Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary

By: Sep. 04, 2008
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It was a packed house in Los Angeles's Walt Disney Hall on Monday night, August 25th, as Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles celebrated their 30th anniversary season with the stunning Joely Fisher as host/performer. Fans and friends on hand for the celebration were Florence Henderson, Loni Anderson, Donna Mills, Dee Wallace, Ber Fox, Clay Adkins, Tippi Hedren, Channing Chase, Kate Linder, Alison Arngrim, Henry Polic, Cassandra Peterson, Johnny Mathis and cast members of Sordid Lives.

In 1978, while cars burned in the plaza outside San Francisco's City Hall to protest the sentencing of Harvey Milk's killer, a small group of men joined the demonstrations-and began to sing. That's how the modern gay choral movement was born.

Today there are over 150 transgender, gay, lesbian and mixed choruses across the United States, joined in song and coördinated through the work of GALA of which GMCLA is a proud co-founder. In July 1979, Los Angeles joined the growing choral civil rights movement when 99 men gathered in Plummer Park-and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles was born. The upcoming 30th Anniversary Gala Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 25, 2008, will launch a year of celebration to mark this achievement. GMCLA will sing and dance their way through a season both rich in memories but with an eye to the future.

 

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Donzaleigh Abernathy with Joely Fisher and Tippi Hedren

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Ber Fox and Donna Mills

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Carol Burnett, Erin Hamilton and longtime family friend Florence Henderson

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
AMC's Mad Men star Channing Chase with husband Daniel Saxon

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Christine Chavez with GMCLA

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Donzaleigh Abernathy with gala producer Chris Verdugo and Tippi Hedren

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Donzaleigh Abernathy, Kate Linder, Alison Arngrim and Tippi Hedren

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Donzaleigh Abernathy

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Della Reese and Donzaleigh Abernathy

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Della Reese

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Erin Hamilton performing One World

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Erin Hamilton and Carol Burnett

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
George Takei and Brad Altman announce their wedding plans

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
GMCLA Executive Director Hywel Sims, Della Reese and GMCLA Artistic Director/Conductor Bruce Mayhall

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Hywel Sims (GMCLA Executive Director), Joely Fisher (Host) and Bruce Mayhall (GMCLA Artistic Director/Conductor)

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
John Anderson and Erin Hamilton

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Jenny Carreon and Christine Chavez

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Joely Fisher

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Joely Fisher

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Kate Linder and Loni Anderson

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Loni Anderson, Hollywood Publicist Harlan Boll and Donna Mills

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Michael Verdugo of HGTV's Design Star and Trish Beaudet

Photo Flash: Gay Men's Chorus of LA 30th Anniversary
Alison Arngrim and husband Bob Schoonover, with Hywel Sims (GMCLA Executive Director)

Photo Credits: Drew Paonessa, Daniel Kane, Marc Colburn, Bill Bow



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