Heartland Men's Chorus

HMC’s hometown holiday

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli December 10, 2014

The Heartland Men’s Chorus was bursting with hometown pride and holiday spirit in its latest show, “Kansas City Christmas,” presented at the Folly Theater last weekend.

In addition to featuring a hearty number of Kansas City artists and composers’ arrangements, the Heartland Men’s Chorus’s annual holiday extravaganza celebrated tradition and other cultures. Rich versions of classic Christmas gems “Gloria,” “Lo, How a Rose e’re Blooming,” and “I Saw Three Ships” set the tone with their expanding harmonies and wistfulness, as well as a dramatic version of “The Little Drummer Boy” which featured a tight five-person drumline. In addition to the Latin “Gloria,” the spirited African Kituba-dialect song “Noel” opened the show, with “Bashana Haba’ah” (“Next Year”) sung in Hebrew, which accompanied a touching on-stage scene of two fathers with their cute young daughters lighting a menorah. The men handled the non-English lyrics with excellent expression and diction, enunciating each phrase and syllable clearly in each piece.

Before intermission, the men sang local composer Jacob Narverud’s arrangement of three sections from Handel’s Messiah, a challenging feat with an appearance by sublime local soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson. The chorus admirably rose to the challenge of this arrangement, tackling the fugal and melismatic nature of “For Unto Us a Child is Born” especially well.

An HMC concert would not be complete without a good dose of levity, and this first concert of its 29th season was no exception. “Pirate Song,” lead by soloist Michael L. De Voe, had the choir playing for laughs with the tune’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics (“For romance, find a pirate”), and guest drag queen stars were riotous as the “Christmas Tree Angel” (Genewa Stanwyck) and Elsa for a medley from Frozen (De De DeVille). “Christmas in the Cloister” opened the second half: an impish take on lengthy church announcements in plainsong, with a delightfully hammy performance as Cantor by Mark A. Lechner. Tannehill Anderson even joined the merriment with her jazzy, exaggerated solo on “Variations on Jingle Bells,” arranged by local composer Mark Hayes.

HMC also included a few token heart-tugging numbers, including its “Ad Astra” selection for this concert, a wordless, mostly instrumental “Stille Nacht.” You couldn’t help also thinking of your own loved ones passed away during this one, with the stage dimmed a deep blue hue and countless sparkling stars projected throughout the hall. “Thanksgiving Song” featured some spoken word in the form of inspiring social-media posts on myriad topics, from being cancer free to a successful adoption to celebrating equal marriage, and soloist Jason Taylor gave an R&B-tinged performance of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” HMC welcomed local indie-pop recording artist Dustin Rapier to sing the lead part for Brad Millison’s “Christmas in Kansas City,” complete with mentions of the Plaza lights and our beloved fountains, arranged by HMC’s new artistic director, Dustin Cates.

As expected from HMC, production value for “Kansas City Christmas” was high-quality and created a warm, inviting scene and festive mood through lighting, props, color schemes, costumes, confetti, and more. Choreography by Jerry Jay Cranford was lively and always enhanced the songs, especially on the animated “Chanukah in Santa Monica.” This show had more assisting musicians than usual, with a flutist, string quartet, guitar-bass-drum trio, and HMC’s own piano accompanist Lamar Sims. While the accompaniment in general was strong and laid a good foundation for the chorus, the string quartet struggled with intonation and confidence on the Messiah.

Dustin Cates is a welcome addition to the HMC family. He is personable and charming on stage (if a bit stiff this first concert), clearly challenges the singers, and has a vision for continuing and expanding the organization’s messaging and musical programming. One thing is certain—you can always count on HMC to present its own special twist on the usual holiday fare, honoring traditions and in a fresh, fun way this time of year.

 

REVIEW:
Heartland Men’s Chorus
Kansas City Christmas

December 5–7, 2014 (Reviewed Friday, December 5)
Folly Theater
300 W. 12th St., Kansas City, MO

Copyright © 2014 KCMETROPOLIS.org Used by permission.

