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Rochester Gay Men's Chorus to perform at GCC's Stuart Steiner Theatre

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Using the power of music and harmony of voices, the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus (RGMC) strives to spread inclusion through diversity. On Friday, March 20, hear their harmonies in person at Genesee Community College's Stuart Steiner Theatre. They will perform one show only at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the GCC box office at (585) 345-6418 or via e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

RGMC began in 1982 when five friends pursued their dream of using music to create an acceptance of social diversity and using the harmony of voice to create a harmony of spirit. Now more than 40 members strong, the Chorus is as vibrant as ever and remains committed to its mission of creating social change through excellence in the choral arts by nurturing pride in and acceptance of the diversity of our communities.

The show at GCC will feature selections from RGMC's spring concert FantABBAtastic. As the name implies, the chorus will sing a number of ever popular songs first introduced by the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. These include "Dancing Queen," "The Winner Takes it All," "Waterloo," "Mamma Mia," and others.

"Their music had wonderful complexities, from the driving bass lines, to the beautiful vocals, to the harmonies and structures which seemed so simple but sometimes were not, to the lyrics which often mirrored what we were thinking and feeling," said Robert Strauss, Ph.D., RGMC artistic director. "For these reasons, and so many more, we knew we had to bring you a concert dedicated to this music."

Tickets to the RGMC show are $8 for adults, $5 for GCC faculty/staff and senior citizens, $3 for GCC students. Alumni with ID receive $2 off the full ticket price.

The RGMC show at GCC is sponsored by the College's Fine Arts Committee and GCC's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA).

Gary Spencer

I am a strong supporter if the 1st Amendment, however, this website also has rules and guidelines, which most of us adhere to most of the time, and hurtful speach, name calling and so forth are not part of this. You can take your juvenile comments somewhere else.

Mar 6, 2015, 9:38pm Permalink
Brian Graz

If Jon Stewart made the comment you all would have laughed.

You can take your self-righteous criticism and dictates somewhere else, because it doesn't fly with me.

Mar 6, 2015, 10:00pm Permalink
Bea McManis

Howard is at the UB Basketball game tonight. Hopefully, he will see it and agree that the comment is not worthy of this site. Brian, you are no Jon Stewart. Even if he made the comment on here, it would be offensive.

Mar 6, 2015, 10:21pm Permalink
Brian Graz

Haha... I'm not embarrassed. Actually I'm offended. I'm offended by gay people who have to flaunt and make a public display of their sexual preference and push it in our faces. Do you think a choir of heterosexual men who called themselves Rochester Non-Gay Men's Chorus would be acceptable? How about Rochester Hetero Men's Chorus? Maybe Rochester Straight Men's Chorus?

Besides, what else would you have had to do tonight but ridicule me?

Mar 6, 2015, 11:11pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I found the comment distasteful and juvenile, but didn't take it down because distasteful and juvenile isn't against the rules. People are allowed to embarrass themselves and I'm happy to let them do it when they do it.

Mar 7, 2015, 1:11am Permalink
Scott Ogle

"People are allowed to embarrass themselves and I'm happy to let them do it when they do it."

Fair enough. Hoist with his own petard, so to speak. I like it.

Mar 7, 2015, 1:46am Permalink
Jason Juliano

Thanks for leaving his comments up Howard, especially the most recent comments that make him sound even more like a bigot. Brian must ALSO have a deep throat. Otherwise, I don't know how it would be possible to fit his whole foot into his mouth. Maybe he'll fit right in to the chorus.

Brian, do you really think a 6 paragraph press release about a concert equals a "public display of sexual preference being pushed in your face?" If this is offensive to you, stay home. No one is forcing you to attend. I fully support your free speech. But when it's offensive to others, and it reveals you to be a close minded bigot, perhaps silence truly is golden.

Mar 7, 2015, 8:30am Permalink
Jim Urtel Jr

I like the fact Howard left the comment up. I believe Brian has the right to state his opinion. It might have been a little harsh but it is his right to say it. Not everyone is going to support the gay rights movement and it does go too far sometimes. Most tv shows at night all have a reference to the gay lifestyle anymore. You don`t see a heterosexual men`s chorus or a heterosexual man`s march. I believe to each his own but I also don`t think someone should be criticized for not supporting it. Brian just said it pretty bluntly.

Mar 7, 2015, 9:01am Permalink

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