Venezia: Concert pays tribute to heroes of gay men’s chorus
If you love the music of Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Cher, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Pink, then this weekend you’re in for a real treat.
The Irvine Barclay Theatre will rock to the sounds of these great divas as MenAlive - Orange County’s Gay Men’s Chorus premieres its latest show, “She Got the Beat”.
I adore these guys, and if you’ve haven’t seen them in concert, I highly recommend checking out one of the performances, which are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $35 and are available at thebarclay.org or https://www.menslivechorus.org.
MenAlive President James Vaughn says this concert might not be what some expect. It’s not a drag show.
“We’re focusing on the guys’ vocal abilities rather than the camp aspect,” he says.
The men take familiar musical numbers and give them new twists and interpretations.
It’s a whole new way of looking at this music and fits in with MenAlive’s theme this season, “a new attitude.”
Celebrating songs of these diva icons is about more than just great music.
“For the past 50 years, these women have had our backs,” says Bob Gunn, MenAlive creative director. “Their uncompromising support has encouraged talented men and women to move out of the closet and into the spotlight.”
He explained that Cher received a GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Award in 1998.
After Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors Tour” in support of gay rights, she founded the “True Colors Fund” to end homelessness among LGBT youth.
“Madonna borrowed `Vogue’ from New York nightclubs and made it mainstream,” adds Vaughn. “And Lady Gaga proudly promotes gay rights from the stage.”
Last year Vaughn brought the talents of MenAlive to the OC Fair for the first time. The free concert in the Hangar was a big hit.
Vaughn says the way the fair staged the show, with big screens on stage and on both sides of the venue, inspired staging for “She Got the Beat.”
I’ve admired this talented group for some time now.
In 2009, I had the pleasure of playing Dorothy in the group’s concert “From Wicked to Oz.” The musicians were kind enough to give me a speaking part since singing isn’t one of my talents.
During rehearsals I got to know cast members, some of whom live in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. I talked with a few this past week about the upcoming show and what being part of MenAlive has meant to them.
Michael Quintos, from Costa Mesa, has been with the group since 2002. He says being a part of it basically saved his life.
“It has helped me come out of my protective, shy shell,” he says. “Being in MenAlive also reminds me on a regular basis that I am enough. I am loved. I am appreciated for exactly who I am.”
Quintos is ecstatic about the all-divas concert because the songrwriters being celebrated are his heroes.
“In their songs, we see very many parallels in our own lives, not only as a suppressed minority, but also as people who need to express their thoughts and feelings in a creative, artistic way ... sometimes even to bring about societal change,” he says.
As a countertenor, he’ll be belting out Beyonce’s “Halo.”
A chorus member for eight years, Costa Mesa’s Dennis J. Marquardt says it’s all about the music.
“Music is a connector, a healer, a bridge between people and a vehicle to satisfy the heart, soul and mind,” he says. “MenAlive does this not just for the audience, but for the members too.”
Rik Gillette, also of Costa Mesa, says this new show has something for everyone, and “the songs chosen cover a wide variety of styles, from upbeat dance numbers to beautiful close, tight harmony renditions, from “Nasty Boys” to “The Prayer.”
Johnny Vigil lives in Newport. Since joining MenAlive he’s learned a lot about himself.
“I’m now writing songs and producing music,” he says. “I couldn’t have moved forward with this without the experience I gained from MenAlive.”
“She Got The Beat” will be his fourth show with the group.
“The audiences of MenAlive are so supportive and generous to us, we hear and feel them rooting for us,” says Vigil.
And he’s right. My husband and I will be there this weekend, cheering them on as they belt out some of our favorites.
BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.