A Musical Gift With KANSAS CITY CHRISTMAS

Steve Wilson | BroadwayWorld.com

Kansas City ChristmasThe outstanding musical production of Kansas City Christmas opened the 29th season of the Heartland Men’s Chorus on Friday December 5 at the Folly Theater. The newly appointed Artistic Director Dustin S. Cates led the chorus of about 120 men through an array of humorous and sincere holiday songs to kick off the festive season. Cates served as a Guest Conductor for the Chorus’s production of I Am Harvey Milk.

Robert Lamar Sims accompanied the chorus on piano with the support of a small band. Jerry Jay Cranford designed the choreography, which included a hilarious segment in which Genewa Stanwyck as the Christmas Tree Angel attempts to return to the top of the tree as the chorus sings “Christmas Tree Angel.”

Kansas City Christmas opened with Brian Larios, Shawn Revelle, David Wood, and Samuel W. Zorn performing solos as the chorus sang “Noel.” The show continued with “Gloria,” “There is Faint Music,” and Songs of the Season that included an uplifting and amusing interpretation of “Pirate Song.”

Cole Hoover, Evan Morrow, Grant Sharples, Justin Underwood, and Jack Weber formed a drum line to accompany the chorus in the presentation of “The Little Drummer Boy.” The song originally known as “Carol of the Drum” written by Katherine Kennicott Davis made its debut in 1941 and was recorded by the Trapp Family Singers in 1955. Ray Conniff Singers, Bing Crosby, Johnny Cash, The Harry Simeone Choral, Stevie Wonder, and a host of others have performed or recorded the holiday classic. Of all the performances, I have had the privilege to see; none has been as grand and moving as the one performed by the talented Heartland Men’s Chorus. This song alone would be worth the price of a ticket.

Soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson joins the chorus in Act 1 for The Messiah: Three Christmas Chorus Settings for Men’s Voices and Soprano Soloist. In Act II, she returned to the stage to perform “Variations on Jingle Bells” with the chorus. Self-produced indie pop recording artist Dustin Rapier delighted the audience with “Christmas in Kansas City”. De De DeVille, the infamous Kansas City drag diva, performed a solo from the popular Walt Disney Animation Studios film Frozen, accompanied by John Edmonds, Bob Kohler, and Brandon Sheldon as the snowman.

Ad Astra is Latin, meaning “to the stars” and symbolizes the feelings for the members of the Heartland Men’s Chorus who have passed Ad Astra. The chorus paid tribute to their missing comrades with a rendition of Stille Nacht that is sure to bring tears to the eyes.

Kansas City Christmas continues at the Folly Theatre through Sunday December 7. Photo and video courtesy of the Heartland Men’s Chorus.

Heartland Men’s Chorus celebrates ‘Kansas City Christmas’

Derek Cowsert | Kansas City Star

gay mens chorus 8It’s not every night you’ll see a 3-year-old in a tux.

But, then, it’s not every night when that same 3-year-old, Emmaus Cates-Cattaneo, takes the Folly Theater stage as conductor of the Heartland Men’s Chorus holiday concert, as he will Saturday.

Nor, come to think about it, does one often get the opportunity to hear Mayor Sly James belt out a solo “I’ll be Home For Christmas.” That will come Sunday.

But back to the kid. Emmaus is the son of new artistic director Dustin Cates, who will be doing all the other conducting for the three performances this weekend.

Nepotism, one might contend, but it’s not, really, since Cates didn’t have anything to do with it. It was Raymond Cattaneo, Cates’ husband, who purchased the guest conductor prize at Dinner of Note, the chorus’s fundraising gala.

“I kept saying to Ray, ‘Why are you bidding on that? They pay me to conduct.’ He surprised me by giving it to our son, so we got him a little tuxedo with tails,” Cates explained, beaming.

These guest appearances promise to be two highlights of “A Kansas City Christmas,” put on by one of America’s largest gay men’s choruses.

Native son Cates wants the first show of his inaugural season to be a celebration.

