Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles Announces Chrissy Metz and Shoshana Bean to join the 40th Anniversary Gala Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 16, 2019

Who’s ready for Choir rehearsal?

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA), one of the country’s longest-running and largest LGBTQ arts organizations, announced today that Chrissy Metz, star of NBC’s This is Us and Shoshana Bean, star of Broadway’sWaitress, will join GMCLA’S Gala Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 16, 2019 at 7:30 pm. The event titled GMCLA 40/STONEWALL 50 is presented by Hyundai Motor America and commemorates the anniversaries of GMCLA and the Stonewall riots.  

Ms. Metz and Ms. Bean will be featured in the first part of the concert which will include works from the pop, Broadway and choral cannon.  Ms. Metz will perform the acclaimed song “I’m Standing With You” written by Diane Warren, from the film Breakthroughand her hit album.  Ms. Bean will perform “She Used to Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles from the hit musical Waitressand will also lead GMCLA, and some surprise guests, in a very new take on a classic Broadway song.  

Executive Director Lou Spisto commented, “We are beyond thrilled to have these incredible artists join us onstage at for this Gala Concert. These two great singers, who are true allies of the LGBTQ community, have been raising their beautiful and powerful voices for important causes for years. They will add immeasurably to our music and our message.” 

As previously announced, GMCLA’s 200 plus members will be joined by the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and others from around the country to perform the Los Angeles premiere of Quiet No More: A Choral Celebration of Stonewall. This original work,celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, was co-commissioned by GMCLA and NYCGMC. Last month, both choruses performed Quiet No Moretogether at Carnegie Hall and received a standing ovation from the sold-out house. Also previously announced, longtime activist David Mixner will receive GMCLA’S Lifetime Legend Award for his 60 years of leadership in the LGBTQ community. 

The evening will also feature a private pre-concert reception and post-concert dinner for 300 guests, in support of GMCLA’s music education programs – the Alive Music Project, Arts for Incarcerated Youth, and the LA Schools Program. Gala seats are available at GMCLA.org or by calling 424-239-6514

Concert tickets for GMCLA 40/STONEWALL 50 are available online at GMCLA.ORG/WDCH or by calling Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office at 323-850-2000. Concert tickets start at $50.

About Shoshana Bean 

Shoshana Bean’sthree independent solo albums have all topped the iTunes R&B and Blues charts in the US and UK, with her fourth and most recent project, Spectrum, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Jazz charts. She has sold out solo concerts around the globe, lent her voice to countlessfilms and television shows, amassed millions of views on YouTube, and performed alongside Ariana Grande, David Foster, Postmodern Jukebox, Brian McKnight, and Michael Jackson. Shoshana is a veteran of the Broadway stage having made her debut in the original cast of Hairspray, starring as the very first replacement for Elphaba in Wicked and most recently as Jenna in Waitress. She won an IRNE Award for her performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girland earned a Jeff Award nomination for her portrayal of Cee Cee Bloom in the pre-Broadway musical production of Beaches.

About Chrissy Metz

Emmy and two-time Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz stars on the award-winning NBC series This Is Us, winner of the 2018 and 2019 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and People’s Choice Award for “Favorite New TV Drama.”  Chrissy recently starred as Joyce Smith in the hit 20th Century Fox faith-based film, Breakthrough.She alsoperforms “I’m Standing With You” on the Breakthroughsoundtrack, written by 10-time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren. Chrissy performed this song at the 2019 ACM Awards. She is currently working on her debut country album. Chrissy recently guest-starred on the hit comedy series The Last OG with Tracy Morgan, and the NBC hit series Superstore. Chrissy is best known for her roles in American Horror Story: Freak Show, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, My Name is Earl, and Entourage, to name a few. She recently released her memoir, This Is Mewhich debuted at #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. People magazine named her to the “Ones to Watch” and “50 Most Beautiful.”  

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA)

GMCLA,now under the leadership of Executive Director Lou Spisto, has garnered international acclaim for artistic excellence while remaining deeply rooted in service to the Los Angeles community and beyond by promoting civil rights, tolerance and acceptance through music. Founded in 1979 during the emergence of the gay civil rights movement, critics have proclaimed the chorus “inspired,” “expressive, innovative, and utterly moving,” and hailed it for presenting “meaningful entertainment.”