Boston
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Let the River Run
My first season with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will be over in less than 12 hours. This makes me a little sad. At the same time, it’ll be a huge relief. It’s a big commitment, and the past week has been rough. This has been one of the best times of my life.
I say it after every concert, and I seriously mean it. I’m so honored and a bit humbled to be part of such an amazing group of men.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS1Fh-xx4T0
This video is how we opened the second act of our show. It’s my favorite number in the entire show. And there is a lot to love in this concert.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Ready for the Eighties
Next week is the last concert series of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus’ 2008-2009 season, and we’re Ready for the Eighties! Next week, we’re presenting Boys Just Wanna Have Fun: Totally 80s. What could be more fun than the BGMC singing your favorite songs of the decade of sweatbands, big hair, and Duran Duran? The concerts are June 11, 12, and 14 at John Hancock Hall. Tickets are on sale at http://bgmc.org or by calling the Chrous office at 617-542-SING.
I’m really excited about this concert. The music is absolutely iconic. Reuben tells us this is a very challenging concert to sing. We haven’t even noticed that because we’re having too much fun singing it. And you’ll have fun listening to it.
Want to know more? Let me give you a little inside tidbit. We come on stage with the Village People’s Ready for the Eighties. The opening medley starts with “I Want my MTv” and “Video Killed the Radio star.” That’s just how it starts! The second act opens with my favorite song in the concert, Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run” from the movie Working Girl. The harmonies in this song are stunning. We have a medley of tv theme song that features the theme song from Amen. The finale is touching, and the encore would make Patti LaBelle proud as we do “New Attitude” as only the BGMC can do.
Seriously, this concert is going to be so much fun. There are plenty of tickets available, and they’re affordable. Every week at rehearsal, I’m continually thrilled and slightly humbled to be part of such an amazing group of gay men.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Are You Ready for the 80s
Tonight is the first rehearsal for the BGMC‘s next concert, “Boys Just Wanna Have Fun: Totally 80s” and it’s going to be a blast.
We haven’t seen the music yet other than getting little hints via e-mail from Reuben, our director. We have exactly 11 weeks to get this show ready. It’s going to be a lot of fun. This is the music we all grew up listening to.
All we know at this point is that the show opens with The Village People’s “Are You Ready for the 80s.’
I’m not sure which will be more fun, the concert or the rehearsals.
Tickets are on sale now at bgmc.org. You might want to get your tickets very quickly. This one is going to sell out for two reasons. First, it’s going to be an awesome concert and will rock in a way that only the BGMC can do, and second, it’s happening during Boston’s Gay Pride week.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
He Vas My Boyfriend
In the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus’ Outside the Box concert series, we did a few comedy numbers. It didn’t take long for them to get posted to YouTube.
The first one was from the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein. It’s He Vas My Boyfriend/Deep Love. My friend, the theatre critic, says these were the only two decent songs in the musical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_dDYeM_pjQ
The big gag in the concert was from Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”, Every Sperm is Sacred.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQKI6zFfqZA
Good god, I love my chorus.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Solid as a Lesbian in Birkenstocks
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said how much I enjoy being part of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. Wednesday nights are the best. Rehearsals are always a ton of laughs, and we work hard making great music. This week was our last rehearsal prior to our “Outside the Box” this weekend.
Here is a YouTube clip from Wednesday night while we’re working on “Come to My Window” from Melissa Etheridge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5sqrtryMo
Unfortunately the audio doesn’t give you the full, rich sound of the BGMC when we’re singing at Jordan Hall. Still, it’s a great preview of what you can expect this weekend. You DID buy your tickets, didn’t you? If not, go on over to bgmc.org and support us. There are still plenty of great seats available.
If you keep watching the clip, you’ll catch one of the best Reubenisms I’ve heard in my time with the chorus. He’s always saying the funniest things. Frequently he’ll say things without realizing just how funny he is.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Outside the Box
Yesterday was an all-day rehearsal for the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. Our spring concert, Outside the Box, is in three weeks. This is incredibly exciting news. The show is coming together, and we’re sounding good. Heck, we sounded good singing in a church basement yesterday, so one can only imagine what we’ll sound like in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory of Music.
If you live in the metro Boston area, I strongly encourage you to get your tickets now at http://bgmc.org. We’re only doing two shows, Saturday night and Sunday matinee.
