NYC Gay Men's Chorus Fights Finance Woes into 30th Season

On the eve of its 30th anniversary season of bringing harmony, awareness and visibility to New York City in support of the LGBT community, the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) announced that it is in jeopardy of having its voice silenced permanently due to severe financial problems.

"Like so many nonprofit arts organizations in this economic downturn, we are hurting," said Rick Clodfelter, Chairman of the Board of Big Apple Performing Arts, Inc., the umbrella organization for the NYCGMC, the Youth Pride Chorus and Bistro award winner, Uptown Express. "Decreasing donations, limited resources and the rising costs of production make it more difficult than ever for a community arts organization to survive," he said. "Our goal is to raise $500,000 to enable us to retire debt, proceed with our 30th season and ensure we are better positioned to advocate for equality in the future."

The NYCGMC is undertaking a number of efforts to stay alive including a public awareness campaign, fundraising efforts to the broader community and outreach to secure support from elected officials, LGBT leaders and celebrities with whom the Chorus has performed. The more than 200 members of NYCGMC are also raising money through personal solicitation and popular social networking groups.

A fixture on the New York City cultural scene since its founding in 1979, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus has performed in a wide variety of venues from the Metropolitan Opera House to Madison Square Garden, and even Yankee Stadium and Joan Rivers’ living room. The group was the first gay chorus to perform in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, the first American gay chorus to tour Europe, and the first to have a recording contract with a major label, having produced eight recordings.

"Artistically, we are the best we've been in years due to the direction of Dr. Charles Beale, former director of the London Gay Men’s Chorus, who joined us two years ago," added Clodfelter. "However, NYCGMC has always been about much more than putting singers on a stage. At a time when LGBT visibility was not as prevalent as it is today, the Chorus provided an opportunity for New Yorkers to see out, proud gay men on stage. Today that seems commonplace, but thirty years ago, it was revolutionary. And just as the LGBT movement has evolved, today the Chorus voices its support for marriage equality, LGBTQ youth support and other issues relevant to the community."

Under Beale's baton, the NYCGMC repertoire includes classical, gospel, Broadway and pop. The group has sampled the works of artists ranging from Madonna and Judy Garland to Rufus Wainwright, Billy Strayhorn and Elton John, in addition to works commissioned by and for the NYCGMC.

The planned 30th anniversary season, which begins in September, features a return to Town Hall for the Holiday concert. The NYCGMC first performed there in 1980. The spring concert will be another installment of the hugely popular BIG GAY SING, and the summer concert ADDICTED TO LOVE will look at both a light-hearted view of love and feature THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY, a provocative piece about crystal meth addiction, a scourge not just to the gay community but well beyond.

"We are not going down without a fight," said Peter Criswell, Executive Director. "We have drastically reduced operating expenses and embarked on a no-holds barred fundraising campaign. We have remained a grassroots organization with many generous individuals and a few loyal corporate sponsors supporting us. In a better economy, that kept us afloat. However, with today's economic downturn and rising costs, we will not be able to begin our 30th anniversary season without an influx of funds. We are making our plight public to ask for steady, solid, ongoing support from our straight friends and allies as well as the LGBT community in New York and beyond to ensure our survival and long-term viability."

"NYCGMC and our sister organizations embody pride, family, artistic excellence and visibility each and every time we go on stage. In today’s complicated world, those values are as much needed as they have ever been," said Dr. Charles Beale, Artistic Director, NYCGMC. "We have much more to do, particularly with marriage equality and other civil rights legislation in public discussion. We put a face on those issues. We sincerely hope the community will help us continue to sing proudly, touch hearts and change lives through music for a long time to come."

To make a tax deductible donation or find out more about the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, visit www.nycgmc.org or contact Peter Criswell, Executive Director, at 212-344-1777, extension 1, or executive.director@bapany.org.

Members of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (photo by Haq Qureshi)

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