the story goes on - Rochester Gay Men`s Chorus

June 2015, Volume 5 Issue 3
MARCH 2015 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2
THE STORY GOES ON
On Saturday,
June 20th at 8pm
in Hochstein
Performance Hall,
the Rochester Gay
Men’s Chorus will
present the final
concert of its 20142015 season, The
Story Goes On. This
concert has its origin
at our appearances
at the Festivals of
the GALA Choruses.
At these Festivals,
we have had the
opportunity not only
to perform for other
member choruses,
but also to hear
what wonderful pieces other groups are singing. This concert is
comprised of many of those pieces which spoke to us, moved us,
and told our stories.
In this way, The Story Goes On is the story of our lives as
individuals and as a community, diverse as we are. In true
Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus fashion, the stories and songs will
range from sublime to ridiculously campy! You’ll hear such
familiar songs as “Colors of the Wind,” “I’m Gonna Wash That
Man Right Out-a My Hair,” and “Let the River Run,” as well as
brand-new favorites “When I Knew” and “If You Only Knew,” both
commissioned and originally performed by other GALA member
choruses. We will also be performing a new song of our own, “The
Silver Light Does Rise,” by composer Robert Deemer and lyricist
David Henderson, thanks to support of the LGBT Giving Circle
and the LGBT Giving Fund.
We are thrilled to welcome to our stage the incredible Liz
Callaway! Ms. Callaway is the Tony-nominated and Emmy-award
winning singer and actress whose appearances on Broadway
(Lizzie, Baby; Ellen, Miss Saigon; Grizabella, Cats) and film
(singing voice of the title character in the animated film Anastasia)
have made her a beloved performer across the country and
beyond. She will sing many of her most famous tunes, including
“Meadowlark” (The Baker’s Wife) and “Memory” (Cats), and many
more. Ms. Callaway’s performance is due in part to the support
of Strathallan, Blackfriars Theatre, and our generous donors.
Tickets are available at www.thergmc.org or by calling
(585) 423-0650. Tickets can also be purchased in person at
Parkleigh, Outlandish, Equal=Grounds, Vittorio Menswear and
Tuxedo, or from RGMC members. Ticket prices are $6 for children
under 12; $14 for students and seniors in advance ($17 at the
door), and $17 for adults in advance ($20 at the door). Hochstein
Performance Hall is located at 50 North Plymouth Ave.
Broadway Star Liz Callawayto perform
with the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
The Rochester Gay
Men’s Chorus is eagerly
awaiting the final concert
of the season, The Story
Goes On, when the
chorus will welcome a
very special guest to the
stage. We will be joined
by Tony nominee and
Emmy Award-winning
actress, singer, and
recording artist Liz
Callaway.
Among her many
accomplishments, Ms.
Callaway stared in the
original Broadway casts
of Merrily We Roll Along, Baby, and Miss Saigon. She has also
released five solo recordings, while establishing a major career as
a concert and recording artist with her award-winning album,
Sibling Revelry; created with her sister, Ann Hampton Callaway.
Her extensive US symphony work includes appearances at The
Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Ravinia, and The Hollywood Bowl.
Worldwide, she has performed in China, Australia (with Stephen
Schwartz), New Zealand, Iceland, Estonia, France (Theatre du
Chatelet, Paris), Slovenia, South Korea, and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre
del Liceu where she premiered a new concert featuring the music of
Stephen Sondheim.
Ms. Callaway sang the Academy Award nominated song “Journey
to the Past” as the singing voice of the title character in the
animated feature Anastasia and is also the singing voice of Princess
Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves and The
Return of Jafar. Other film work includes The Swan Princess, Lion
King 2: Simba’s Pride, Beauty and the Beast, and The Brave Little
Toaster Goes to Mars.
The Evening
was
In addition to singing songs with the chorus, including “I’m
Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair” and “The Story Goes
On,” Ms. Callaway will be performing on her own, as she shares her
favorite songs from the Broadway stage and maybe a few popular
hits from the 60s as well.
It is still possible to contribute to help bring her to Rochester, and
even have the chance to meet her.
