Melvin Robert and Nicole Heaston talk AND THE BEAT GOES ON at the Saban Theatre

The power of Motown, R&B and musical theater will take center stage when The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) presents its spring concert, “And the Beat Goes On,” March 21–22 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The concert will feature two special guest artists—KTLA 5 entertainment anchor/ former Good Day LA host Melvin Robert and acclaimed soprano Nicole Heaston—who will join the nearly 200-member chorus for an evening celebrating the legacy of Black voices in American song.

For Robert, the performance marks a meaningful return to an organization that helped shape both his personal and professional life.

“It’s very much a homecoming for me,” Robert told BroadwayWorld. “I sang in the chorus from 2013 to 2018, and when they asked me to come back, it was such a natural yes because I just love them so much.”

Before becoming a familiar face on Los Angeles television, Robert was pursuing a career in performance and education. At the time, he says, he was searching for a deeper sense of belonging within the LGBTQ community.

“When I joined the chorus, I was really struggling with a lot of internalized homophobia and shame around being a gay person,” he said. “The experience gave me this confidence and this beautiful community—brothers who loved and encouraged me to be who I was.”

The chorus’ mission, he said, extends well beyond music. Members volunteer their time and often participate in outreach programs such as the Alive Music Project, visiting schools and sharing their stories through song.

“It taught me about the power of my voice,” Robert said. “And when my voice is joined with other voices, it can really change the world.”

Robert credits the organization with giving him the confidence to pursue the broadcast career that eventually led him to KTLA.

“The chorus gave me the wings to fly,” he said.

During “And the Beat Goes On,” Robert will perform “Georgia on My Mind,” the classic popularized by Ray Charles, along with “You Can’t Win” from The Wiz.

The Ray Charles song, in particular, has a special meaning for him.

“My Grandma Vera loved Ray Charles,” Robert said. “I have vivid memories of being at her house and hearing that song playing. When they asked me to sing it, it felt like such a beautiful wink to her.”

While the evening promises high-energy musical moments, Robert says audiences can also expect something more personal.

“Inspiration is something you can always expect when you see the Gay Men’s Chorus,” he said. “Sometimes members share their own stories about coming out—some joyful, some painful—and those moments get woven into the show. It’s a very emotionally rich experience.”

He describes the feeling of performing with the ensemble as something almost spiritual.

“There was always a song in every show where I’d be standing there thinking, ‘Wow, this is healing me right now,’” he said. “Honestly, it’s like church—in the best way.”

Joining Robert onstage will be soprano Nicole Heaston, who is widely known for her work in opera houses around the world. Heaston told BroadwayWorld she is excited for the opportunity to step outside her classical repertoire.

“Very rarely do I get the chance to leave the classical world behind and perform Motown and R&B and Broadway,” she said. 

The Chicago-born singer, who will also be performing with LA Opera this season in “Falstaff,” said the concert offers a welcome chance to revisit the music she grew up with.

“I didn’t grow up singing classical music,” she said. “I grew up singing this kind of music. I always thought I’d be an R&B singer before I became a classical singer.”

Heaston will appear as a featured vocalist during the concert, performing selections including “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess along with additional R&B and Broadway-inspired pieces.

For a performer accustomed to working with orchestras and opera ensembles, the prospect of singing with a large chorus again is particularly exciting.

“I’ve always loved choir,” she said, recalling her early years singing in church choirs and the Chicago Children’s Choir. “So the idea of having 200 choral voices behind me is going to be incredible.”

Though this will be her first collaboration with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, Heaston says she is eager to join the organization’s famously welcoming community.

“One thing I’ve always noticed about the gay community is how inclusive it is,” she said. “I’m excited to come in and feel like family.”