The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC’s production of “Passports.” Photo by Michael Key.
For some, resistance is protesting, for others it’s making their voices heard through whatever channel possible during times of strife, and still for others resistance might be as simple and as powerful as getting up in the morning to face what lay ahead in the only way they know how. Resistance is a very personal expression. That’s what I’ve learned over the past few months. This expression can also take the shape of song. With their moving and soulful ode to traveling the world, The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) proved that resistance sounds absolutely incredible when presented onstage by a group of performers who love what they do and refuse to let anyone shut them down.
…moving and soulful ode to traveling the world…Heart and passion abounded…
In their newest show “Passports,” a fraught word now for a number of reasons and one that the GMCW owns here in every way possible, the chorus, under the heartfelt and ultra-energetic direction of Thea Kano, takes audiences on a journey from one corner of the world to another. Spotlighting cultures that span across Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe, among other locales, the songs demonstrate that music is perhaps the only language that needs no translation to be deeply felt and intuitively understood.
Given the unknown that has become our every day, especially as concerns the art and theatre world, the song choices for this performance could not have been more appropriate. The journey was real. Some crowd pleasers and personal favorites included a get-up-on-your-feet number sung by Seasons of Love aptly entitled “All Around the World,” featuring a powerhouse performance by vocalist Chris Murphy. Guy Bosworth’s solo rendition of “The French Song” proved a moment of lightness and laughter. My favorite of the evening, “Tres Cantos Nativos Dos Indio Kraó,” brought spectators deep into the Amazon rain forest in a fully immersive experience that elicited many an audible “wow” from the audience.
Heart and passion abounded as the chorus members and 17th Street Dance troupe performers put everything they had into the show. That’s the thing about GMCW’s performances, they are spectacularly enjoyable because the group members all look to be having the time of their lives, and that is where entertainment becomes authentically personal. In that kind of space is where true activism lives. One of the GenOut Youth Chorus Members explained that while they are frightened and unsure of what is to come, hearing “it’ll be okay” or the “sun will rise again tomorrow” isn’t necessarily the antidote—there is no cure-all here. But getting out of bed in the morning, going to work, going to school, continuing to laugh, continuing to love as you want, continuing to sing, that’s what matters now. The young can be quite wise.
This year is the World Pride International Choral Festival held here in DC—in both an ironic and fitting twist. The GMCW is hosting the marquee event for the festival. There will be pop-up concerts at venues throughout the city featuring organizations including the Philly Gay Men’s Chorus, Central Maryland Rainbow Chorus, and Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte along with so many others. These are all voices who decided to get out of bed, confront whatever might await them, and sing proudly in the face of it all. The festival will be held between May 23 and June 8, 2025 with a closing event on the National Mall—where all are invited to join in and sing. (You can sign up here for that event.) I urge you to go, support, sing for what you believe in. Thank you GMCW!
“Passports” ran March 15 and 16, 2025, presented by The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC at Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009. For more information about the GMCW and their upcoming events, please go online.
