Author: Alfredo Casuso

media contact: 

DP&A, Inc, David Perry /  (415) 676-7007/ news@davidperry.com

San Francisco’s Castro Theatre Marks 100th Birthday with Week of Classic Films 

June 3 – 12 Curated by Decade

Wednesday, June 22 Celebrates the Centennial with Day of Movies Filmed in San Francisco

Annual LGBTQ Frameline Film Festival Returns June 16 – 26

13 May 2022 – San Francisco.  100 years ago next month, San Francisco’s Nasser family opened the Castro Theatre: an event that came to define an era and a neighborhood. A century on, it is the longest continually family owned movie palace in the United States. To mark the occasion, the Nasser Family in partnership with Another Planet Entertainment (www.apeconcerts.com) is scheduling a week of film screenings featuring iconic movies from each decade of the Castro’s history, June 3 – 12, some family and children’s programming and a “Happy Birthday” special event on June 22 – the actual date of the Castro’s opening day in 1922 —  with movies filmed in San Francisco. Concurrent with the centennial celebrations, the LGBTQ Frameline Film Festival will return after a two-year hiatus.

“It continues to be my family’s honor and privilege to own the Castro Theatre,” said Steve Nasser, of Bay Properties, Inc. “After two years of COVID-forced closures, it is such a joy and a pleasure to reopen and to work with the very best, and most sensitive local producers around, Another Planet Entertainment.” Steve Nasser and Elaine Nasser Padian are the third generation of this family to lead the company, founded by their grandfather Abraham and his sons having conceived and constructed the Castro Theatre in 1922.

“The Castro is much more than a theatre,” said Mary Conde, Senior Vice President for Another Planet who oversees the overall Castro Theatre Project. “An LGBTQ touchstone, a film-lovers icon, a community landmark and an architectural gem, the Castro is unique. Another Planet is honored to restore, renovate and revitalize the Castro as a home to everything we’ve come to love about the Castro, and expand its audience.”

Tickets for the special week of screenings are $16 weekdays and $18 weekend with the morning youth programming at $10/adult $6/youth up to age 12 and may be purchased online starting May 13 at 9am at https://apeconcerts.com/events/castro-100th-birthday-220603-22

While there are no vaccine or masking requirements for entry, all attendees are encouraged to have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Masking and adherence to social distancing and proper hygiene protocols are strongly encouraged.

Another Planet Entertainment is partnering with Bay Properties, Inc., owners of the Castro Theatre, on an evolution and preservation of San Francisco’s world-renowned entertainment and LGBTQ community landmark. With a long-standing history of working to preserve and improve historic buildings such as the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theatre in Berkeley and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Another Planet seeks to enhance the Castro Theatre by implementing significant improvements to the sound, lighting, production, HVAC, ADA access and the theatre’s trademark marquee, among other facets of the building: all of this, always, with an eye to honoring its unique place in the lives of the Castro and celebrating its communities and residents.

The Castro Theatre was built in 1922 by pioneer San Francisco theatre entrepreneurs, the Nasser brothers, who started with a nickelodeon in 1908 in the Castro neighborhood. The Castro was designed by then-unknown architect Timothy Pflueger, who later designed the Paramount Theatre, the Pacific Cost Stock Exchange, the Pacific Telephone Building and the Top of the Mark on Nob Hill. Timothy Pflueger chose an exterior design reminiscent of a Mexican cathedral. The large windows, the shape of the roof line of the front wall of the building and the plaster wall decorations all combine to convey a look of grandeur in keeping with the large scale of many theatres built in the 1920s.  Sound was installed in 1928.  The marquee and the vertical neon sign are additions from the late 1930s, but the glazed tile street foyer, ornate tent-like box office and the wooden doors are all from the early 1922.

