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“Harvey Milk inspired people, and still does, today,” says Denver Gay Men’s Chorus artistic director James Knapp. And he should know: Knapp will conduct ninety singers and a twenty-piece chamber orchestra tonight in I Am Harvey Milk, an emotionally driven oratorio celebrating the life of California’s first openly gay politician.
“The night Harvey Milk was assassinated was the first time the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus ever sang in their history. It was the first time that an openly gay chorus sang in public. They sang at the vigil held at City Hall in 1978,” Knapp says.
Oratorios traditionally address sacred topics, and Milk’s life is nothing short of sacred to the gay community. Celebrated Broadway composer Andrew Lippa’s stirring composition tackles everything from the harmful nature of hate speech to Milk’s rallying cry for people to come out of the closet. “Harvey means living in honesty no matter the costs. If you don’t live in authenticity, you’re going to be very unhappy your whole life, and you’ll be living a lie,” Knapp says.
I Am Harvey Milk will be performed tonight at 7 p.m. at Griffin Concert Hall on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins, and again on June 12 at Gates Concert Hall, 2344 East Iliff Avenue, on the University of Denver campus. Tickets for the CSU show are $16 to $18, and admission to the DU program, which includes a drag tribute to female gay icons, ranges from $18 to $40; purchase both online at rmarts.org or call 303-325-3959.
Sun., June 8, 7 p.m., 2014
