On June 22 & 23, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will present the world premiere of "Unbreakable," a new musical which will take audiences on a journey through 12 decades of gay history. "Unbreakable," the concluding performance of the chorus' 40th season, unfolds at the Nourse Theater.
The show stars Andrew Lippa ("I Am Harvey Milk"), who also serves as its composer. The 70-minute work will share the stories of various people from the LGBT community's past. The stories include Lem Billings, a closeted gay man who was President John F. Kennedy's closest friend, and Sylvia Rivera, an early transgender activist in New York City.
Lippa spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about the creation of this new work. He said that he wanted to create a piece that was bigger in scope than "I Am Harvey Milk," and thought of doing a chronology of the LGBTQ movement since 1900.
"I organized 'Unbreakable' by decade," Lippa said. "For example, finding a story about the 1980s, I knew would include AIDS. The 1920s led me to a story about a young man named Cyril Wilcox who, at Harvard, was condemned for his suspected homosexuality. The 1950s revealed Executive Order 10450, signed by President Eisenhower, which effectively banned all gays and lesbians from federal government service."
Lippa pointed out that "Unbreakable" starts with a question. "Can you stand fast against the powers of hate and repression that come your way?" he asks. "And it ends with a kind of answer: good things take time. They do. But they take time and force. All things worth having or doing: democracy, progressivism, raising a child, learning a language, building a relationship, love, these things take time. The history of our movement is filled with steps forward and backward."
He noted the importance of telling and preserving these stories. "These stories, and so many more I couldn't include, are our LGBTQ legacy, and as important as stories about George Washington and Zeus and Moses," he said. "Our grandmothers and grandfathers in the LGBTQ community suffered, sweat, stood up and shouted, failed and pushed forward. We stand on their achievements, on their strength. Judaism, at Passover, reminds us it is incumbent on every generation to tell the story of the Jews going out of Egypt. So, too, should we in the LGBTQ community tell our stories yearly, to anyone who will listen."
"As with every culture, our history is often boiled down to the familiar stories and highlights," added Dr. Tim Seelig, SFGMC artistic director. "LGBTQ history certainly falls into that category, with a few milestones that most people know, like Stonewall and Harvey Milk. Andrew decided to go back to the very earliest days of the 20th century to unveil some incredible stories that have definitely added to the tapestry that is us."
Seelig explained the role of the Chorus in this production. "The chorus plays the major character throughout the entire work," he said. "There are pieces where the chorus stands alone, but mostly aids the characters as they unfold. There are no speaking roles. The singing roles are played by the four incredible leads who are joining us. They play all of the various characters."
In addition to Lippa, the lead singers are soprano Lisa Vroman, Broadway's Britney Coleman and tenor Marcus Paige.
"This is the largest production the chorus has done in its 40-year history," said Seelig. "The talent that has been amassed is truly mind-boggling for a chorus like SFGMC. We don't usually have an Executive Producer or Stage Director or Projection Creator. Much of this is because of the huge draw Andrew Lippa brings to anything he touches. People want to be involved in whatever he is doing. People still talk about the production of 'I Am Harvey Milk.' That was five years ago now. It has had over 30 productions around the world. Well, 'Unbreakable' is going to be even bigger and more powerful. It is not to be missed."
"Unbreakable" can be seen on Fri., June 22 at 8 p.m. and Sat., June 23 at 2:30 & 8 p.m. Tickets range in price from $25-$99. Visit https://www.sfgmc.org/ or call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400.