Music at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, CA. In recent years, Ted has been a college instructor in Commercial Music Arranging at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Ted has recently relocated to Los Angeles, where he is currently a freelance music director, producer, composer and arranger.

The music for We Need a Little Christmas was provided for the band by Jack and Kathy Datin.