The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus (SDGMC) presents the powerful, edgy and inspirational Through a Glass, Darkly for its West Coast Premiere April 9-10. The 45-minute theatrical musical will be performed by SDGMC as part of its popular spring concert, to be held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center’s 500-seat David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre in La Jolla.
Through a Glass, Darkly dramatizes 36 hours in the life of Sebastian, a young Wall Street executive who hits bottom because of his chronic use of crystal methamphetamine and how his addiction affects his partner and his circle of friends.
“I’ve had audience and chorus members ask me why I would program a concert piece about crystal meth. Many of them think I’m crazy,” said SDGMC artistic director Gary Holt. “But the truth is, the crushing social issue of addiction has affected the lives of many people we know and care about. The chorus’ obligation to present this type of work is an integral part of our stated Vision Statement: ‘To connect, challenge and inspire our audiences by broadening cultural awareness of important social issues and the bonds that unite us all.’”
The oratorio’s composer, Michael Shaieb, says he has been deluged with emails and letters from people telling him how powerfully the music has affected them in one way or another.
“We didn’t realize it was going to have such an effect on people,” Shaieb said. “I think there’s something that has to make a cathartic change in somebody’s life and sometimes music does that … somebody hears something and it just hits them right to their very core.”
Through a Glass, Darkly will be featured as the second act of SDGMC’s spring concert, Friend Me. Artistic Director Holt has selected contemporary music for the program’s first act, which touches on many of the themes that reappear in Shaieb’s meth piece.
The chorus performs April 9 at 8 p.m. and April 10 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets for the concert, log on to sdgmc.org or call 877-296-7664.
