Gay Men's Chorus Introduces New Singing Quartet, 'Broadway Voices'

Broadway Voices, a new singing quartet from the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, will make its debut performance this September at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues) with I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook.   The new performance ensemble features Dan Baillie, Eric Saggese, Sonelius Kendrick-Smith and Phil Zipkin. Musical Direction is by Dr. Charles Beale, and staging by Jeff Lettiere.

This all-male cast brings a unique twist to the traditionally co-ed songbook featuring songs from Maltby & Shire's hit shows Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; their Tony Award nominated musical Baby; and a never-before heard song from their new show Take Flight. 

"This may come as surprise to some of you, but the boys in the New York City Gay Men's Chorus happen to love their show tunes," says Beale.  "Broadway Voices shares its love affair with The Great White Way with its audiences through public performance and community outreach.  All four of these guys sing just beautifully, both as soloists and as a quartet.  They can belt like Ethel, kick it up like Chita, and are cute as a button on a chorus boy's vest.  We're thrilled to be making our public debut with this salute to the work of Maltby and Shire this September at The Metropolitan Room."  

Both as a team and individually, Richard Maltby and David Shire have had prolific and distinguished careers for stage and screen. Together, their best-known musicals include Baby; Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; and Big. Separately, Shire has scored several hundred films, won an Oscar (Norma Rae) and two Grammys (Saturday Night Fever) along the way, and co-wrote the hit pop single "With You I'm Born Again;" while Maltby was the Tony-winning director and co-conceiver of Ain't Misbehavin', the co-lyricist of Miss Saigon and the screenwriter of last year's Miss Potter starring Renee Zellwegger.

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus' Broadway Voices sing "I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook" which plays September 17 at 9:30PM, September  20 at 5:00PM and September 21 at 9:30PM at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues).  $20 cover/2 drink minimum.  For reservations call (212) 206-0440 or visit http://metropolitanroom.com/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=98&extmode=view&extid=798.  All proceeds will benefit the NYCGMC.

Broadway Voices (l-r): Sonelius Kendrick-Smith, Phil Zipkin, Dan Baillie and Eric Saggese

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