Regular readers will likely recall that, in addition to my blog and my teaching gig at the Boston Conservatory, I also sing with the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. This weekend, the BGMC is presenting its March concert, entitled Outside the Box. The program comprises a bunch of numbers that...well...sort of fall outside the typical purview of the chorus. The selections include compositions by Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, and Rufus Wainwright.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thankfully, the program also includes a sizable sampling of showtunes. (Because that's what we care about, isn't it, dear reader?) The concert opens with a medley of Stephen Sondheim's "Take Me to the World" (from the obscure Evening Primrose) and Marc Blitzstein's "Never Get Lost" (from the mega-flop Reuben Reuben).
We'll also be singing an early work from theater and opera composer Ricky Ian Gordon, called "Love, My Sweet Rain." Then there's a series of songs by composer Billy Strayhorn, songs normally associated with/attributed to Duke Ellington, including "Lush Life," "Take the A Train," and "Satin Doll." And we'll perform a medley of the only two decent songs from Young Frankenstein, "Deep Love" and "He Vas My Boyfriend."
And then there's me. In a sort of tribute to the new West Side Story revival, I'll be joining two of my nearest and dearest, Bill Casey and Chris Mahoney, in singing a slightly reconceived version of "I Feel Pretty" with our guest female soloist, Ceceilia Allwein. And we don't even need to sing it in Spanish to make it special. (And special it is...)
The concerts are this Saturday night at 8PM and Sunday at 3PM at Boston's Jordan Hall. Great seats are still available at the BGMC Web site, or at the box office.
Oh, and while I have your attention, mark your calendars for Saturday, May 9th, when the BGMC will be holding its annual fundraiser, Crescendo! Our extra special guest this year will be Sandra Bernhard. That's right, bitches: Sandra Frickin' Bernhard. We were fortunate to snag Sandy before she heads off to London for the 20th anniversary edition of her show, Without You I'm Nothing. If you've never been to a BGMC fundraiser before, this is definitely the one you want to go out of your way to attend.