“Pride in our community is at an all-time high. I wanted my first concert as artistic director to reflect the spirit, flavor and music of my hometown,” Cates said.

The holiday concert offers a mix of traditional Christmas carols and sacred music with humor sprinkled throughout.

“Kansas City Christmas” places local artists front and center. Many of the featured composers have Kansas City ties, including Lyndell Leatherman and Jacob Narverud, who both will premiere new commissions.

Guest singers include rising indie pop star Dustin Rapier and soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson, whom Kansas City arts supporters will recognize from her work with the Lyric Arts Trio, the Kansas City Chorale, the Kansas City Symphony and the Bach Aria Soloists.

The Park Hill South High School Drumline also will take the stage for a rendition of “Little Drummer Boy.”

As the fourth artistic director in the 29-year history of the chorus, Cates brings a local pedigree: bachelor’s degree in music education from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance; master’s in school leadership from Baker University; then 11 years as chorus director at Raytown South, then Shawnee Mission South, and finally Olathe East High School.

In 2013, Cates was invited as guest conductor for a Heartland Men’s performance of “I Am Harvey Milk.” During those rehearsals, he decided to apply for the open full-time position, though it seemed a long shot.

“I thought, I’m a high school choral director. I don’t have the kind of experience with gay choruses some of the other candidates have,” he said.

The search committee saw things differently.

“There are some real similarities to teaching a class full of high school students to directing a chorus of 150 gay men,” Cates joked.

This concert is the culmination of hours of practice for the singing members of the chorus, as well as tons of work for the 40 non-singing members, the Heartlights.

“Our slogan is if you can’t carry a tune, perhaps you can carry a bucket. We do all the behind-the-scenes work, from the stage to the office,” said Rusty Moore, president of Heartland Men’s Chorus and leader of the Heartlights.

“Heartland Men’s Chorus is a very well-run organization. All the other choral organizations across the country look to us for guidance,” explained Moore. “This is kind of a refuge for a lot of people. We cater to a lot of different needs.”

The members rehearse at the Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral downtown. This is a time for not only singing, but socializing. At a recent practice, there was even a doctor administering flu shots.

“It is wonderful, having men that you can be comfortable with in your own skin. You don’t have to pretend or even hide who you are. It’s one pressure you don’t have to worry about,” said second-year bass Mario Alcantara, a physical therapist from St. Joseph who commutes every Tuesday for rehearsal.

Tenor Jimmy Blanch, worship leader at Broadway Church in Westport in his seventh year with the chorus, added, “The chorus to me is like a family.”

Founded in 1986, Heartland Men’s Chorus is a not-for-profit chorus of gay and gay-sensitive singers. The chorus performs jazz, Broadway, popular and classical music and often utilizes a documentary format of music, narration and multimedia to illustrate issues of social justice. In addition to concerts at the Folly, the chorus puts on dozens of community outreach performances annually.

The Friday and Saturday shows of “Kansas City Christmas” begin at 8 p.m. The Sunday show starts at 4 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to hmckc.org or call 816-931-3338.

Heartland Men’s Chorus welcomes new artistic director

Ciara Ried | Liberty PressCOVER_LibertyPress-shadow_Dec14n

The Heartland Men’s Chorus (HMC) has announced Dustin Cates as its new artistic director. A life-long Kansas Citian, Cates says he has always enjoyed attending HMC performances and appreciates their impact on the community.

A search committee that included chorus members, past board chairs, community arts leaders, donors and chorus staff conducted an extensive nationwide search to fill the position. Cates is thrilled to become the next artistic director of HMC. “If you would have asked me a year ago if I would be doing anything but teaching high school choral music I would have told you that you were nuts,” he says. “Second only to my husband and our little boy, teaching high school choir was my life’s greatest joy. The opportunity I had to impact the lives of the students that sat in my classroom every day was a reward like none other.”

