MenAlive proudly presents the Southern California premiere of Broadway composer Andrew Lippa’s latest choral masterwork, UNBREAKABLE. The experiences of literary giant Gertrude Stein, trans-rights activist Sylvia Rivera, and Bayard Rustin - an out African American civil rights leader who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are among the true stories that make up this 14-movement choral work that spans 120 years of LGBTQ history in America.
MenAlive Creative Director Robb Neal was struck by Lippa’s question “if we don't tell our stories, who will?" Neal added, “Not only do we need to know and understand what happened to us historically, at a more fundamental level, it's important to recognize that we existed at all, and that we weren't actually invisible.” Director Ryan Holihan notes the importance of the piece. “The LGBTQ+ community has a rich history of people fighting to be seen and heard while bravely facing fear, hatred, and even global pandemics,” says Holihan. “Unbreakable presents some of these people and moments from the past in order to celebrate how far we’ve come, remember who we’ve lost, and optimistically looks forward to a better time for all of us. While we are still dealing with the current pandemic and its consequences, what better time is there to remind ourselves of these stories in order to find hope, resilience, and a loving, unbreakable community?”
UNBREAKABLE by Andrew Lippa
Musical Direction by Bob Gunn
Stage Direction by Ryan Holihan
GUEST soloists for UNBREAKABLE:
Elizabeth A. Bouton Summerer of Torrance
Annemarie Randle-Trejo of Anaheim
Featuring MenAlive soloists:
Philip Lee of Tustin
Robby Mason of Los Angeles
Edward McDonald of Santa Ana
Jason Pascual of Laguna Hills
Eric Saggese of Rancho Mission Viejo