Donors at certain levels will receive various perks, and those who
contribute $300 or more will have the chance to attend an exclusive
meet-and-greet with the star!
Visit our website www.thergmc.org/liz-callaway to learn more.
FantABBAtastic,
On Saturday, March 21st, the Hochstein Performance Hall
filled, and filled, and filled to maximum capacity for a sold out
performance, FantABBAtastic! The night, featuring songs of the
supergroup, ABBA, was a huge success with the chorus singing (and
dancing) the best they ever have.
The concert was one not to be missed, with beautiful solos and an
energetic performance by the always-entertaining Rochettes. In a
unique fashion, Fant-ABBA-tastic included audience participation,
and
Sold Out!
with a costume contest to get everyone in the mood for more ABBA.
Congratulations to contest winner Brianna Young, who won two
tickets to the meet-and-greet with Liz Callaway in June!
To see photos of the concert, visit our online photo album at
thergmc.smugmug.com/FantABBAtastic.
Don’t miss out on our next performance! Season information and
tickets are available online at www.thergmc.org.
RGMC OUT ON THE TOWN
Genesee Community
College
We were hosted by the Gay-Straight
Alliance at Genesee Community College
on Friday, March 20th at 7:30 pm as we
performed excerpts from our all-ABBA
concert, FantABBAtastic. We were delighted
to be back at Stuart Steiner Theatre after a
long hiatus, and the crowd was thrilled by
our performance. Not only did we gain some
new fans, but we gained a new member due
to our appearance. Thanks to the GSA for
hosting us!
Greater Rochester
Choral Consortium’s
A Taste of Song
On February 8th at 4 pm, we performed
as one of the eighteen groups selected by
the Greater Rochester Choral Consortium
to perform on A Taste of Song, its biennial
Prism concert. The RGMC was a hit,
previewing songs from FantABBAtastic,
including “Take a Chance on Me,”
“Fernando,” and “Mamma Mia.” The
concert also featured Image City Sound
Chorus, who were featured in our
fundraiser, More Than Us2.
Rochester
Erotic Arts Festival
The Rochester Erotic Arts Festival has
asked us to perform for years, and we were
so excited to find that our schedules finally
lined up this year! On Friday, April 10th at
9 pm, the chorus was a featured performer
at the Radisson Riverside Hotel for Festival
vendors and attendees. Chorus members
performed “Dancing Queen,” “Lay All Your
Love on Me,” and “Voulez-Vous?” for the
enthusiastic crowd.
Let’s Get Ready
to
Raffle!
We’re raffling off two tickets to the 2015-2016
Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s M&T
Broadway Season, and it’s not too late to purchase
a chance to win!
This
season includes:
• Newsies
• Mowtown the Musical
• Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
• Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
• Matilda the Musical
• Dirty Dancing
Tickets for all performances are Saturday evening, LOGE C Row D, Seats 103 and
104. For more information on the RBTL and the upcoming season, visit www.rbtl.org.
Raffle tickets for the $930 valued prize are $10 per ticket, and a purchase of 10 tickets
will earn a free, 11th ticket! Raffle tickets are available online at www.thergmc.org,
from RGMC members, and at our June 20th concert, The Story Goes On.
The drawing will be held on June 20th at The Story Goes On, with special guest and
Broadway star Liz Callaway selecting the winner.
Keynotes
miscast
verb mis·cast \ˌmis-ˈkast\
: to give an actor a role for which the actor
is not suited; to allot an unsuitable role to a
particular actor.
See also: Performance benefiting the 2016
GET US TO GALA Fund.
On Friday, June 5th
at 7 pm and 9:30 pm,
members of the Rochester
Gay Men’s Chorus
will present Miscast at
Blackfriars Theatre (795
E. Main St.). Audience
members will hear songs
from Wicked, Chicago,
My Fair Lady and others,
performed as you’ve never heard them. Miscast, hosted by Master
of Ceremonies Robert Strauss, will feature our talented singers
performing songs from the musical theatre repertoire which
they could not sing in a traditional staging of the musical from
which it comes. This type of cabaret-style performances have
been executed from Broadway to Los Angeles and many places
between, and we can’t wait to bring this fun concept to our
audiences here in Rochester!
