Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: Totally! Our ‘80s Show

How does one describe a gay men’s chorus other than: it’s a chorus comprised of gay men? Oh, but it’s so much more than that! Established in the late 1970s, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is one of the largest choral ensembles in the USA. Through the power of music, the GMCLA is devoted to giving back to the community by promoting civil rights and acceptance.

On Sunday, July 10^th, I was invited to the Avalon in Hollywood to kick back and enjoy their latest, bodacious show, Totally! Our ‘80s Show. With special guest conductor Andres Cladera leading the way on a musical time warp, we were all transported with the tunes I first identified with as a child and then again as an adolescent. Surrounded by keytars, suspenders, big hair and skinny ties, the members of the chorus were decked out in radical 1980s splendor; I managed to spot Marty McFly, Prince, Billy Idol, and a member of Miami Vice amongst the one-hundred plus neon-clad singers.

Opening with the attention-grabbing Shout by Tears for Fears, Totally! Our ‘80s Showtook us on a journey of love, passion, fear, and effervescence. It was a time of extreme highs and extreme lows. The battle to overcome a devastating disease that continues to claim the lives of men, women and children around the world was formed and here are our troops, alive, able-bodied and singing to all those that would hear their story. Many of the songs were complimented with dance routines by award-winning choreographer Ray Leeper.

It’s commonplace to wave off 80s music as bubblegum pop music with zero substance, but through these fresh voices, we are permitted to give pause, reexamine these New Wave classics, and take their lyrics to heart. Be it a beatboxing rendition of People Are People, a medley of Duran Duran/The Police/Foreigner, a hauntingly somber interpretation of Thriller, or a powerhouse, theatre-stomping mash-up of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Smalltown Boy, reverence will be felt deep within you as I felt it.

I’ll admit; if I wasn’t tapping my foot, I was quietly singing under my breath. These are all songs I’ve known since my memory began to develop. Now there are new faces to go with these songs, new stories to go with the lyrics, and a heart-pumping, bebopping experience of a lifetime I have to treasure.

Join the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles for the first ever HAIRSPRAY Sing-Along at Hollywood Forever on Sunday, July 31^st. Proceeds benefit the GMCLA and their youth outreach program, AMP (Alive Music Project). For more information, visit gmcla.org or call 800-MEN-SING.