Oh, the 80’s, decade of my birth.  Long gone are your acid washed jeans, your feathered bangs, your off the shoulder shirts (unless you stop into the Roxy on a Saturday night- 80’s fashion back in style???), long gone are the smooth stylings of Peter Gabriel, Debbie Gibson, and the New Kids on the Block (reunited and it feels so good!) Yes, the 80’s were the greatest 8 years of my life- and yes, that is because I was only alive for 8 of them, but that is not to say that I am any less a fan of the fine music that defined the decade.  That is why I took such utter delight in this weekend’s Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Concert, a tribute to the music of the 80’s aptly titled, “Boys Just Wanna Have Fun”.
While the chorus is usually seen sporting no less than full on tuxedos and cummerbunds, this special Gay Pride edition of the concert, featured 100 of the cities most handsome gentlemen sporting stylish kakis and polos in varying sorbet-inspired colors.  It was actually really helpful in distinguishing the various characters on stage, “I slept with that one,” a portly gentleman behind me said, “the one in periwinkle next to the man in teal and the man in salmon”.  Periwinkle? Salmon?  God, I love the gays.  The assortment of costumes throughout the night proved to be entertaining (hello Mr. T!) and very clever (did those monk robes have removable sleeves??) and in true BGMC form, you never knew what you were going to see next!

As if the flashy costumes weren’t already enough, the wonderful part about attending a BGMC concert is the truly fantastic music.  All the 80’s classics were there, from Gloria Estefan to George Michael.  “Faith”, “Like a Prayer”, “Love Shack”, “Greatest Love of All” and “Private Dancer” were featured numbers, each full of such sparkle that it was hard to remember the originals, and just in case the nostalgia was hitting too hard to hold back the tears and the singing along, Chad Weirick, the Chorus’ Principal Accompanist and Assistant Music Director whipped up fifty more favorites into a fantastic medley that had the audience barely able to stay in their seats.
The dancing in this concert takes the cake.  Previously, the shenanigans of the 2007 Christmas concert were often referred to as the “dance show” among my circle, but Michelle Chasse, choreographer, really turned up the heat for this concert.  Both the “varsity” and “junior varsity” dance troops were in tip-top shape, as committed as they were skillful.  My companion and I were laughing with so much glee at one point that I am sure we disturbed and confused our fellow audience members.
No BGMC concert is all fun and games though, and this Pride-centric concert was no exception.  Ruben Reynolds, long time conductor and BGMC icon, shared a very touching story about the emotional impact that this music still has had on gay culture.  The 80’s were a time of terrible pain, fear, and confusion for so many of our gay brothers and sisters, and knowing this music united us all in both happiness and pain was extremely powerful.  The chorus members donned their Aids Awareness pins, and a beautiful quartet, representing multi-generations, led the choir in a rendition of “That’s What Friends are For” which left nary a dry eye in the entire auditorium and led to a rousing standing ovation.

I’m not usually one to put things so plainly, but I recommend that everyone become season subscription holders to the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.  Their concerts are consistently excellent, their song choices are always timely and clever, the show-choir dances and hilarious skits reinvent themselves year after year, and what they do for the community- uniting generations across tolerance and understanding through music, is something that is truly unmatched in Boston.  I am a long time fan, and will continue to be one.

*photo credit edgeboston.com