The Castro’s interior is very diverse. One can sense Spanish, Asian and Italian influences. The auditorium seats over 1400 in a fantasy setting that is both lavish and intimate. Both side walls of the auditorium are covered with classic motif murals which were created in a wet plaster process called scrafitto. This type of wall decoration is rare. On either side of the stage and screen (the small original screen has long ago been replaced with a large screen) are large organ grills. The Art Deco chandelier dates from 1937 when a small electrical fire destroyed the original parchment fixture. It is one of the few remaining movie palaces from the 1920s that has been in continuous operation under same family ownership.

Below is the schedule of Castro Theatre 100th Special Film Screenings

Friday, June 3: (Decade of the 1920s)

• Oh Doctor (2:45pm)  Reginald Denny & Mary Astor

• The Mark of Zoro (4:30pm) Douglas Fairbanks, Noah Beery, Marguerite De La Motte, Robert McKim

• Across to Singapore (6pm) Joan Crawford, Ramon Navarro,  Ernst Torrence

• The Lodger (7:45pm) Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, Ivor Novello

• Sunrise (9:45pm) with Janet Gaynor, George O’Brian, Margaret Livingston, Harold Schuster, Bodil Rosing

Saturday, June 4:(Decade of the 1930s)

• Bright Eyes (10:30am) Shirley Temple

• Pardon Us (1pm) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

• Thin Man (2:45pm) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton

• The Adventures of Robinhood (4:45pm) Errol Flynn; Olivia de Havilland; Basil Rathbone; Claude Rains; Una O’Connor

• The Women (7pm) Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard

• Night at the Opera (9:30pm) Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle

Sunday, June 5:  (Decade of the 1940s & Special Family Feature)

• Lion King (10:30am) The Disney children’s classic, not 1940s

• Philadelphia Story (2:30pm) Cary Grant; Katharine Hepburn; James Stewart; Ruth Hussey

• The Lady from Shanghai (5pm) Orson Wells, Rita Hayworth, Everette Sloan, Glen Anders, Erskine Sanford

• Mildred Pierce (7pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Eve Arden, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth

• Casablanca (9:30pm) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Peter Lorrie, Paul Henreid, Madeleine LeBeau

Monday, June 6 (Decade of the 1950s)

• From Here to Eternity (4pm) Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra

• Some Like it Hot (6:30pm)Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

• All About Eve (9:15pm) Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlow

Tuesday, June 7 (Decade of the 1960s)

• Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid (2pm) Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katherine Ross

• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (4:30pm) John Wayne, James Steward, Lee Marvin, Andy Devine, Vera Miles

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (7pm) Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney

• The Magnificent 7 (9:30pm) Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson

Wednesday, June 8 (Decade of the 1970s)

• Star Wars: A New Hope (4pm) Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guiness

• Chinatown (6:30pm) Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd

• The Godfather (9:20pm) Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton

Thursday, June 9  (Decade of the 1980s)

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (4pm) Harrison Ford; Karen Allen; Paul Freeman; Ronald Lacey; John Rhys-Davies; Denholm Elliott

• Amadeus (6:30pm) F. Murray Abraham, Tom Huice, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Ry Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay

• Blade Runner (9:20pm) Harrison Ford; Rutger Hauer; Sean Young; Edward James Olmos

Friday, June 10 (Decade of the 1990s)

• Casino (1pm) Robert De Niro; Sharon Stone; Joe Pesci; Don Rickles; Kevin Pollak; James Woods

• Rush Hour (4:30pm) Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Julia Hsu, Elizabeth Pena, Ken Leung, Clifton Powell

• American Beauty (6:45pm) Kevin Spacey; Annette Benning; Thora Birch; Mena Suvari; Wes Bentley; Allison Janney; Peter Gallagher; Chris Cooper

• The Bird Cage (9:30pm) Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest

Saturday, June 11 (Decade of the 2000s)

• Ironman (1pm) Robert Downey Jr. Terrence Howard; Jeff Bridges; Shaun Toub; Gwyneth Paltrow

• The Royal Tenenbaums (4pm) Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelica Huston

• No Country for Old Men (7pm) Tommy Lee Jones; Javier Bardem; Josh Brolin

Sunday, June 12 (Decade of 2010s)

