HubArts.com: Boston Gay Men's Chorus kicks off 2009-10 season

The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will kick off its 28th season with a free outdoor concert on Sept. 11 at Christopher Columbus Park as part of the City of Boston’s Fall Arts Festival. They'll reprise their hit show, Boys Just Wanna Have Fun: Totally 80s, featuring hits by Madonna, Boy George, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper and many more. The 2009-2010 season doesn't officially begin until the BGMC's annual holiday concerts Dec. 13, 18, 19, and 20 at Jordan Hall. Subscription sales begin Sept. 1. The complete release with all the details is after the jump.

BOSTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS ANNOUNCES 2009-10 CONCERT SEASON;

KICKS OFF THE YEAR HEADLINING A FREE CONCERT FOR BOSTON ARTS FESTIVAL

             The 150-voice Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will kick off its 28th season with a free, full length outdoor concert as part of the City of Boston’s Fall Arts Festival on Friday, September 11 at 6:15 pm at Christopher Columbus Park on the waterfront. The Chorus will sing an encore performance of its hit show, Boys Just Wanna Have Fun: Totally 80s, a tribute to the music of the 80s including hits by Madonna, Boy George, Bon Jovi, Prince, George Michael, Cyndi Lauper and many more.

            Steven Smith, the BGMC’s executive director said, “We’re honored to be invited by the Mayor’s Office for Arts, Tourism and Special Events to kick off this full weekend of diverse performances and we look forward to bringing the BGMC’s message of tolerance – not to mention great music – to the citizens of Boston.”

            The BGMC’s 2009-10 concert season officially opens with its annual holiday concerts, Our Home for the Holidays, on December 13, 18, 19, and 20 at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. The program will include many favorite Christmas songs and carols, selections from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, a set of songs celebrating Hanukkah and tolerance, and a grand finale involving elves, Mrs. Claus, and a trip to Rio. Acclaimed local actress and singer Kerry Dowling guest stars.

            The season continues in the spring with a concert titled We The People at Jordan Hall on March 27 and 28. The theme of the program is “love is all the same” and features love songs and music by Andrew Lippa and Dan Locklair as well as Mark Koval’s multimedia work “We the People” which tells the story of the fight for marriage equality in narration, video and song.

            The final mainstage show will be Divas!, the BGMC’s annual Pride Week shows on June 10, 11, and 13 at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. The show will celebrate the music of the divas who have become gay men’s icons: Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Bette Midler, Cher, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and more. Boston musical theatre diva Leigh Barrett and rising star Claire Philippe join the Chorus as special guests.

            Complete season information is available at www.bgmc.org and subscription tickets go on sale September 1, 2009. Season ticket packages range from $73 to $127, depending on seating selection and include all three mainstage concerts with a 10% discount off single ticket prices. All subscription performances are sign language interpreted and wheelchair accessible. More information is available at www.bgmc.org or by calling the BGMC at 617-542-SING.

            Celebrating its 28th season, the 150 member Boston Gay Men’s Chorus creates a more tolerant society through the power of music. The BGMC is currently the only gay or lesbian choral organization in the U.S. to have received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act thanks to a one time “stimulus grant” awarded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

            Under the leadership of Music Director Reuben M. Reynolds III, the BGMC sings a wide spectrum of classical and popular music with excellence and provides a positive and affirming image of the gay and lesbian community. Regularly listed on the Boston Business Journal’s Top 25 list of Boston’s largest performing arts organizations, the Chorus performs for more than 10,000 people annually. The BGMC has appeared throughout New England and coast to coast and has 9 CDs in its growing discography. The BGMC won the 2007 “Creative Leadership in Human Rights Award” from the Massachusetts Teachers Association for its innovative High School Outreach Program. In June, 2005, the BGMC toured central Europe presenting concerts in Berlin, Prague, and Wroclaw, Poland, where it was the first gay organization to ever perform in that country. The Chorus was the subject of a half hour documentary on the public television series The Visionaries, which aired on PBS stations nationwide during 2003-04. BGMC is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency and by the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the MCC, administrated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events. The BGMC is also funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, through an appropriation to the National Endowment for the Arts.