Songs from the silver screen
ring in chorus' new home

by Anthony Glassman

Dayton--Over 500 people were in the audience for the March 31 �Lights, Camera, Chorus!� concert presented by the Dayton Gay Men�s Chorus.

It was the first show by the chorus in their new venue, the Dayton Art Institute�s NCR Renaissance Auditorium.

The concert featured 20 movie songs, ranging from the childlike with two Disney songs performed a capella, �When You Wish Upon a Star� and �Zip-a-Dee Do-Dah,� to the outrageously immature, with their rendition of �Springtime for Hitler� from The Producers.

Emceed by Niki Dakota of WYSO radio, the bill also included a medley of songs from Sister Act, with chorus members dressed as priests and nuns, and the Superman theme, complete with the iconic �S� shield projected on a screen behind the singers

Making their debut at the concert was the new small ensemble Forte, performing �Summer Nights� from Grease and �Nine to Five.�

�After a short time, I realized there was a love affair going on between us and our listeners, and I�m sure if we would have had the vocal endurance, our passionate friends would have demanded that we sing all night, and still have begged for more,� said member Earl House, channeling My Fair Lady.

Artistic director Gregg Sewell, who conducted with a fairy wand and a riding crop, praised his charges.

�Every man stretched to make this show magical,� he said. �I feel like a proud father watching his sons.�

The chorus is the youngest men�s chorus in Ohio, but came together to put on a professional show with workmanlike efforts in marketing, props and costumes.

The Dayton Gay Men�s Chorus will perform at both Dayton Pride events, the parade and festival on June 2 and the dinner and expo on June 16.

For more information about the group, go to www.daytongaymenschorus.com.