An opportunity presented itself last spring; Cates was given the chance to work with HMC as a guest conductor for last spring’s concert, I am Harvey Milk. Through this experience, he was able to get to know the men in the chorus. “They shared with me their stories, I saw the support and genuine care they had for one another and most importantly I saw the powerful impact they had on our city,” he says. “I quickly came to realize that, while I was stepping out of a role where I felt as though I was making a difference, my leadership role as the artistic director of Heartland Men’s Chorus allows me to continue to work to make our city and our world a better place in some pretty amazing ways!”

In addition to his guest conductor role, Cates says his previous experience prepared him well for this artistic director position. He attended college at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. He taught high school choral music for 11 years, and served on the music ministry staff at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, and performed with theater companies throughout Kansas City.

“I work to be the kind of person who sees every experience as preparation for what comes next,” he says. “Each of these experiences has shaped who I am and the kind of artistic director I strive to be for Heartland Men’s Chorus.”

Cates joins HMC as the organization prepares to begin its 29th season. The first show of the new season will be Kansas City Christmas, HMC’s official annual kick-off to the holidays. “The concert features seasonal classics that we know and love, fun holiday songs and some outrageously hilarious and campy numbers as only HMC can do,” Cates says.

Given the amount of buzz Kansas City has experienced recently (how about those Royals?), Cates says the holiday show will cast the spotlight on local pride. “Especially with the recent national spotlight on our city I think there is a sense of civic pride that I’ve not encountered in a lifetime of living here,” he says. “With Kansas City Christmas, we will celebrate that civic pride, some of Kansas City’s finest composers, performers and of course, Kansas City’s own, Heartland Men’s Chorus.”

The second show under Cates’ direction will be an original musical documentary that celebrates and tells the story of the changing face of the American family. The final show of the year will celebrate the music of famed contemporary musical theatre composer Stephen Schwartz, whose works include music from Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, and Prince of Egypt.

Cates says the concert will also include the Midwest premiere of Testimony, a work written by Stephen Schwartz utilizing material from Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project.

KANSAS CITY CHRISTMAS Opens the 29th Season of the Heartland Men’s Chorus

Steve Wilson | BroadwayWorld.com

Kansas City ChristmasThe Heartland Men’s Chorus celebrates all things Kansas City December 5-7 with their holiday concert Kansas City Christmas. The first concert of their 29th season takes the stage at the Folly Theater under the direction of the Heartlands new artistic director Dustin S. Cates.

The program contains a mix of traditional carols, sacred music, and the outrageous humor of the chorus. The Saturday evening performance will feature a “sly” surprise, with special guest Kansas City Mayor Sly James. Mayor James, a longtime supporter of the arts in Kansas City, will perform a solo in “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

“Pride in our city and our community is at an all-time high,” says Cates. “It seems like every week Kansas City is included on a ‘Top Ten List’ of the best places to live, to work, or to visit. And the performance of the Kansas City Royals in the World Series has renewed pride in our city like I’ve never experienced before. I wanted my first concert as artistic director to reflect the spirit, flavor, and music of my hometown.”

The holiday concert, Kansas City Christmas, features music written and arranged by local composers. The chorus will perform “Gloria,” written by Eugene Butler, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Variations on Jingle Bells” arranged by Mark Hayes, and arrangements of “Bashana Haba ‘ah” and “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming” by John Leavitt. “I Saw Three Ships” by Lyndell Leatherman and “Three Messiah Settings for Men’s Chorus” by Jacob Narverud will be debuted in the productions.

Other performers include Dustin Rapier, Soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson, and the Park Hill South High School Drumline will perform a choreographed interlude to “The Little Drummer Boy.” From the world of drag, DeDe Deville joins the chorus in a tribute to the ubiquitous Disney film “Frozen” and Genewa Stanwyck appears as “Angie, The Christmas Tree Angel.”

The Heartland Men’s Chorus is Kansas City’s gay men’s chorus, regularly performing with more than 120 singers. Evening performances on Friday and Saturday begin at 8 p.m. and the Sunday performance at 4 p.m. Purchase tickets by calling 816-931-3338 or online at the Heartland Men’s Chorus website. Photo courtesy of the Heartland Men’s Chorus.

