Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) is Connecticut
's first and only performing arts
organization composed of openly gay
men. It was begun in 1986 by a small group of gay men under the directorship of Robert Read and led by him until 1992. Since 1986 the Chorus has rehearsed in the gym
nasium of St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church in New Haven.{http://www.stthomasnewhaven.org/history.html}
Since 1993 the CGMC has also performed in September in Provincetown, Massachusetts
, a town with a high gay population.{http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/demographics,2.html} The shows, sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild, have been sold out every year since the first year. The CGMC is a member of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.{http://www.newhavenarts.org/directory/index.html}
, the CGMC moved into larger commercial performance spaces like the Shubert Theater in New Haven and the Bushnell Theater in Hartford under the long-time directorship of Winston Clark, who became music director in the fall of 1992. Clark changed the direction of the Chorus from "standing on risers and singing" to fully staged, fully costumed musical revue
s, and decreased the politically themed content in favor of more general entertainment in a successful effort to attract a larger audience, including the non-gay community. The Chorus became known for humor, as mentioned in a 1999 New York Times article, “As is customary with the Gay Men’s Chorus, parody rules.”
A major turning point came in May 1995, when the CGMC brought its very successful musical revue, "Victory Canteen," to the Shubert Theater. The revue, a salute to the United States armed forces
during World War II
, had been performed 7 times at the Educational Center for the Arts, a much smaller theater in New Haven. When it was discovered that the Shubert Theater was available in May 1995, the 50th anniversary of V-E Day
, the CGMC took advantage of the opportunity to mount the show there. New Haven’s mayor, John DeStefano, Jr.
, issued an official proclamation that the day of the performance was “Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus Day.” Many local and state dignitaries were in attendance at the performance, which was the first time the CGMC had ever performed at the Shubert Theater. The show was sold out. Since that time, nearly all of the Chorus’s New Haven performances have been at the Shubert Theater.
Another important event was the composition and debut performance of “Out! The Whole Story”, a full length musical based on the true coming-out stories of various Chorus members. Originally conceived as the second act of a two-act program, “Out!” was expanded into a full-length musical
, complete with choreography
, and the full-length program was presented as part of the following year’s performance season. A 25-minute version was also presented at the 1996 GALA Festival in Tampa
, Florida
, to a tumultuous reception. A compact disc of the full-length version was produced, and one song from “Out!”, entitled “I Have Something to Tell You,” was nominated for a Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA) Award in 1998 in the Cast Recording category.
In 1986 the Chorus incorporated as Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. In 2000 the legal name was changed to Charter Oak Performing Arts, Inc. The Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus and CGMC are still used as names under which the corporation does business.
The CGMC also performs at many fundraisers for other nonprofit groups, and at local events such as the Molson Summertime Street Festival in New Haven in 1992 and the Hartford gay pride march for several years. The Chorus also gives away blocks of tickets to performances to social organizations whose members might otherwise not be able to afford the price of a ticket.
The Chorus has performed with guest artists such as George Howe, Mark Hardy, Tommy Femia, Julie Halston and Julie Wilson, and has given joint performances with Another Octave/Connecticut Women’s Chorus, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, and the Baltimore Gay Men’s Chorus. It has also performed at benefits with Harvey Fierstein
, Cyndi Lauper
, and Scot Haney.
Since 2002, the main fundraiser for the chorus has been "Bingomania," a monthly bingo game with entertainment, hosted by "Joan Crawford," a man dressed up as the famous movie star. As many as 400 people attend the monthly bingo/shows, which have themes such as "Redneck Bingomania," "Bad Romance Bingomania," and "Easter Bonnet Bingomania." The bingo is staffed by Chorus members, and prizes are donated by local businesses. "Joan Crawford" now has over 2000 friends on 'her' Facebook page.
