The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus’ 30th-anniversary season got a big boost this month, with the awarding of its largest grant ever.
The chorus was one of 26 agencies throughout the region selected to benefit from the PNC Arts Alive Initiative, a $5-million five-year program run by the PNC Foundation to fuel engagement in the arts.
PGMC will use the $35,000 grant for its March production of “Metamorphosis,” specifically allowing for hundreds of free and discounted tickets for area youth, as well as a post-production talkback with the performers.
The show is part of a series of choral works the group has taken on to coincide with an anniversary — with “Naked Man” and “Exile” produced for PGMC’s 20th and 25th milestones, respectively.
“Metamorphosis” is a 45-minute commentary on “self-acceptance and membership in the [LGBT] community,” said PGMC artistic director Joseph Buches.
“The whole works together are about the coming-out of a gay man and all the different things gay people are exposed to over the course of their lifetime, coming to terms with who they are,” he said. “It’s a powerful piece for the audience, as well as for the chorus and myself. I’ve been with the chorus for seven years so I was able to work on the second and now third portions of this piece, and we have chorus members who will have experienced all three of them, which is very powerful.”
The production will include 20 musicians and will feature a dance component, a collaboration with the Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
© 2011 Philadelphia Gay News