Heartland Men’s Chorus Offers Up Kansas City Traditions

Kellie Houx | KC Studio

KC StudioThe Heartland Men’s Chorus has a new artistic director and he plans on capturing all the positivity he can when it comes to hometown pride during his first outing as director. The season opener is called Kansas City Christmas. New Artistic Director Dustin Cates is getting about 150 members ready to presents “more sparkle than the Plaza lights.” The concert includes new arrangements of holiday favorites by five local composers, including an arrangement of some of Handel’s Messiah choruses set for men’s voices. There will also be special guests from the worlds of local politics, drag, pop and classical music. The season opener is 8 p.m. Dec 5, 8 pm. Dec. 6 and 4 p.m. Dec. 7.

Cates is not unfamiliar with the Heartland Men’s Chorus. He was the guest director for I Am Harvey Milk, an oratorio by Broadway composer Andrew Lippa celebrating the life and legacy of the civil rights hero. “I love the concept of social justice that is part of this group’s DNA. HMC really strives to make the world a better world. The better world can include enjoying the holiday season.”

Cates is native to Kansas City. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and a Master of Science in School Leadership from Baker University. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education and American Choral Directors Association. He serves on the Alumni Board for the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and the UMKC Chancellors LGBTQIA Advisory Board. Cates is the President-Elect of the Kansas Choral Directors Association, a group that awarded him the Kansas Outstanding Young Choral Director Award in 2009. He was previously a teacher at Raytown South and Shawnee Mission South, including supporting a significant theater program that staged two musicals annually. He worked for six years as Director of Choral Activities at Olathe East High School and is a member of the music ministry team at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

Kansas City Christmas“I also went to college with Joe Nadeau (the previous HMC artistic director) so I knew a lot of the wide variety of music and the work of the organization,” he says. “Changing from teaching to serving as artistic director hasn’t really changed my excitement. Whether it is with the kids or the community singers, I knew I wasn’t losing anything. I knew there would be incredible purpose.” With the Dinner of Note in early October, Cates started building relationships. He also ventures out on calls with prospective donors, seeking support.

As the group prepares for Christmas, Cates makes sure that the men find a positive environment. “Rehearsals are a place where everyone can feel comfortable, emotional and vulnerable. If I show these traits, we all rise in these qualities and the music gets better.”

With Christmas, the men are working on music that is a veritable potpourri of sacred music, holiday favorites and a few farcical tunes. “There really is something for everyone,” Cates says. He has brought in five composers. Jacob Narverud has a master’s degree in conducting from the UMKC Conservatory and Cates and he met through the Kansas City Chorale. His contribution to the performances are the choruses from The Messiah, arranged for men’s voices. Soprano Sarah Tannehill will perform with the group. Eugene Butler is another composer who specializes in providing choir music for high schools, churches and colleges. Lyndell Leatherman orchestrates and composes. He has combined the traditional I Saw Three Ships with a humorous piece called Pirate Song. “We are calling this area the Songs of the Sea –son,” he explains. “The first half will be more lighthearted. The second half will include Mark Hayes, one of the biggest choral composers. He may even play with the chorus. His piece is an arrangement of I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Then there is John Leavitt as well. He has several Christmas pieces in his repertoire.”

Cates promises the traditional pieces, but even a few of those will be turned on their collective heads. As an example, there is a Variations on Jingle Bells that has a Sound of Music feel. “With each number, we are featuring a Kansas City artist, composer, performer or more. Christmas in Kansas City features the pop stylings of Dustin Rapier.” A drum line, most likely from Park Hill South, will join the chorus on an arrangement of Little Drummer Boy.

Kansas City ChristmasThe campy parts will have chorus members dressed as monks for Christmas in the Cloister. This opens the second half, he says. “It’s irreverent and continues with Christmas Tree Angel with drag queen Genewa Stanwyck trying to climb onto the top of a Christmas tree.”

