Fri 3/23 @ 6:30PM
Sat 3/24 @ 8PM
When North Coast Men’s Chorus first emerged in 1988, Ronald Reagan was still in office, the Cleveland Browns were good and many closets had yet to be opened.
During the three decades that have passed, some things have changed for the better, some haven’t, but for many in Northeast Ohio a constant through line of support, positive influence and high-quality music has been the North Coast Men’s Chorus.
Today the group boasts 150 members with roughly 75 performing in its three annual concerts series. This year is a little bit different with a 30th anniversary gala planned for Fri 3/23 at Windows on the River in The Powerhouse followed by its special Maureen McGovern concert Sat 3/24 at the KeyBank State Theatre.
CoolCleveland talked to North Coast Men’s Chorus Board of Directors president Patrick Muzic about the organization’s history, upcoming 30th anniversary events and important role in the Northeast Ohio LGBTQ scene.
CoolCleveland: Wow, 30 years. How impressive is that for the North Coast Men’s Chorus?
Patrick Muzic: I’ve been with the chorus for seven years, and I’m in my fourth season as president. And 30 years is pretty tremendous as far as a gay chorus goes. There’s not a lot of us out around the country because you think back 30 years ago, it was difficult pulling groups together and not having to hide in the corners. One of the really interesting things about our chorus is that we have a number of founding members that are still actually singing with the chorus.
CC: Even though you weren’t around, what have you heard about the chorus’ early days?
PM: I think it had to be just a little more cautious. There was much more gay-bashing. The acceptance of where we are today versus then is so different. They were really kind of taking a step forward and calling themselves out at that point in time. It was hard. The group was small. They just said, “We’re going to do this.” We just give a lot of credit to them for being so brave at that point in time.
CC: What role does the North Coast Men’s Chorus play in Northeast Ohio?
PM: I consider us advocates for the LGBTQ community. We’re an outreach for sure to gay singers, we’re an outreach to the community itself. We’re also working on doing outreach with college students. That’s kind of a side piece that we’re working on as a chorus. We have an outreach committee that’s what they do: They go out and touch base with different groups and colleges to get them involved. We actually have gotten grants to help some of those organizations. We’re giving tickets away to students so they can come and see our shows at no cost. Just so they can see that there’s an organization out there that is doing some really great stuff.
CC: How would you describe those shows?
PM: I’ve had many years in music and theater, and I really consider our performance level very professional. We put on just a really amazing show. For people who maybe feel like they’re in the corners or in the closet, this is their opportunity to kind of come out, be proud and just be who you are. That’s what I see us doing. I use myself as an example. I actually came out to my parents after I joined. I thought, “Gosh, I’m part of this organization now that is out there. They’re proud, and if I’m going to be a part of it, I need to also be out and proud.” It was honestly a life changer for me. It’s been just amazing. It’s taken my life from two lives — where I had to play the role of the straight guy and then have the second life as the gay guy — and melded it all into one Pat Muzic. I think there are a lot of guys in the chorus that have come to that place as well.
CC: Tell us what’s planned for the Maureen McGovern concert?
PM: This is a little different in the sense we’re only doing one concert at the State Theatre, but it’s with Maureen McGovern. She’s just fantastic. I’ve been fortunate enough to get a chance to see her in concert a couple of times since we signed up with her and she sounds fantastic. But I think the really interesting thing about this upcoming show is it’s us, we’re singing. It will be our typical razzle-dazzle dancing, singing. It’s not your traditional stand-up choir singing from black books. We’re out there doing a major part of the show, Maureen is coming out and doing a portion of the show and then we’re actually singing with her. It’s going to be really fun.
CC: Looking ahead, can the North Coast Men’s Chorus last another 30 years?
PM: Yes, the chorus does have another 30 years in it when you think about how things have changed over the years, and how more and more people are open to just the whole “Be who you are” movement. We still see ourselves as a very viable resource because although people are more accepting, there still are those pockets of situations and people and families that aren’t as accepting. We still act as that haven for people to either be part of us or be part of our family, our patrons, our audience. That’s the one thing that I think is kind of different about our organization, versus your traditional chorus or other organization. We have a cause, we are who we are and a lot of people are there because they don’t have anywhere else that they feel truly that they can be who they are. We allow that and we actually celebrate it.
Cleveland, OH 44113
Cleveland, OH 44115