“AT LAST … A Musical Celebration of Marriage Equality in Illinois”

A Church 4 Me MCC is proud to present  “At Last..A Musical Celebration of Marriage Equality in Illinois.”   The show was created by our own music director Michael McBride and features some of the best cabaret and theater performing artists in Chicago.

“At Last…” will perform on Friday, May 30^th from 6:30 – 9:30 pm at Atmosphere in Andersonville – 5355 N. Clark St. Chicago.  Tickets are $15 pre-sale and $20 at the door and can be purchased online at www.achurch4me.org.   Proceeds will benefit the programs of A Church 4 Me including our HIV/AIDS Prevention Ministry, Senior Support Group, and our ongoing support of the Lakeview Pantry.  Ten percent of all proceeds will go directly to “The Crib” an overnight youth shelter in Lakeview run by The Night Ministry.

Performers

Michael McBride – Music Director

Michael has been the Music Director at A Church 4 Me MCC for the last 3 years.  He is currently the Music Director of The Cabaret Project in Chicago and has placed in the top 3 in the Windy City Gay Idol contest.  He holds a Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University and is on the music faculty of North Park University and Loyola University where he has served as musical director for their productions of Hot Mikado, Urinetown, and Into the Woods.

Danielle Kastner

Danielle has performed extensively throughout Chicago including  We Three Lizas at About Face Theatre, Rent at American Theatre Company/About Face Theatre, A Chorus Line and Hairspray at Marriott Lincolnshire, Sugar and Mame at Drury Lane Oakbrook and Hello, Dolly! and Kiss Me Kate at Light Opera Works.

Mark Ortega

Mark has performed on more than 15 mainstage gay pride festivals nationwide and once opened for The Voice Finalist Beverly McClellan. Mark recently released a single on iTunes called “Boystown” which was recently featured on an LGBT podcast in Hong Kong.

Meredith Freyre

Meredith is one of the founding members of the Cabaret Project and had been performing with the group for over 5 years at venues such as Hydrate, Circuit, Green Dolphin Street, The Back Room, and Twisted Vine. Meredith has also been featured in National Commercials (T- Mobile) to The Chicago Symphony Chorus, the final Chicago cast of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and with many Chicago theater companies.

Auction

A Church 4 Me MCC will be auctioning off a painting by renowned artist Doyle Chappell at the event.

Artist Bio – DOYLE CHAPPELL is a portrait artist who paints in a distinctively contemporary style, creating colorful works that are the antithesis of dull, ancestral-type portraits. From the beginning of his art studies at the University of Texas, Chappell preferred painting people to other subjects. His sensitive depictions reflect those intangible qualities that motivate and define each individual. Admirers of Chappell’s portraits have observed that his paintings seem to reflect a kind of inner spirit that expresses much more than the surface appearance. He finds all ages to have special beauty. Although he has created numerous oil portraits, he presently works mostly in acrylic on canvas as that medium most suits the spontaneous and painterly brushwork and heavy buildup of layers of colors, on top of colors. His works are valued by serious art collectors, and his portraits are included in many private collections. Some of his favorite paintings are of “just plain folks”. Among the well known subjects Chappell has painted are Lynda Johnson Robb, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson and wife of Virginia Senator Charles Robb, with her children; Senator and Mrs. Warren Magnuson; and actress Daryl Hannah.

We will also be auctioning off tickets to more than 25 theatres in Chicago including Chicago Shakespeare, The Harris Theatre, Timeline, Black Ensemble, Marriotts Lincolnshire, Victory Gardens, Northlight, Metropolis, and Theatre at the Center.

About A Church 4 Me and Metropolitan Community Churches

Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) have been leading the national fight for marriage equality for 46 years.  MCC is a global denomination which prides itself on inclusion.  People of all races, socio-economic status, and sexual orientations are welcome into our churches.  We currently have 172 member churches from 37 countries around the world.

A Church 4 Me MCC was founded here in Chicago in 2007 and we are creating a radically organic community where love is a blessing, diversity a gift, worship a celebration, and life a journey.

Event:              At Last…A Musical Celebration of Marriage Equality in Illinois

Style:               Musical Cabaret

Date:               Friday, May 30

Time:               6:30 – 9:30 pm

Where:            Atmosphere Bar – 5355 N Clark St. Chicago

Price:               $15 pre-sale and $20 at the door

Buy Tickets:     Online at www.achurch4me.org