San Francisco Music Preview: DAZZLE: BROADWAY…OUR WAY! (San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus)

GIVE US THE OL’ RAZZLE DAZZLE

There are some perfect pairs in entertainment: Laurel and Hardy, Bert and Ernie, Simon and Garfunkel, Gumby and Pokey, Cheech and Chong, and Shaggy and Scooby come to mind. But you would be hard-pressed to find a better combination than Gay Men and Show Tunes. And who better to belt and croon Broadway’s best than the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC), which celebrates Gay Pride month with DAZZLE: Broadway…Our Way! This musical extravaganza only has three performances leading up to Pride weekend, so get your tickets now before the curtain goes down on what promises to be their best concert since The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas opened (that’s 1978, the year the chorus was formed). The most fabulous Broadway revue ever takes place at the Nourse Theatre beginning Wednesday, June 25.

You’ll get memorable renderings of songs from current and classic Broadway shows, including Avenue Q, The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific, Dreamgirls, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, Rent, South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George, and West Side Story. Expect to hear a couple of ditties for the first time as well as surprises and twists on old favorites.

But wait, folks, there’s more (he said, banging his tambourine with a Fosse-like gesture): Laura Benanti, award-winning star of stage and screen (Tony winner for Gypsy, Tony-nominated for Swing! and Into the Woods, NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!, etc. etc.) returns to the City by the Bay to pump up the razzmatazz. Her astounding comedic timing, her ability to act a song, and the elasticity of her silvery, strong, distinctive voice has made her one of the most popular stars of the Broadway stage (see my review of her new cabaret act). Locals should remember Benanti from her 2013 performance in SFGMC’s I Am Harvey Milk (see review). The chorus will also present a selection from that brilliant Andrew Lippa score, the original cast recording of which is now available on CD.

Oh, I can tell you that you’ll laugh and cry. I can tell you about the bright lights, magic, and festive celebration in store. I can tell you about huge production numbers. Instead I offer you my own personal Broadway lyrics, which should be sung to the tune of The Sound of Music:

The Nourse comes alive with the sounds of Broadway
With songs old and new from the Great White Way
The arrangements are swell, you’ll get mounds of Broadway
And the songs you will hear, like the men, are gay

It all will take place while you’re there for Pride
No excuses, no disputes
The chorus sounds great and they’ll offer you
Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots

Add Timothy Seelig at the helm
L. Benanti and a band
With hundreds of men—it’s like tickling a prostate gland

Find glamour and glitz from some costumed cuties
Be dazzled by tunes from two dozen scores
Your heart will be blessed by the sounds of Broadway
And you’ll sing for more

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

DAZZLE: Broadway…Our Way!
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
Dr. Timothy Seelig, Artistic Director
Nourse Theatre, 275 Hayes Street
Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 8
Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 8
(ASL interpreted)
Friday, June 27, 2014 at 8
for tickets, call 415.392.4400
or visit www.SFGMC.org