• Black Panther (1pm) Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman

• A Star is Born (3:50pm) Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos

• Bohemian Rhapsody (6:30pm) Rami Malek; Lucy Boynton; Gwilym Lee; Ben Hardy; Joe Mazzello; Aidan Gillen; Tom Hollander; Mike Myers

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (9:15pm) Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley

Wednesday June 22nd (Actual Opening Date in 1922) Movies Filmed in San Francisco

• San Francisco (10:30am) Clark Gable, Janette McDonald, Spencer Tracy
• Mrs. Doubtfire (1pm) Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein
• Dirty Harry (3:30pm), Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino
• Sudden Fear (6pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Graham
• Bullitt (8:15pm) Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn

#  #  #

media contact: 

DP&A, Inc, David Perry/ (415) 676-7007/ news@davidperry.com

Celebrating the Legacy of Harvey Milk on his 92nd Birthday and Honoring Open Hand Founder Ruth Brinker

Sunday, May 22 Events at Castro Theatre feature free screenings of “The Times of Harvey Milk” 

and 

Premiere of “The Ruth Brinker Story”

Free Public Events in Jane Warner Plaza Adjacent to Castro Theatre: 12noon – 5pm

11 May 2022 – San Francisco:  Another Planet Entertainment(www.apeconcerts.com) will host a special day of programming at the Castro Theatre to celebrate two community icons: Harvey Milk and Project Open Hand founder Ruth Brinker.  Castro organist David Hegarty will play before each show with the exception of the 11am screening.

As part of Castro’s Harvey Milk Day celebration, The Times of Harvey Milk will return to the same screen which premiered the 1984 Oscar-winning documentary. Castro Theatre will screen The Times of Harvey Milk at 11am followed by The Ruth Brinker Story at 2pm, and a double feature of both works at 3pm. At 6pm, Project Open Hand will host  a special Gala Screening of The Ruth Brinker Storywill take place, including panel discussions and a post-film reception in the Castro Theatre mezzanine.  

The screenings of The Times of Harvey Milk and The Ruth Brinker Story afternoon screenings are free and un-ticketed.  All seating is first come, first serve. Tickets for the 6pm Gala Event and benefit are $ 50 and must be purchased in advance online at https://BrinkerStory.givesmart.com.

“As stewards of the LGBTQ icon that is the Castro Theatre, Another Planet is honored to help facilitate this special day celebrates the lives and legacies of two community icons, Harvey Milk and Ruth Brinker, ” said Mary Conde, Senior Vice President for Another Planet who is in charge of the overall Castro Theatre Project. “This is exactly the sort of collegial, community partnership we look forward to continuing in years to come.”

In addition to the special Harvey Milk Day screenings, Another Planet will be featuring a number of special events and film screenings in the lead up to Pride Month. 

A full schedule of all Castro Theatre events may be found online at https://apeconcerts.com/venues/castro-theatre/

● Sunday, May 15: The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long

● Tuesday, June 14: A Musical Celebration Starring Debbie Wileman as Judy Garland celebrating Garland’s 100th Birthday

● June 16 – 26: The Frameline International LGBTQ Film Festival

● In the coming days, a series of special film screenings will be announced to mark the 100th anniversary of the Castro Theatre’s 1922 opening.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be telling the story of Ruth Brinker through the beautiful, visual storytelling of this short documentary by Burn A Light Productions. Her story is not just about providing food. It’s about showing compassion to people in your community who are in dire need,” Project Open Hand CEO Paul Hepfer said. “Ruth’s legacy is alive because it is at the heart of everything we do at Project Open Hand. She is our compass, and we are excited to share her story with the hopes that others will follow her path.”

At the age of 63, retired food-service worker Ruth Brinker became a pioneer of HIV care in her community and would become a legend among San Franciscans. The AIDS epidemic hit San Francisco the hardest and created a wave of fear and uncertainty that left many victims feeling hopeless and alone. 

