The Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus (SBGMC) holiday production at the Lobero Theatre, The Island of Misfit Gays, combined the festive spirit with the notion of overcoming feelings of alienation that come with queerness or other tendencies that standard society has deemed anomalous. Led by artistic director Timothy Accurso, the SBGMC gave a joyful performance of eclectic song choices that included Christmas classics, pop hits, show tunes, and generational anthems. Personal, heartfelt introductions from chorus members tied each song to the theme with shared moments from their own lives as misfits, artists, and members of the queer community.
For lifelong residents of coastal California (like me), it’s easy for a time when queer culture wasn’t generally accepted to get foggy in the memory, and it’s important to be reminded that not everyone’s love story has always been celebrated by family, friends, and society. There is still reason to fight for empathy and understanding. Thank you to the chorus members who shared their stories.
Highlights of the production (beyond Accurso’s vibrant, stained-glass jacket) included an ebbing and swelling “Over the Rainbow,” and movie moments for the Gen Xers and Millennials in the crowd — namely, a well-executed “perfect cast” during the performance of Powerline’s “I2I” from the iconic Goofy Movie, and an exquisitely framed Bender fist pump of triumph that punctuated the end of The Breakfast Club’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” The most vocally impressive number was a powerful version of Radiohead’s haunting “Creep,” the ultimate 20th-century refrain of the misfit. While the solos throughout the evening were hit or miss, Waldo and AJ Rawls were standouts, both vocally and in stage presence, with excellent solos in the final number, “God Help the Outcasts/Out There.”
The Island of Misfit Gays was delivered with love, pride, and seasonal cheer, and the SBGMC continues to be one of the highlights of the Santa Barbara performance scene.