Seats are limited! Join us at Blackfriars for this amazing
performance benefiting the 2016 GET US TO GALA fund.
For more information on GALA Festival 2016 in Denver visit
www.thergmc.org/galadenver.html.
Keynotes
Welcome, New Members!
We are excited to welcome new members, and welcome back
returning members after a brief hiatus.
March - Fant-ABBA-tastic
Nicholas Brown, Robert Burch-Lau, Adrean Childers, Colin Coffey,
JA Hill, Eric Jacobson, Bill Soudan and Charles Weber
June – The Story Goes On
Chris Benham, Ryan Carter, Al Carville, Kippley Gillen,
Dustin Hayes, Christian Hoffman, Alex MacKenzie
We strive to put together the best
concerts for you, our audience
and loyal fans. Therefore, the
song selection process for each
performance includes a variety of
factors to consider; our members,
the audience, and the story we want to
tell. The selections sit in the hearts of our
performers, and we hope that you find the
same connection with them that we do.
The RGMC is pleased to announce the opportunity for you,
our audience, to sponsor a song during any performance.
These sponsorships can be in honor of your family, friends,
loved ones, significant other, someone you’ve lost, or even
yourself to represent the connection to a song we’ll be
performing. All sponsorships are on a first-come, first-served
basis; so don’t wait!
For a tax-deductible donation of $250, sponsorship will
allow you to select a song from our upcoming program, and
the opportunity to include a personalized message to be
featured next to the song you choose to sponsor.
To sponsor a song, contact us at [email protected],
or call 585-423-0650.
Mr Jean G. Thibodeau C.P.A.
31 Putting Green Lane
Penfield, NY 14526
585-586-6160
For all your Tax and Accounting needs:
“Call the Gay CPA”
Over 20 years of experience
A heartfelt thank you to our donors
The majority of operating funds for non-profit organizations come from individuals. Your tax-deductible contribution helps pay the cost of
concert production, office management and future development. We are grateful for your previous heartfelt gifts and look forward to your
continued support. The RGMC would like to recognize those individuals who have contributed financially during the past year.
Maestro ($1000 and Over)
The Allstate Foundation
Jacqueline Archer
Arts & Cultural Council Rochester
Dick Connett
Bill & Vanessa Gough
in Honor of Jason Juliano
Jason Juliano
David Knoll & David Skinner
LGBT Giving Circle
J David & Margo C McCloskey
John Owen
Bill & Patty Strauss
Trillium Health
Tom Wahl Jr & Glen Skalny
Michael R Kusovich &
Steven C Brewer
H Darrell Lance
Noreen Mastro & Arlene Sherman
Dan McCarthy & Ron Schutt
Joan McCormack
H Winn McCray
Dan Meyers & Jim Pugliese
Dee Miller & Kris Hunt
Gregory Partridge & Douglas Potter
Henry Schroeder
Van Bortel Motorcar
Karen & Walter Von Kaenel
Sally & Jamie Whitbeck
Anonymous
Diva ($750 - $999)
Prima ($150 - $249)
Shirley Bowen & Tracy Perkins
John Dash
Larry & Sue Day
Excellus Health Plan Inc
Rochester Spa & Body Club
Stephen Smith
Alan Van Camp & Rob Anderson
Walmart Foundation
John Williams & Chuck Lundeen
Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
John Yavonditte & Thom Hutchison
140 Alex Bar & Grill
Eugen & Karen Baer
Douglas Deeley
Kevin Frisch
Robert & Howard Green
Daniel Meyers
Pat Moran
Paul E Mura
Glen Nixon
Vera S Polwey
Edward T Schell
Judy & Allan Schwartz
Mark A Smith
Walter & Karen Von Kaenel
Patron ($250 - $499)
Friends (Under $150)
Norman Horton
Crooner ($500 - $749)
Barbara E Ames & Nancy A Kennedy
Lon Baratz & Joseph Arena
David Champlin & Frank Hanzel
Friends of Harry Bronson
Genesee Co-Op FCU
J Randall Fulton
Wanda Barber
Jean Bartlett
Ed Bartl
Kevin Berry
Laurie & George Betlem in Memory of Heidi Betlem
Marcia Ann Betlem in Memory of
Adelheid Betlem
Paul Bush & Bruce Butler
