South Coast Chorale opens 37th season with First Pride at Long Beach Playhouse

The Long Beach LGBTQ+ chorus launches its 37th season on Nov. 1 with a concert built around the early Pride movement, marking the debut of Interim Artistic Director Corinne Burch and a new board president. The show pairs choral music, stories and audience participation with a pre-show panel and tickets starting at $35.

Why it matters: - South Coast Chorale is using its season opener to connect current LGBTQ+ advocacy with the movement’s roots in protest and community self-defense. - The concert also introduces new artistic and board leadership, a shift that could shape the chorus’s direction as it looks to grow and deepen local engagement. - The program is designed for broad access, with all-ages appeal, wheelchair access and a lower-cost ticket option for a live performance in Long Beach.

What happened: - South Coast Chorale opens its 37th season, “A Season of Firsts,” with “First Pride: Songs and Stories from the Birth of a Movement” on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Long Beach Playhouse. - The matinee marks the debut of Interim Artistic Director Corinne Burch and principal accompanist Angela Gricar. - The concert is the first under new board president Julia O’Brien. - The performance is scheduled for 3 p.m., with a pre-show panel at 2 p.m. - The Long Beach Playhouse is at 5021 E. Anaheim Street in Long Beach. - Tickets are $35 plus fees through South Coast Chorale or On the Stage.

The details: - “First Pride” revisits June 1970 and the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March in New York City. - The concert combines choral music, stories and audience participation. - Several songs invite attendees to chant and sing along to recreate the feel of a protest march. - Burch said the show is meant to reconnect audiences to Pride’s roots as a protest and an organized community response. - Gricar succeeds Lindsey Hundley after serving as interim accompanist for last season’s “Miscast Cabaret” and “Love, Poetry.” - Gricar is a Cal State Fullerton graduate and has been the pianist at Faith United Methodist Church in Torrance since 2023. - Burch has led the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles since 2022 and has conducted at venues including the Greek Theatre. - Burch has also recorded with artists including MUNA and Wrabel. - Burch is a former board-certified music therapist and holds a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership and management from USC. - O’Brien joined SCC in 2023 and previously served as membership chair and production lead. - O’Brien succeeds Tony Almero-Stokes, who led the board for five seasons and now serves as president emeritus. - The venue is wheelchair accessible, with a combination of free on-site and street parking. - The box office is cashless. - The concert is suitable for all ages. - Support for the performance comes in part from the Arts Council for Long Beach, the City of Long Beach, the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture, the Port of Long Beach and the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Between the lines: - O’Brien said the board wants deeper community engagement across greater Long Beach while modernizing without losing the chorus’s 37-year legacy. - The new season appears to pair institutional transition with a repertory choice that reflects current political and cultural pressures facing LGBTQ+ communities. - Almero-Stokes pointed to post-pandemic economic strain and increased legislative and vocalized attacks on LGBTQ+ people as factors shaping recent programming. - South Coast Chorale has been emphasizing historic victories and positive achievements of the LGBTQ+ community to educate audiences and affirm members. - The chorus is especially seeking lower voices for its bass section, suggesting an active effort to strengthen membership balance.

What's next: - South Coast Chorale is inviting interested singers to learn more and apply through its website. - The board says it will focus on growing the choir while keeping longtime members connected, valued and inspired. - The season opener may set the tone for a year centered on firsts, community reach and a refreshed public identity.

The bottom line: - South Coast Chorale is launching a season built on memory, protest and renewal, with new leadership and a Pride-centered opener that ties the group’s past to its next chapter.