Like most parents of a 3-year-old, Cates and his husband have seen and listened to the music of Frozen a lot. “We have a parody with DeDe Deville channeling her best Elsa,” he says. “Then we have a little more fun with Hanukkah in Santa Monica, written by the great parody and humor composer Tom Lehrer.”

Cates vows that the chorus will continue the driving concept of TLC – tears, laughter and chills. “Any good choral programming has to include laughter, some high art, some emotion … it is about crafting a program that is robust and provides a full experience.” The concert will run about two hours.

With the shows scheduled for early December, Cates hopes to attract some choral lovers who want to help kick off their holiday season. “As a former audience member, I know that the holiday performance set the mood for the season. I want to provide fun music and a great show that becomes a tradition for others. We want to be included in all those thoughts about what is traditionally a Kansas City Christmas.”

Personally, Cates and his husband Dr. Raymond Cattaneo celebrate St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6. Plus Cates loves Christmas trees. There are at least eight decorated throughout their home. “We have too many to mention,” he says. “This year, I am thinking about adding one where all our medals from various races are the ornaments and the bibs with our race numbers are turned into the tree skirt. As a high school choral director, I loved preparing for the big holiday concert. It’s my tradition and with the Heartland Men’s Chorus, I get to continue that tradition.”

Heartland Men’s Chorus Is Home for the Holidays

Kansas City ChristmasHeartland Men’s Chorus will celebrate all things Kansas City in its holiday concert, appropriately titled “Kansas City Christmas,” December 5-7, 2014, at the Folly Theater. The first concert of the group’s 29th season is also the first under the direction of its new artistic director Dustin S. Cates.

“Pride in our city and our community is at an all-time high,” says Cates. “It seems like every week Kansas City is included on a ‘Top Ten List’ of the best places to live, to work or to visit. And the performance of the Kansas City Royals in the World Series has renewed pride in our city like I’ve never experienced before. I wanted my first concert as artistic director to reflect the spirit, flavor and music of my hometown.”

The program will contain a merry mix of traditional carols, sacred music, and the outrageous humor for which the chorus has become known. The Saturday performance will feature a “sly” surprise, with the appearance of a special guest artist known to every Kansas City resident.

Music written and arranged by local composers will be highlighted throughout the concert.

The chorus will sing “Gloria,” written by Eugene Butler, a prolific composer with a long history in Kansas City. Two other local composers will be represented with two songs each. The chorus will perform works arranged by Mark Hayes (“I’ll be Home for Christmas” and “Variations on Jingle Bells”) and John Leavitt (“Bashana Haba ‘ah” and “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming”).

New commissions by Kansas City’s Lyndell Leatherman (“I Saw Three Ships”) and Jacob Narverud (“Three Messiah Settings for Men’s Chorus”) will be debuted at the concert.

Several guest artists will appear on the bill, coming from the diverse worlds of local politics, pop music, classical music and the alternative theatre scene. The Sunday performance will feature a guest appearance by Mayor Sly James. A long time supporter of the arts in Kansas City, the mayor will croon the solo in “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Up and coming “indie” pop sensation Dustin Rapier will join HMC to perform “Christmas in Kansas City.” Soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson will be featured as a soloist in the “Messiah” choruses. Local audiences have heard her work with the Lyric Arts Trio, Kansas City Chorale, Kansas City Symphony and the Bach Aria Soloists.

Two performers from the world of drag will be among the highlights of the second act. DeDe Deville will join HMC in a tribute to the ubiquitous Disney film Frozen, and Genewa Stanwyck will appear as “Angie, The Christmas Tree Angel.”

Rounding out the guest artist roster is the Park Hill South High School Drumline, who will provide a choreographed interlude to “The Little Drummer Boy.”

The concert marks the start of the 29th season for HMC, Kansas City’s gay men’s chorus. The group regularly performs with more than 120 singers, and draws the largest audience for choral music in the region.

