Au-Rene Theatre, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, November 8
From November 6 through November 9, over 250 musicians will gather in Fort Lauderdale from around the world as part of the Lesbian Gay Band Association’s annual national conference. After three days of rehearsal, they will perform on the Au-Rene stage at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble is this year’s host and what better theme for a concert in South Florida than “Fiesta Caliente”?
The concert will feature Latin and Spanish music from a variety of genres. As with all of the Pride Wind Ensemble’s concerts, there will be lots of visual effects and guest performers including dancers, singers, and special video presentations. Tropical Wave, a small men’s ensemble under the direction of Harold Diaquino is made up of elite members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida. They will join the band on two pieces, “Granada” and “Amor de mi Alma” and guest vocalist Carla Bordonada will be singing “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” from Evita. Other highlights will include Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana,” “Mambo” from West Side Story, and a performance by the Pride Steel Drum Band during intermission in the lobby.
Guest conductors Jadine Louie from San Francisco and Scott Helms from Phoenix will join Gary Hoffman, the Pride Wind Ensemble assistant conductor, and Dan Bassett, the Pride Wind Ensemble artistic director, in rehearsing and conducting the LGBA band on stage. Bassett claims that it is “going to be a real thrill to conduct over 250 musicians on the beautiful Au-Rene stage at the Broward Center. We are honored to host this year’s LGBA conference in sunny South Florida. I hope that our concert attendees come out in full force to show our support for our visiting musicians.”
The Lesbian Gay Band Association, founded in 1982 as Lesbian Gay Bands of America, has grown to 38 member bands from around the world. As an organization they have appeared at numerous Gay Games and have marched in the past two Presidential inauguration parades.
Tickets for the November 8th, 7 p.m. performance can be purchased on the Broward Center website (browardcenter.org) or by calling the Broward Center Box Office at 800-745-3000 via Ticketmaster.
This program is strongly supported by the local community. Funding is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. This organization is also sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and many local businesses.
