A Behind the Scenes Tour Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida

Members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida (GMCSF) make it look and sound effortless. As if they just show up, do a couple of scales and take the stage. But not hardly.

When show day arrives, the members begin preparing from the moment they wake up. Now two members, Susan Foley and Rafael Gragert, are taking us behind the scenes and giving OutClique an exclusive look at how it all comes together.

Foley, a tenor, comes from a musical family. Her mother plays piano and guitar and her dad is a flutist. She grew up singing in church and school choirs and loves a wide range of genres. “My favorite song to sing is “Misty Mountain Hop” by Led Zeppelin. I don football pants and bang the tambourine on my legs with no injury while roaring. It is just the best feeling!”

Gragert, also a tenor, hails from Venezuela and has a patriotic background. “When I was 9 years old at my little town in Venezuela, my sister told me that she heard me singing in the bathroom the Venezuelan national anthem, after that she told the teacher at school that I can sing, in the next cultural festival I was participating with her and we both won First Place at the competition”

He hit adolescence and took a break. It was GMCSF who helped him find his voice. “I moved to the US and I wasn’t singing at all until I found my beautiful Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and I’m so grateful to be part of it. I love learning new things and being surrounded by so many positive and supportive people, also with amazing maestros like Gabe Salazar, GMCSF’s Artistic Director.”

They begin getting in the zone during rehearsals, well before they take the stage. “I feel in the zone when I feel confident in the voice I bring to the group and as an ensemble,” Foley said.

“When we practice every piece of the music for the concert, we start putting together the songs and the sound is amazing in rehearsal,” Gragert said. “It can be overwhelming but after a month of rehearsal I start getting in the zone.”

Show Day

Once the day comes to perform, including GMCSF’s upcoming concert Songs of The Phoenix at The Parker on Friday, March 24, 2023, at 8pm, is when the excitement really starts to build. “I say hello to my friends, I hug them and enjoy the companionship of everyone, they are so special. I ask what to do and when. I get dressed at the venue,” Gragert said.

Social interaction also sets the mood for Foley. “I look for my favorite faces. I get dressed at the venue because I don't want to wrinkle my tux on the long drive and I don't want to display my gorgeous menopausal female figure to my peers backstage.”

Live performances always run the risk of something not going according to plan. Well-prepared groups like GMCSF know how to roll with it and the audience never knows. The performers, however, Foley says it can feel like they’re on a rollercoaster. “Some singers ‘go rogue’ in performances and sing whatever they are feeling or as loudly as possible. They go off script.”

Once the final note fades away and the curtain comes down, Gragert says a whole new set of emotions comes over him. “It’s a mix of anxiety and happiness because I want to give my all at the concert. I will call it excitement and introspection, always excited to see how successful the concert was.”

For Foley, it'd be a til-we-meet-again moment. “It is reminiscent of the last day of summer camp. You are making sure to collect all the things you brought with you and hug as many people as possible on your way to your car.”