The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) will honor Wicked and Pippin composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz with the Vanguard Voice Award at the 2017 Voice Awards in L.A. May 20.
A GMCLA spokesperson told Playbill that Grammy and Academy Award winner Schwartz, who also composed scores to Godspell, The Baker’s Wife, The Prince of Egypt and other musicals and films, will appear in person that night to perform “For Good” from Wicked with the chorus.
Schwartz was chosen as “a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community [who] was inspired by Dan Savage’s It Gets Better Project to write the choral piece ‘Testimony’ and helped produce ‘Tyler’s Suite.’ Both pieces have been used in anti-bullying and suicide prevention campaigns nationwide. Schwartz’s other charitable work has included organizing the Uprising of Love concert to benefit and raise awareness of LGBTQ people in hostile countries as well as producing benefits for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Faustman Clinic.”
Daniel Franzese will host the 6th annual ceremony, being held at the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The chorus’ Community Leader Voice Award will go to Human Rights Campaign board member and community activist Gwen Baba. The Visionary Voice Award will be presented to the Logo TV network.
Other guest performers for the evening will include Lisa Vanderpump (Vanderpump Rules), Lance Bass, Amin El Gamal (Prison Break), Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Alexandra Grey (Transparent), Zeke Smith (Survivor), Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time), Dot-Marie Jones (Glee), Hayden Byerly (The Fosters), Kalama Epstein (The Fosters), Ty Herndon (country singer), Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Craig Ramsay (2 Broke Girls, The Newlyweds), Rain Valdez (Lopez), Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk), Jeff Zarrillo & Paul Katami (plaintiffs in California’s Proposition 8 case), and others.
In announcing the awards, GMCLA Executive Director Jonathan Weedman said, “The work of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles became 10 times more important on November 8, 2016. The need for our community outreach has never been greater or more urgent; and we thank our generous supporters for making our work possible. With all that we face in our country now during these challenging times, we look forward to coming together on May 20 at what will be another fantastic evening, where we will celebrate our distinguished honorees, and the vital work of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.”
To order tickets and learn more about the Voice Awards, visit: Voiceawards.gmcla.org.
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