In 2004 the Chorus merited a full page in the book How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization by Cathy Crimmins, as an example of "how gay-tolerant small towns in Connecticut have become."{Page 52}
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
's first and only performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
organization composed of openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men. It was begun in 1986 by a small group of gay men under the directorship of Robert Read and led by him until 1992. Since 1986 the Chorus has rehearsed in the gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium of St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church in New Haven.{http://www.stthomasnewhaven.org/history.html}
Since 1993 the CGMC has also performed in September in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, a town with a high gay population.{http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/demographics,2.html} The shows, sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild, have been sold out every year since the first year. The CGMC is a member of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.{http://www.newhavenarts.org/directory/index.html}
20th Century
The first concert given by the CGMC was in 1987. After performing for several years in small venues like churches in New Haven and HartfordHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the CGMC moved into larger commercial performance spaces like the Shubert Theater in New Haven and the Bushnell Theater in Hartford under the long-time directorship of Winston Clark, who became music director in the fall of 1992. Clark changed the direction of the Chorus from "standing on risers and singing" to fully staged, fully costumed musical revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
s, and decreased the politically themed content in favor of more general entertainment in a successful effort to attract a larger audience, including the non-gay community. The Chorus became known for humor, as mentioned in a 1999 New York Times article, “As is customary with the Gay Men’s Chorus, parody rules.”
A major turning point came in May 1995, when the CGMC brought its very successful musical revue, "Victory Canteen," to the Shubert Theater. The revue, a salute to the United States armed forces
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, had been performed 7 times at the Educational Center for the Arts, a much smaller theater in New Haven. When it was discovered that the Shubert Theater was available in May 1995, the 50th anniversary of V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, the CGMC took advantage of the opportunity to mount the show there. New Haven’s mayor, John DeStefano, Jr.
John DeStefano, Jr.
John DeStefano, Jr. is the current mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. He was the Democratic candidate in 2006 for Governor of Connecticut, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell. He was also the named defendant in the landmark 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case of Ricci v...
, issued an official proclamation that the day of the performance was “Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus Day.” Many local and state dignitaries were in attendance at the performance, which was the first time the CGMC had ever performed at the Shubert Theater. The show was sold out. Since that time, nearly all of the Chorus’s New Haven performances have been at the Shubert Theater.
Another important event was the composition and debut performance of “Out! The Whole Story”, a full length musical based on the true coming-out stories of various Chorus members. Originally conceived as the second act of a two-act program, “Out!” was expanded into a full-length musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, complete with choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
, and the full-length program was presented as part of the following year’s performance season. A 25-minute version was also presented at the 1996 GALA Festival in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, to a tumultuous reception. A compact disc of the full-length version was produced, and one song from “Out!”, entitled “I Have Something to Tell You,” was nominated for a Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA) Award in 1998 in the Cast Recording category.
In 1986 the Chorus incorporated as Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. In 2000 the legal name was changed to Charter Oak Performing Arts, Inc. The Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus and CGMC are still used as names under which the corporation does business.
21st Century
Another milestone came in 2002, when for the first time the Chorus performed in the then brand-new Belding Theater, part of the Bushnell Theater complex in Hartford, Connecticut. The CGMC had outgrown its previous Hartford venue, the Wallace Stevens Theater at The Hartford complex. Since that time, all Hartford shows have been at either the Belding Theater or the larger Mortensen Hall, both part of the Bushnell Theater complex.The CGMC also performs at many fundraisers for other nonprofit groups, and at local events such as the Molson Summertime Street Festival in New Haven in 1992 and the Hartford gay pride march for several years. The Chorus also gives away blocks of tickets to performances to social organizations whose members might otherwise not be able to afford the price of a ticket.
The Chorus has performed with guest artists such as George Howe, Mark Hardy, Tommy Femia, Julie Halston and Julie Wilson, and has given joint performances with Another Octave/Connecticut Women’s Chorus, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, and the Baltimore Gay Men’s Chorus. It has also performed at benefits with Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Fierstein
Harvey Forbes Fierstein is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, and Scot Haney.
Since 2002, the main fundraiser for the chorus has been "Bingomania," a monthly bingo game with entertainment, hosted by "Joan Crawford," a man dressed up as the famous movie star. As many as 400 people attend the monthly bingo/shows, which have themes such as "Redneck Bingomania," "Bad Romance Bingomania," and "Easter Bonnet Bingomania." The bingo is staffed by Chorus members, and prizes are donated by local businesses. "Joan Crawford" now has over 2000 friends on 'her' Facebook page.
In 2004 the Chorus merited a full page in the book How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization by Cathy Crimmins, as an example of "how gay-tolerant small towns in Connecticut have become."{Page 52}