Michael A Carafos
David Clinton
Julie Clough
Frances & David Colby in Honor
of Heidi Betlem
Chuck Collins
Jeffrey Couglar
Randall Coyne
George E Cunic
Vincent Dallo
Robert O Day
Maurice & Barbara DeMay
Dick & Frank
Peter Elliott
Joanne & Bob Everts
Peter J Fedele
Christine & Walter Fendley
Dick & Nancy Fitts
Andy Fleming, DVM
Hon. Sandra L Frankel
Jeffrey Freeland
Daniel Fry
Susan Gates
Timothy Geen & David Marshall
Cindy German
Esther & Paul Hammer
Paul Haney
Cat & Rusty
Joseph Hartnett-Hughes
Ronald Hilton & Sharon Scott Hilton
Elizabeth Iwan
Steven Jarose & Marvin Ritzenthaler
Ken Johnson
Irene C Klaeysen
Linda Krehling
Thomas Krolak
Steven Lovi In honor of Cat Hardesty
Connect With the RGMC Online!
The internet: nearly everyone is depending on it these days, and now there’s a great
number of resources available for you to learn more about the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
online!
We’re making some fantastic changes to our website, www.thergmc.org, where you can
find information about our upcoming concerts, what we’re up to, or how to support the
chorus. As we continue to improve our site, we would love to hear your feedback! If you have
any suggestions, please contact [email protected].
If you’re looking for quick updates about the chorus without hunting for them, visit us on
Facebook, listed as the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus. By liking our page, you’ll have access
to photos, community events, and other great updates about the chorus!
Our newest and exciting online feature is our inter-active photo gallery, found at thergmc.
smugmug.com, or by selecting Photo Gallery under Media Gallery on our website. Since
launching the site in late 2014, we have been adding beautiful pictures of all of our events.
Be sure to look through the galleries; you never know what photo you may be in! As our
experiences grow, the page will become more full; so please excuse our dust as we begin to
build an archive of the RGMC!
Coy Ludwig
Diane & Jerry Macaluso
Roberta Majka & Patti Follansbee
Chris McCormack
Connie Miles
Nina Miller
Ray & Ellie Newell
Sam Nicolosi in memory of
Lewis Vallone
Roger Parris & Michael Longo
Dale & Nan Perkins
Julie Petit
Dylan & Milli
David & Joanne Poland
Richard & Shirley Quataert
Robert Read & Everett Orsini
Meredith Reininger
Donald R Rogers
Kenneth J Setera
Charlene Sherwood & John Griffith
Eric Shoen
Sandi Shoen
Schuber Liquor Store
Eleanor Siegfried
William & Frances Smith
Gail A Stacy
Kathleen Stiokas in Memory of
Heidi Betlem
Bernard Strohmeyer
Dennis C Stuart
Marsha Sundman & Deidre Lurphy
Darryl Tardy & Derek Cummings
Michael Tiss
Naomi Van Camp
John Villani
Roger & Beth Wilhelm
Vince Yacobellis
Lynn Zicari
Zonta Club Rochester
Martin Zuber
KEYNOTES is the official newsletter
of the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
and is published three times a year.
The RGMC is solely responsible for
its editorial content.
KEYNOTES is a collaboration of
several talented people. To place an
advertisement, contact the RGMC
at the chorus office at (585) 4230650. Reproduction of editorial or
photographic content without consent
of the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2015
RGMC Inc., 121 N. Fitzhugh St.
#315, Rochester, NY 14614-1214,
(585) 423-0650
Privacy Statement: The RGMC is
very concerned with keeping your
personal information private. The
RGMC will not share or sell personal
information to any third party.
Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
121 N. Fitzhugh St., Suite #315
Rochester, NY 14614-1214
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Permit No. 613
From all of us in The Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus, we would like to thank you for
a wonderful season. Look for more information on our 2015-2016 season soon.