Inextinguishable Light: Concert Of Queer Joy
Oakland Gay Men's Chorus
Valley Center for the Arts
April 10-11, 2026
Not that any community is homogenous, but my experience with/of LGBTQ culture has been largely colored by my 25 years here in Oakland. It never occurred to me it might be less “kumbaya” elsewhere. In one of those not quite déjà vu moments, that notion was reinforced by artistic director, Bruce Southard at the commencement of Inextinguishable Light: A Concert Of Queer Joy.
Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus's culture of inclusion extends broadly. Their members aren’t exclusively Oaklanders, gay, or even men. They are united in the chorus’s mission to celebrate joy, light and renewal. Southard’s black suit twinkled with rhinestones. The chorus was uniformly dressed; black, top, pants, and shoes with bejeweled bowties, but a closer inspection revealed a rainbow of individuality. A touch of makeup here, a lot of product there. They are as racially varied as Oakland itself. They are a quilt.
The evening’s selections were designed to uplift, pulling from Broadway, classical and pop with abandon. A quick glance at the titles revealed their optimistic themes. “Lumen,” “Seize The Day,” “Shine,” and the eternal question “Can We Sing The Darkness To Light?“ The songs were accompanied by (mostly hand) choreography. The first breakout number of the evening quotes "I Am What I Am“ from La Cage Aux Follies' planted defiant flag, sung as a duet by Jonathan Leavy and Nick Paterno. I was impressed by the power and smoothness of the latter’s voice as he crooned.
Their energetic rendition of “Yes We Can Can“ was a sly nod to Oakland‘s own Pointer Sisters. The curtain closed on Act One, though not completely, leaving a few in the company to ham it up for the audience before the mistake was remedied.
Lady Gaga‘s anthem “Born This Way“ opened Act Two, followed by Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” The song was accompanied by six dancers in pink unicorn costumes. It was fun how, even “disguised“ in costume, the performers' shapes, and sizes were apparent. An earlier choreographed number with costume change highlighted ”all bodies” in their mission of inclusion. Even from the cheap seats, you could see the joy on the performers' faces. It was infectious.
Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus is a community group of enthusiasts with day jobs. All have far better than average voices, but it’s not unusual to hear the occasional flat note or see a misstep. It’s inspiring to see them stretch for that just-out-of-reach note. This is queer joy, the power of which elevates Mikee Guzman, the night’s soloist on Sylvester‘s disco classic “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)“ to the task, in spirit anyway. “Over the Rainbow” might have been a little on the nose. But following the call to arms “Banned Together,“ it showcased the hope and determination that are sustaining in the current anti-everything non-cis het white male climate.
The sky opened up in the time we’d been inside. “This is scary,“ my girlfriend uttered, grabbing the car’s door handle. I thought perhaps she wasn’t as inspired by the show as I had been. I felt buttressed, and prepared to do battle with the Enemies of Joy. But, no, just driving the flooded Highway 13 in a street legal golf cart had put her on edge. “We’re the next stop,“ I assured her. And hummed a little of “Over the Rainbow“ very badly. I think I just made it worse. I’ll leave it to the semiprofessionals.
