Molly Sommerhalder PR Specialist (414) 273-7121 ext. 399 [email protected]

‘it gets better’ Stage Production From Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) Boldly Reaches Out To Milwaukee Youth With March 2nd Engagement

Proceeds from this effort will go to Cream City Foundation

Tickets On Sale Now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(MILWAUKEE – FEBRUARY 26, 2014) - As part of a changing tide across the U.S. towards tolerance and acceptance of LGBT people, the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts will welcome the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) to Uihlein Hall on Sunday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m. for a special production of , a co- production of Speak Theater Arts and the . The performance will be the culmination of a weeklong residency in Milwaukee area schools and community- wide outreach events that are focused on ending and encouraging a conversa- tion about LGBT rights and the climate for LGBT individuals in the community.

The Marcus Center has teamed up with the Cream City Foundation to help raise awareness in Milwaukee. Net proceeds from this effort will go to the Cream City Foun- dation for future anti-bullying efforts.

“Cream City Foundation is proud to partner with Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, the corporate community, our schools, and community partners, to bring “it gets better” to Southeastern Wisconsin. Working together with young people, artists, service provid- ers, LGBT people and our allies, we have an opportunity over the course of a week to give voice to the impact bullying has on our young people right here at home, and ad- dress solutions to this epidemic.”- Paul R. Fairchild, President & CEO of Cream City Foundation.

Our Presenting Sponsor is Northwestern Mutual and our Community Partners include: Associated Bank, Baird, Cream City Foundation, Rockwell Automation and United Way.

“A key part of our mission at the Marcus Center is to promote cross-cultural understand- ing and utilize the arts to foster positive change in the community. We are presenting the It Gets Better project because it not only brings this needed message of hope onto our stage, it also brings the message directly into the community, where it will have its greatest impact on the lives of young people.” Paul Mathews, President & CEO of the Marcus Center.

The It Gets Better Project was founded in September 2010, when the first It Gets Better video was uploaded to YouTube, igniting a worldwide phenomenon. That video offered

a desperately needed message of hope to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. It urged them to tough it out through the bullying and other challenges that confronted them in their teenage years, and described the positive future they could experience as adults. It told them that no matter how difficult things may be today, “it gets better.” The team at the It Gets Better Project is thrilled to collaborate yet again with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles in bringing the It Gets Better message to the stage.

Tickets are on sale now and are $20 for general public and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Marcus Center Box Office located at 929 North Water Street, Downtown Milwaukee, by phone at 414.273.7206 or at MarcusCenter.org or Ticketmas- ter.com.

The Marcus Center is thrilled that our community choir coordinator, Tim Ruf from City of Festivals Men’s Chorus, has put a 95 person vocal choir together. This will be a power- ful collaboration between IGB company artists and community singers culminating in a critical on-stage performance in the it gets better production.

To learn more about the performance and the week of activities please visit: http://www.marcuscenter.org/show/it-gets-better/

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ABOUT THE MARCUS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts is owned and partially funded by Milwaukee County. The Marcus Center has been the premier entertainment destination for Mil- waukee and Wisconsin since 1969. It provides the setting for outstanding cultural expe- riences, where the arts come to life for current and future generations. Located in the heart of the Downtown Theater District, the Marcus Center is a community facility that offers live performance of opera, ballet, children’s theater, symphony and first-class na- tional touring productions. For more information on Marcus Center Presents Series, visit the Marcus Center website at www.MarcusCenter.org.

About Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) Now in its 35th Season, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles has built an international reputation for musical excellence while remaining deeply rooted in service to the com- munity. Hailed as “one of the last important links to a glorious tradition in music,” GMCLA has over 200 singing members, a full-time professional and artistic staff, and tours internationally. They have released 13 albums, commissioned over 300 new works and arrangements and appear frequently on national TV, including an appear- ance on last year’s Academy Awards. Chorus members donate over 60,000 volunteer hours annually to make their mission of musical excellence and community partnership a reality. They have performed for 2 sitting US Presidents, sung with award winning guests such as Stephen Schwartz, Melissa Manchester, LeAnn Rimes, Jerry Herman and Jennifer Holliday in venues from the House of Blues to Walt Disney Concert Hall. GMCLA's Alive Music Project (AMP) brings music education and anti-bullying work- shops to Los Angeles schools; their youth chorus, Outside Voices, is a safe space for

youth 14 & up to express themselves musically and gain valuable performance experi- ence in GMCLA productions. GMCLA's original musical, it gets better (a partnership with the It Gets Better Project) tours the US, giving hope and support to LGBT youth and furthering their mission to change hearts and minds through the power of music. www.gmcla.org

About the It Gets Better Project The It Gets Better Project began in September, 2010, when syndicated columnist and author created a YouTube video with his partner, Terry Miller, in response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school. Two years later, the It Gets Better Project is a worldwide movement, inspiring more than 50,000 user-created videos viewed more than 60 million times. People representing all ages, races, religions, nationalities, gender identities and sexual orientations have shared their ‘it gets better’ stories, with submissions from President , Secretary of State , Rep. Nancy Pelosi, , Anne Hathaway, Colin Far- rell, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the employees of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, and many more. The Project makes creative use of all forms of media to share these stories, it collaborates with partner organizations to improve the lives of LGBT youth, and it supports a growing network of international affiliates working to bring the ‘it gets better’ message to communities around the world and to connect LGBT youth with the resources they need. www.ItGetsBetter.org

About Speak Theater Arts Speak Theater Arts is a Los Angeles-based theater company best known for their criti- cally acclaimed original work N*GGER WETB*CK CH*NK. The company strives to invite new audiences to the live theater experiences through engaging, timely work created collaboratively by a team of dynamic multimedia artists and performers. In 2009, GMCLA collaborated with STA for an acclaimed world premiere staging of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, An Epilogue which integrated live music performances by the Chorus. www.speaktheaterarts.com.