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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

As the culmination of the Heartland Men’s Chorus 25^th season it made sense to revisit the classic tunes of radio, cassettes, and television shows of the 80’s.  Amid all the celebration of neon, Flock-of-Seagull pompadours, Members-Only jackets, and popped collars lays another important anniversary—30 years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic—which was one of the motivating factors that first brought the founders of HMC together.  Added to the mix were the young multi-talents of PerformOUTKC and their championing of safe spaces, self-identity, worth and anti-bullying.

The program’s beginning razzle dazzle and synthesizers was all but forgotten post-intermission as it took a tonal shift toward the somber and organic. 

Musically this concert was not the best I’ve heard from the group, but the full-house audience and I had a lot of fun.  The most memorable selections of the afternoon were Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Cars,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors,”  and the themes from Cheers and Golden Girls.  Some of the arrangements that lacked punch stuck too close to the originals, most notably “Addicted to Love” and came across rather anticlimactic.  I was immensely pleased that the front row first tenors admirably performed the awesome descant in ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry.”  However, “Heaven is a Place on Earth” could have benefitted by shifting the key higher. 

The instrumentalists played well, but the Folly’s amplification system was not kind to the voices on their opening number. The lovely “ladies” of the KC Bar*B*Qs were a spirited bunch even after three near-disastrous lifts in “Mickey” that had the audience laughing with sadistic glee.  Of course the leotards were broken out for “Maniac” – although it made me long nostalgically for leg warmers and a rousing rendition of “Physical”

The second half was an entirely different concert.  Much of the music was saccharinely sweet and filled with cringe-worthy lyrics.  Founding members of the Chorus read passages aligned to their vision statement to enlighten, inspire, heal, and empower. At first,  I was moved by the sentiment, but then by the time the In Memoriam video reached “For Good” from Wicked,  I felt that inspired had pitched to slightly contrived.  At a concert, I’d rather have the music move me than be told to feel a certain way.  I don’t mean to diminish the memory of those no longer with us, but do feel that the Men’s Chorus went a bit overboard in the production and lost sight of the concert.

PerformOUTKC, a sextet of fearless LGBTQA’s (that's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Allies for the acronym-adverse) ages 14-20, performed three numbers and one of the members read his poem “At 13/Tired” about a friend who had committed suicide because of being gay.  A far cry from the first half’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” no?  Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” was quite good especially from the pint-sized, raspy-in-the-good-way soloist who opened the number unaccompanied.  Their third number, as yet untitled, had lyrics by the group and the tune by Daniel Doss was quite catchy.

The combined groups sang two newly-commissioned works, Steve Milloy’s I Just Want to Sing and Mark Hayes’ I Sing Out.  Both will undoubtedly become favorites of GALA choirs around the globe.

REVIEW:
Heartland Men’s Chorus
MetroRetro
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011 (Reviewed)
Folly Theater
300 W. 12^th St., Kansas City, MO
For tickets and more information visit http://www.hmckc.org

Top Photo: Heartland Men's Chorus (Photo by Paul Ingold)

By Lee Hartman

Editor-in-Chief; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Lee Hartman holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (D.M.A., M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). At the University of Delaware, he received a Dean's Scholar position enabling him to pursue an individually designed academic program combining music education and composition. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City he served for three years as the Assistant Director to Musica Nova, the conservatory's new music ensemble, while teaching a variety of composition classes.

In 2007 he was invited to both the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland and the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China to give lectures and master classes in composition. In the summer of 2009, Hartman served as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Opera Theater Center for various performances. He serves on the National Executive Committee of the Society of Composers, Inc. as Submissions Coordinator. His primary composition instructors include James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, John Beall, and Jennifer Margaret Barker. He currently teaches music theory at the University of Central Missouri and general music classes at Park University having previously taught at UD (2007–08) and UMKC (2006–07).

His compositions can be found at http://www.leehartmanmusic.com