Gay Games 9 Choral Chorus Overview:
Summary: Gay Game 9 Festival Chorus, a group of over 150 musicians will practice separately and then come together for three days of intense rehearsal to perform inspiring and fun musical selections.
Location: The event will be held at the majestic State Theatre at Cleveland’s Historic Playhouse Square District. Playhouse Square, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is the “world’s largest theatre restoration project,” and the country’s largest performing arts center outside New York City (eclipsed only by Lincoln Center), as well as Northeast Ohio’s home for touring Broadway shows, concerts, comedy, opera, dance and children’s programming.
Dennis Coleman - Choral Artistic Director
We are delighted to announce the selection of Dennis Coleman as the Choral Artistic Director for the 2014 Gay Games 9 in Cleveland + Akron! Please join us in welcoming the wonderful talents that Dennis Coleman brings to the Gay Games 2014 while serving as the artistic director for the Gay Games SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) Festival Chorus.
Dennis has led Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus to a position of artistic and administrative excellence with a combined singing membership that exceeds that of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Dennis is active as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the U.S. and Canada. He served for six years on the national Board of Directors for Chorus America and was on the founding Board of Directors of GALA Choruses. Coleman was the Choral Director for the 1990 International Goodwill Games and conducted Seattle Men's Chorus at the 1982 first Gay Olympics (as it was then called) in San Francisco
Dennis Coleman has commissioned and premiered choral works from many leading composers including Gian Carlo Menotti, Jake Heggie, Conrad Susa, David Diamond, and Robert Seeley. Of Rage and Remembrance, a major choral orchestral work memorializing victims of AIDS was premiered by Seattle Men’s Chorus in Seattle in 1991. A recording of this work and the companion Symphony 1, also called Of Rage and Remembrance, by the National Symphony under Leonard Slatkin was awarded the 1998 Grammy for Best Classical Album. Dennis has Conducted and collaborated with acclaimed artists including Maya Angelou, Frederica von Stade, Judith Martin (Miss Manners), Bobby McFerrin, Tatiana Troyanos, the Mark Morris Dance Group, Harvey Fierstein, Michael Feinstein, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Betty Buckley, Nell Carter, Lesley Gore, Kristin Chenowith, Rosemary Clooney, Megan Mullally, Ana Gasteyer, Megan Hilty, Judy Collins, Ann Wilson, Melissa Manchester, Armistead Maupin, Lucy Lawless, Faith Prince, and Lily Tomlin.
The 2014 Gay Games Festival Chorus, expected to be a group of more than 150 singers, will practice separately and then come together for three days of intense rehearsal to perform inspiring and fun musical selections.
Dates: Wednesday, August 13
Hours: 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Traffic: 100-150 musicians - 1,000-1,500 audience members
But wait… that’s not all. Registered Festival Chorus members will also have the opportunity to perform during the Gay Games Opening Ceremonies on Saturday August 9, 2014. Festival Chorus Members will enter Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena with thousands of athletes and registrants and will be featured performers under the direction of Dennis Coleman in a moving tribute to Broadway!
GG9 Chorus Rehearsal (Old Stone Church) and Concert Schedule (State Theatre)
Concert Title: The Big Cleveland Sing!
Thursday, August 7
Old Stone Church
10-11:30 a.m. - Festival Chorus Rehearsal
2-3:30 p.m. - Festival Chorus Rehearsal
7-9 p.m. - Opening Ceremony Rehearsal
Friday, August 8
Old Stone Church
10-11:30 a.m. - Festival Chorus Rehearsal
2-3 p.m. - Festival Chorus Rehearsal
3-4:30 p.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
4:30 Walk to Quicken Loans Arena
Quicken Loans Arena
5 p.m. Opening Ceremony Choir Call
5:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony Choir Tech with Andrea and Alex
Saturday, August 9
Quicken Loans Arena
10:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony Choir Call at Quicken Loans Arena
11 a.m. Tech Opening Ceremony Choir Portion
2-3:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony Rehearsal
6 p.m. Opening Ceremony Calls
7 p.m. Opening Ceremony
Sunday, August 10
Old Stone Church
2-3:30 p.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
Monday, August 11
Old Stone Church
10-11:30 a.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
2-3:30 p.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
Tuesday, August 12
Old Stone Church
10-11:30 a.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
2-3:30 p.m. Festival Chorus Rehearsal
Wednesday, August 13
State Theater
10-11:30 a.m. Festival Chorus Tech
5 p.m. Combined Tech
7:30 p.m. Concert
Guidelines:
Choral activities are being coordinated with the assistance of the GALA Choruses.