We’re doing a set of Rufus Wainwrigh pieces, and a set of Billy Strayhorn pieces. Some of the Strayhorn pieces are simply amazing. On top of that, we’re paying tribute to our lesbian sisters with three pieces, including Come to My Window and Big Boned Gal. And then there is a piece called I Am in Need of Music. We’re also doing a piece called Love My Sweet Rain. It’s stunning. My two favorite pieces are A Love that Will Never Grow Old from Brokeback Mountain and Take Me to the World/Never Get Lost.
I’m excited about this concert. Come see us. You’ll enjoy it.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Outside the Box
I sing with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. Our Spring concert, Outside the Box, is rapidly approaching. Tickets are on sale at http://www.bgmc.org/tickets_individual.php.
As the promotional material states, “This is not your father’s choral concert.” This concert is going to be a lot of fun. It’s music you wouldn’t expect the BGMC to perform.
Several pieces pay tribute to gay and lesbian composers, including Rufus Wainwright, Melissa Ethridge, and Billy Strayhorn. You may not have heard of Billy Strayhorn, but if you’re a jazz fan, you may know his work. He wrote several pieces for Duke Ellington.
We’re doing a piece from the Mel Brooks musical, Young Frankenstein. That’s potentially my favorite piece in the whole show. And in typical BGMC fashion, the finale will leave you in stitches. I’ll only tell you that it comes from a Monty Python film.
Have I mentioned that tickets are on sale at http://www.bgmc.org/tickets_individual.php?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
New Members
One of the most powerful memories I have so far in my time with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is my first rehearsal. At the end of the first rehearsal with new members, the new members are brought to the front of the room where our director usually stands. The new members are facing the rest of the chorus, and the chorus sings Fred Small’s Everything Possible to them. It was such a powerful moment for me, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
At last week’s rehearsal, we had about 20 men attending who would be auditioning for the chorus tonight. They were given an opportunity to see what one of our rehearsals were like. Wednesday night will be the first rehearsal as a new member for anybody who made it through their audition with our director.
Wednesday night will be my first opportunity to sing Everything Possible with the chorus, and I’m excited about that. It’s my turn to welcome men into the group that so graciously welcomed me four months ago.
You can be anybody you want to be,
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know I will love you still
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you’re done.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The T gets it right
Living in the metro Boston area, one quickly develops a hate/love/hate relationship with the MBTA, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, better known as “The T.”
The T isn’t a bad system. It’s just been so poorly mismanaged for so many years that one wonders how they manage to get the trains and buses moving. They do (and get away with) the dumbest things. That’s another whole story to be told by people who know the subject much better than me. Every once in a while, however, they will get something right. And this time, they didn’t just get it right, they nailed it.
Normally, the last train out of Boston on a weeknight on the rail line I take is at 12:05. On weekends, it’s 11:30. Tonight, however, I have the options of a 1:00 AM or a 2:00 AM train. (I’m fortunate enough to be able to take either the Newburyport or the Rockport trains.) They’re adding additional service for tonight’s “First Night” celebration. (link)
This means I can go to my friends’ party, take a cab to North Station, and still be able to avoid driving into the city in this weather.
Mike is a happy camper.
Monday, December 22, 2008
First Concert Series
My first concert series with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is done. It was a lot of fun, and at the same time, I’m glad it’s over. It was a rough weekend because of the weather. We got close to a foot of snow in the Boston area, so that made for a bit of a challenge.
I’m so flattered by the number of people who came to see me in these concerts, including my sister, her fiance, and my niece. I was floored tonight when I turned on my phone during intermission to get a text from my boss saying that he was in the balcony. Not only were he and his wife in the audience, but so were our corporate controller and CFO and their wives.
This was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed most of the music. We had one piece that was a cappella and in Latin. It was my own personal hell. I sing lower baritone, and our director had us singing the bass part on this piece. It was a bit below my range, and that made it really hard. We did a piece called Stargazing, which had three movements. The third movement was a variation on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I think that may have been my absolute favorite.
Our Santa Quodlibet was a lot of fun and my first experience with “choralography.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g03sanlB5YE
One of the highlights for me was singing Come and See the King with Claire Phillipe. That girl is absolutely amazing. She’s going to be famous in a few months, and I’ll be able to say that I sang with her on stage before she was big on Broadway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br9qtPdwb2A
Our next concert series is in March. I can’t wait.