PORTLAND, Ore. — This weekend you can experience iconic Disney songs performed with a Portland Gay Men’s Chorus twist.
“I can’t think of a better way to kind of encapsulate Pride than a concert about Disney and about our stories and how those stories combined to create this amazing pastiche of who we are as a community,” PGMC Executive Director Richard Jung said.
“I think a lot of the songs we’ve hand-memorized since we were kids, watching the movies and singing the songs in our bathrooms or in the car,” performer Casey Magis-Agosta said. “It’s really cool to then take those songs and then put them in a professional choral environment and add something really beautiful to it.”
"Disney PRIDE in Concert" will feature more than 120 performers and a 15-piece orchestra courtesy of the Oregon Symphony. It is a multimedia extravaganza celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
“There’s meaning here that we get to bring to our audiences, Plus we get to add the Portland flare to that,” said Gary Coleman, founding member of the chorus.
“This is exciting for us because it’s taking all of our skillsets and combining them and pushing us forward in really exciting new ways,” Jung said.
Disney PRIDE in Concert takes inspiration from all your favorites. from "The Little Mermaid" and the "Lion King" to modern classics like "Coco," "Zootopia" and even the magical music of Disney parks.
“The music, I think was really intentionally chosen. There’s a huge, huge amount of Disney music out there and the songs that they chose all tell a message that feels true to the queer story,” Magis-Agosta said.
It’s a message and celebration that comes at a time when the political climate threatens the existence of many in the LGBTQ+ community.
“There are so many things that are happening that are making our community feel like we’re under attack,” Jung said.
This year, a number of Pride events in the Portland metro area have received threats of violence and some were canceled this year over safety concerns.
“To think, this is happening here in our community, in Portland, makes this concert, to me, more relevant than ever,” Jung said.
“It’s always been needed, but it’s timely because we’re proud of who we are and to stand up and make a stand, but also to support each other,” Coleman said.
“I keep hearing people say that the best form of resistance is just showing joy and that’s what this concert feels like ... just queer people expressing joy and being themselves,” Magis-Agosta said. “And so, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
They'll be sharing that joy through the gift of music and with the magic of Disney.
“This is going to be a magnificent concert — it is going to showcase the chorus and everything that we do in a really wonderful way,” Jung said.
The Portland Gay Men's Chorus Disney PRIDE in Concert is happening Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Get your tickets at pdxgmc.org.