Interview: GMCLA's Greg Weaver Ever Singing Past The Pandemic

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) will hold its fundraiser GMCLA's GALA 2021 August 14, 2021. The GALA will be streamed live from the Toluca Lake home of GMCLA Board Members Greg Weaver and Haig Youredjian, with a limited number of donors attending. Hosted by Kalen Allen, the GALA will be honoring Dr. Jerry Abraham with GMCLA's annual Voice Award. Had the chance to query Greg on his history with GMCLA.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Greg! It's been years since our paths have crossed at various charity events.

You and Haig Youredjian have been generous enough to offer your home as the venue for GMCLA's GALA 2021. The option of streaming must have been a major factor in this decision, right?

Well, Lou (Spisto, Executive Director of GMCLA) and I had discussed hosting a fundraiser before we had even finished remodeling, but that was back in 2019 before COVID. Now, live streaming is more of a reality of the times, as opposed to being a decisive factor in hosting. We are lucky enough to live in a home that will accommodate this type of event, so we are extremely happy to host.

Is your home big enough to house just the Chorus members itself? How many Chorus members are there currently?

Well, I'm not sure there are many homes that could host the entire chorus, but for this event we will have Aftershock, our a cappella group, on hand to perform as well as fantastic guest artists. When we assemble in person again in September, I'll be able to answer that question more accurately. Since my time in the chorus, we have had as few as 110 members and as many as 250, so we will likely land somewhere between those to benchmarks.

How many donors will you be hosting at your home?

Just around thirty. We have planned this event out very carefully to ensure the safety of our guests, performers and staff. Were it not for COVID, our GALA would be at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where our inaugural event was held in July of 2019. It was easily the most successful event we have had since the inception of the Voice Awards nearly a decade ago and, if I may, was completely on target given our mission, the character of the organization, and our financial goals in ways previous events did not.

In pre-pandemic times, where has GMCLA thrown their previous GALAs for your hundreds of guests?

Our GALA in 2019 was a hybrid of our Voice Awards and a summer concert. It was wildly received and was probably our most successful event ever. The Voice Awards was held at various venues around the city in previous years including the Beverly Hilton and Universal Studios. After adapting this event into the GALA in 2019, and again, tons of credit must go to our ED, Lou Spisto for recreating it, we like to think of Walt Disney Concert Hall as our Gala home.

What criteria did you use to pick Dr. Jerry Abraham to receive this year's GMCLA Voice Award?

GMCLA has always used the collective power of song, our voices, to deliver a message of hope, equality and advocacy. We recognize the power in using our voices to affect positive change for the LGBTQIA community. We look for this same quality in a Voice Award recipient who also uses their voice, expertise, and authority to affect change not only in our community, but others as well. Dr. Abraham is an outstanding example of this quality, and we are so thrilled to be honoring him this year. It is even more poignant given his recent work on bringing COVID vaccines to underserved communities in Los Angeles.

Aside from live performances by GMCLA's a cappella group, Aftershock, what other surprise guests has GMCLA locked in for August 14th?

Well, that would be ruining the surprise now, wouldn't it? We have Shoshana Bean, the star of Broadway's WICKED and WAITRESS, who brought down the house at the GALA two years ago, and Andra Day, the sensational Grammy and Oscar nominated singer. More celebrities are making video appearances and they are surprises!

Has anyone from GMCLA been in contact with San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus regarding the backlash and threats from their YouTube video titled "A Message From the Gay Community"? Is everyone freaked out? Everyone OK?

The gay choral movement has created an international community through the decades, so we are often aware of what our fellow groups are working on and for. However, it would not be my place to comment on SFGMC. I would refer you to their executive director.

How long have you yourself been with GMCLA?

I have been singing in the T2 section since January of 2002! This is my third time serving on the board and during this term I was first treasurer and now chair.

When did you and Haig become board members?

I rejoined the board as treasurer in February of 2019 and became chair in July of 2020, and Haig joined me in August of last year. He is familiar to boards and events/planning and has served on several over the years. He brings a healthy business perspective and resources to our board, and one of my primary functions as board chair is to recruit additional members who can bring something to the table. I am lucky to have him and so is GMCLA.

GMCLA has been busy during these quarantined months with virtual concerts and several special events. Any plans to revise these virtual concerts as live in-person shows?

We have attracted a new fan base during the pandemic that ranges from Norway to Brazil, Europe to Australia, and all across the U.S., of course. We are going to continue a streaming component when we perform live this year. We want to keep them engaged and entertained and a live-stream component is an excellent way to do that.

What's in store for GMCLA's Alive Music Project?

AMP, as we call it, started out as an educational program on who we were as a singing group and individuals. It countered incorrect and misleading stereotypes that persist to this day in certain corners. We survey the students after we visit their school and, especially in schools lacking any kind of music or art infrastructure, were surprised to receive many comments on how important it was to experience live music. It is our goal to continue going into schools and satisfying both tracks and we hope to expand it in the coming years, adding to the nearly 70,000 students we have already reached through the program.

What's up next for GMCLA after GALA 2021?

We will definitely have a season performed live that will ensure the safety and health of our singers and audience members. Our fantastic Executive Director, Lou Spisto, will announce as soon as we are ready. We begin rehearsals on September 13th. I know the guys are itching to be back in person. We're a pretty tight-knit community and it's been hard sacrificing our Monday night rehearsal times to the pandemic. Zoom is a great means to an end, but it doesn't take the place of being with family and friends in person, which is something we can all relate to nowadays.

Thank you again, Greg! I look forward to hearing the harmonious angelic (and devilish) tones of GMCLA live soon.

For live streaming tickets for GMCLA's GALA 2021 August 14th (for viewing until the end of August), log onto gala.gmcla.org. Sponsor packages for the GALA are still available.

To post a comment, you must register and login.