In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Reuben M. Reynolds III, Music Director of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus about their upcoming shows March 18th at 8P and March 19th at 3P entitled “Let’s Hear It For The Boys” at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. “Let’s Hear It For The Boys” is a raucous revue saluting generations of pop music’s pretty boys from the Beatles to Pharrell Williams along with rock radio staples like David Bowie, Journey, Queen and Coldplay. Now in their 35th year with more than 150 members Boston Gay Men’s Chorus is the ultimate boy band paying tribute to the artists and bands that shaped us all. BGMC will put its unique stamp on classics like the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys, David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” and the Jackson 5’s “The Love You Save.” The Chorus will also perform hits by disco-era gay icons The Village People, the late legend George Michael, 1990’s heartthrobs NSYNC and more recent chart-topping boy bands One Direction and A Great Big World in addition to other surprises. We talked to Reuben about the importance of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus in the current political climate and his spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked how he sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in a Trump administration, Reynolds stated, “Several years ago we went to the Middle East. We took the chorus to Istanbul and to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We had a wonderful concert lined up in Istanbul and then all of a sudden the government basically told us we weren’t welcomed there. They canceled the concert and it was horrifying to be told you’re not welcomed here but a private university said their gay and lesbian group said please we would like to host you instead. So we wound up performing in a much bigger venue for 5,000 people. Then next morning we were to march in the gay pride parade in Istanbul. When we got there, we were met by police with riot guns who said that we should turn around and leave immediately because the pride parade had been canceled. It’s the kind of thing that somehow in the back of your mind you think this happened 30 years ago in America and here it was happening to us right now. We had young members of the chorus who never experienced anything like this. But it brings to mind that there’s always a fight going on. Sometimes we get too complacent and then bam, here it is again. Well we all know what we have done in the past. We have fought those fights and will fight whatever needs to be fought today. We will stand up. We will not bow down to anyone. Trump is no problem; it’s just another step in our progression forward. We will always stand up for who we are and what we are.”
Reuben M. Reynolds III has been the Music Director of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus for 20 years. The BGMC creates musical experiences that inspire change, build community and celebrate difference. Since its founding in 1982 the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus has infused itself into the LGBTQ community of Boston. It has also reached out beyond that community into the political, social and arts arenas. As a staunch supporter of LGBTQ causes, BGMC has distinguished itself by performing for every major AIDS service organization in the Boston area and has created innovative collaborations with organizations including Greater Boston PFLAG, GLSEN Boston, AIDS Action Committee and more. BGMC was also an active participant in the marriage equality movement becoming a role model for other choruses throughout the world. (Photo by Michael Willer)
For More Info & Tix: bgmc.org
1 comment:
A terrific interview with an extraordinary man. How lucky we are in Boston to have such a great Chorus with the greater good at the heart of their mission.
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