Heartland Men’s Chorus presents “Kansas City Christmas” at 8:00 p.m. December 5 and 6, and 4:00 p.m. on December 7. All performances are at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th Street, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets range in price from $15-$40 and are available at https://hmckc.org or by calling 816-931-3338.

 

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High resolution photos of the chorus may be downloaded at https://hmckc.org/photos

Heartland Men’s Chorus appears in T-Mobile World Series commercial

Lisa Gutierrez | Kansas City Star

In case you missed it, the Heartland Men’s Chorus appeared on TV during the World Series broadcast Saturday night.

A T-Mobile commercial featuring dozens of people across the country singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” included an oh-so-fast glimpse of the Kansas City chorus singing the song. You can see some of the guys at the 0:29 mark below.

But that was really all too brief, wasn’t it? Hardly enough time to enjoy one of our favorite choruses in town.

Check out the full song below.

Heartland Men’s Chorus Announces 2014-2015 Season

Heartland Men's ChorusHeartland Men’s Chorus has announced its 29th season, the first under the artistic leadership of Dustin S. Cates. Cates was chosen as artistic director after a national search earlier this year, and guest conducted the chorus during the spring 2014 program I Am Harvey Milk.

The season will begin with the holiday concert, Kansas City Christmas, December 5-7, 2014. The program will highlight local holiday traditions, as well as local musicians. Five Kansas City area composers, including Eugene Butler, Jake Navarud and Mark Hayes, will create new arrangements for the chorus.

More than 3,000 audience members join the chorus for its holiday program due to its mix of traditional music and outrageous humor. This season’s offering will follow the same proven format, with well-known carols (“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”) and some holiday hijinks courtesy of cast members from Kansas City’s Late Night Theatre.

March 28 and 29, 2015, the group presents Modern Families. The chorus has achieved critical and popular success with previous “musical documentaries,” combining music, narration and multi-media to illuminate a timely social issue. The changing face of American families was an issue close to Cates’s heart. He and his partner Raymond Cattaneo became parents to a son, Emmaus, born in 2011.

“The two most important aspects of my life are my family and music making,” said Cates.  “When working to create a series of meaningful, diverse and entertaining concerts for HMC’s 29th season exploring the power, dignity and love of families in all forms was a natural starting point.”

Lawrence Children’s Choir will join HMC for the concert, which includes such varied offerings as “Not My Father’s Son” from the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, an encore performance of the popular song “In My Mother’s Eyes,” and Andrea Ramsey’s “Luminescence,” a song written to commemorate the birth of Cates’s son.

The chorus closes the season with A Little Bit Wicked June 13-14, 2015, a concert celebrating the music of composer Stephen Schwartz. Currently represented on Broadway with Wicked and Pippin, Schwartz’s catalogue includes the musicals Godspell, The Magic Show and Children of Eden, plus scores for the films Enchanted, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The program also includes lesser-known Schwarz works, including “Keramos,” Schwartz’s choral setting of a Henry Wadworth Longfellow poem. The finale to the concert will be the Midwest premiere of “Testimony,” a poignant new work inspired by the video testimonials of the “It Gets Better Project.”

Also on tap for the season will be The Big Gay Sing. Part raucous variety show and part audience sing-along, the event is modeled after the wildly popular New York City Gay Men’s Chorus event of the same name. A venue and dates for The Big Gay Sing will be announced later in the year.

The chorus will welcome new members when rehearsals begin on September 2, 2014. Cates expects the group to perform with 130-150 men this season. Heartland Men’s Chorus is Kansas City’s gay men’s chorus, singing out in the Midwest since 1986.

All performances take place at the Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Season tickets from $72.00 – $114.00 are available now by phone at (816) 931-3338 and online at https://hmckc.org.

 

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What happens at HMC concerts…

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli | KCMetropolis.org

Vegas, BabyHelmed by guest director Anthony Edwards, Heartland Men’s Chorus presented an historical retrospective on the Vegas of yesteryear for its Vegas, Baby program’s first half. Following a bluesy “Route 66,” the group performed hits that naturally conjure the Sunset Strip’s glory days, from gambling (“Luck Be a Lady Tonight”) to the Rat Pack (“Mack the Knife,” “That Old Black Magic”) to Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton (“Danke Schoen”). “This Could Be the Start of Something,” made famous by Steve Allen and sung by HMC soloists Ben Helmers and Rob Hill, brought to mind Vegas as popular quickie wedding destination.

