Generally, boy bands range from three to five members, but this Pride weekend,
the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will become the biggest boy band the world has ever seen when they bring over 250 singers to the Nourse Theater stage for “Heartthrobs: Biggest Boy Band Ever.” To say that we are looking forward to this show would be an understatement. The show has been months in the making, so it is a must see even during this very busy Pride season.
“Hearthrobs” will feature infectious pop music from yesterday and today. We have had a peek at the set list, and the first act includes hits from every decade since the 1960s, ranging from The Beatles and The Beach Boys to Journey and Boyz II Men, and then continuing to Mumford & Sons, One Direction, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
One of our faves, the singing string quartet Well-Strung, will be performing as well. Well-Strung is known for putting a modern twist on universally recognized classical pieces while singing pop music hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson and more. Additionally, the concert will highlight all four of SFGMC’s vocal ensembles: The Lollipop Guild, Vocal Minority, SWAG and HomoPhonics.
SFGMC Artistic Director and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Dr. Timothy Seelig took time out of his ultra-hectic schedule this week to speak with us about the show.
San Francisco Bay Times: What inspired the theme of “Heartthrobs: Biggest Boy Band Ever”?
Dr. Tim Seelig: SFGMC is always on the hunt for new and exciting topics for our concerts/shows. We’ve celebrated the artistic accomplishments and careers of many individuals, such as Elton John last Pride. Our creative team finally slapped themselves on our collective heads and realized we had ignored a huge group of artists who are most like us…boy bands. And what do all boy bands throughout the decades have in common? They have been heartthrobs–for screaming girls and gays all over the world! Boy bands have given young gays an excuse to have posters of young hot men on their bedroom walls instead of “the girls of Bay Watch.” We should incorporate their heartthrob factor into a concert–oh, and their music, too. After all, it wasn’t just Barbra and Beyoncé we were lip-synching to in the mirror with a hair brush for a microphone!
San Francisco Bay Times: Who are some of your own fave boy bands, past and present?
Dr. Tim Seelig: There is no way to name a favorite boy band; there are just too many. It depends on your generation and where you were in your life at a specific time—teenager with skin issues or young adult with girl problems! So, we’ll just do them all: from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to *NSYNC; from the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys; from The Village People to Boyz II Men.
San Francisco Bay Times: We’re big fans of Well-Strung, and have enjoyed their previous performances with SFGMC. How are they being worked into the theme and production?
Dr. Tim Seelig: As we began dream-ing about putting together a show that featured boy bands that were heartthrobs, we all said, “Duh.” Who is the hottest boy band (literally a boy band) in the world–ok, on the planet.
It’s Well-Strung. Not only are they a band. They are a boy band. The play and sing. And just stand there and look gorgeous. What’s not to throb in that heart of yours? We called. They answered. We were ecstatic. So were they. They will be performing on their own, but even more fun, playing with us as we sing everything from “Open Arms” to “Uptown Funk”!
San Francisco Bay Times: The scope of the show sounds extraordinary, given that all four of SFGMC’s vocal ensembles will be performing, not to mention the Chorus itself and Well-Strung. What is it like to bring such immense talent together, and what do you hope audiences take away from the performances?
Dr. Tim Seelig: We are incredibly lucky at SFGMC to have such talent in our midst. Many choruses are lucky to have one ensemble made up of members. We have four–and each one specializing in a different style. They are all boy bands, too, actually. The scope of the show is huge. But we are kind of used to that. Our amazing production staff–mostly volunteers–have this planned to within an inch of its life. It will run like a Swiss watch by the time the curtain goes up. We always want the audience to be entertained. But more than that, we want every attendee to go away having laughed and, yes, even cried a little. Most of all, we hope they go home with sore palms from applauding so much!
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