During the first half, Liberace impersonator extraordinaire Martin Preston graced the stage for two numbers, bringing the first taste of glitz and glam of the evening in a lavish, sparkling silver-and-white fur-trimmed coat and suit to match. Preston’s uncanny resemblance to the late entertainer and his finely tuned mannerisms were striking. His playing style was even accurate to Liberace’s, with hand flourishes, flowery musical gestures, and winks to the audience. Complete with candelabra atop the piano lid, Preston performed a George Gershwin medley, “The 12th Street Rag,” and in a nod to Liberace’s home state of Wisconsin, “The Beer Barrel Polka.”

Vegas of today dominated the concert’s second half, highlighting contemporary acts like Celine Dion (“My Heart Will Go On”), Cher (“Do You Believe in Life After Love”), and Elton John (“Sir Elton” medley). Standing in for Cirque du Soleil were two aerial artists from Quixotic. Chelsea Layne astounded in her graceful work with a simple suspended ring for a couple of songs, and B.J. Erdmann displayed breathtaking athleticism using two straps accompanied by Josh Groban’s Cirque du Soleil song “Let Me Fall” sung by HMC solo favorites Todd Kendall Gregory-Downs and Kelly Marzett.

What’s a visit to Vegas without a little magic? HMC invited magicians David Sandy and Lance Rich to cast their spell on the crowd, with such illusory feats as sawing a woman in half, sleight of hand, and Houdini’s infamous Metamorphosis trick. Particularly thrilling and entertaining—thanks in large part to Sandy’s charm and charisma—was their bit in which an audience member laid on a table and was pierced through with spikes, of course without leaving a scratch.

As usual with HMC shows, a number of talented soloists are given the spotlight. Notable solos for Vegas, Baby included an impressive imitation of Elvis Presley by Todd Jordan Green, Tom Lancaster’s swaggering introduction to the Elton John medley, Randy Hite’s deft handling of challenging intervals on “The Boy from Ipanema,” and Mark A. Lechner’s dapper gambler on “Luck Be a Lady Tonight.” Patrick Orlich relished his German-language solo on “Mack the Knife,” and Jeff Williams’s tone was a dead ringer for Wayne Newton’s on “Danke Schoen.”

Production values exceeded all expectations for Vegas, Baby, with creative lighting design, colorful, intricate costuming, and fun choreography. Less successful, however, was HMC subset the HeartAches’ piece, “Miss Otis Regrets,” from Bette Midler’s recent Diva Las Vegas show. While certainly cute and campy with well-blended voices, the overall energy of the evening dipped during this one, and took a bit to recover, suffering through a couple of bungled entrances on the following songs before picking back up for the finale. One of the chorus’s greatest musical moments came during the first half, though, on Edwards’s lovely arrangement of “Love Me Tender” in the Elvis Presley medley, which brought out the clearest harmonies and intonation of the evening.

A talented band of familiar faces in jazz and musical theatre laid the foundation—Sam Wisman on drums, Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Erik Blume on woodwinds, and Daniel Doss on keyboard accompanied HMC regular pianist Lamar Sims. Sims, normally subdued at the piano bench, came forth with surprising humor during his vocal solo on the first half’s final piece, “Pansies Everywhere You Go,” and “Viva Las Vegas” ended the program by pulling out all the stops in a grand spectacle worthy of the Strip—both Quixotic aerialists, drag queen showgirls, HMC’s signature dance troupe, and a vivacious solo by John Edmonds. Board chair Keith Wiedenkeller, with his smooth baritone, gave a tender rendition of “My Way” reminiscent of Ol’ Blue Eyes, in a tribute to HMC’s Ad Astra members (those who have passed away).