Brinker, a woman whose deep compassion became a source of strength for others struggling to cope with the times, began cooking meals in her kitchen to deliver to her neighbors who were too ill to take care of themselves. Her goal was to not only provide meals but to also revitalize the city’s sense of community and spend time with HIV/AIDS patients to end the isolation they experienced. Providing meals with love became the hallmark of her mission. The work of Brinker and her growing team of volunteers led to Project Open Hand, the largest provider of nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community with sister organizations across the country. Ruth Brinker’s legacy carries on today as Project Open Hand has once again joined the frontlines in facing the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.

Filmmaker Apo W. Bazidi was born in Eastern Turkey to Kurdish parents. He grew up amid the social injustices and inequality that beset his community. These experiences drove his desire to become a storyteller so he could shed light on these important issues. After high school, he immigrated to the United States and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Television Production from the University of Southern California in 2011. Apo’s films are primarily concerned with social issues and the importance of global cultural interactions. His feature film, Resistance is Life, won eight festival awards including six for Best Documentary Feature. Apo believes in making a positive change through visual storytelling. His lifelong motto is to “be creative and inspire”. Apo is the founder and CEO of Burn A Light Productions.

On what will be the 92nd birthday of Harvey Milk, the screenings of The Times of Harvey Milk will help mark San Francisco and Castro’s Harvey Milk Day celebrations organized by the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, the Castro Community Benefit District, the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza, and the Castro Merchants Association.

“92 years since Harvey Milk’s birth, we face a country much changed and yet very much similar to The Times of Harvey Milk,” shares Jeffrey Kwong of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, which has organized screenings of the documentary for years. “With a skyrocketing number of anti-LGBTQ bills filed over the past several years – from 41 in 2018 to 238 in just the first three months of 2022 – this Harvey Milk Day is a crucial moment to remember the life and to live out the words of Harvey Milk.”

The screenings of both films coincide with a full day of free community events celebrating Harvey Milk’s legacy from 12 noon to 5pm in Jane Warner Plazaimmediately adjacent to the Castro Theatre.

Premiering at the Castro Theatre in 1984, The Times of Harvey Milk chronicles the political career of Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s first openly gay elected official, and his rise from a neighborhood activist to a symbol of gay political achievement, through to his assassination in November 1978.  Receiving international acclaim, awards and selection into the National Film Registry in Library of Congress, the documentary later became inspiration for Gus Van Sant’s 2008 Oscar-winning biopic, Milk. 

Background on our Partners:

Another Planet Entertainment is partnering with Bay Properties, Inc., owners of the Castro Theatre, on an evolution and preservation of San Francisco’s world-renowned entertainment and LGBTQ community landmark. With a long-standing history of working to preserve and improve historic buildings such as the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theatre in Berkeley and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Another Planet seeks to enhance the Castro Theatre by implementing significant improvements to the sound, lighting, production, HVAC, ADA access and the theatre’s trademark marquee, among other facets of the building: all of this, always, with an eye to honoring its unique place in the lives of the Castro and celebrating its communities and residents.

About Project Open Hand:

Founded in 1985 as a grassroots response to the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, Project Open Hand is an innovative, outcome-driven, client-centered partner in the public health and medical arenas, preparing over 2,500 medically tailored nutritious meals daily for clients with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and HIV/AIDS in San Francisco and Alameda counties.

About The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

Founded by Harvey Milk in 1976, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club continues Harvey’s legacy through political activism, electoral organizing, and building progressive power across communities and issues in San Francisco. To learn more about the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club or to become a member, visit www.milkclub.org. We’re here to recruit you! @harveymilkclub#HarveyMilk2022

Monday, May 9, 2022

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications,mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MAYOR LONDON BREED APPOINTS MATT DORSEY TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

City government veteran and acknowledged member of the substance-use recovery community will represent a district hard hit by City’s drug overdose crisis

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today appointed Matt Dorsey to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, making him the first self-identified member of the substance use disorder recovery community to serve on the Board in a generation. The appointment comes at a time when San Francisco is experiencing an addiction and overdose crisis that is impacting many neighborhoods, including District 6.

Dorsey is a respected City government veteran who currently serves on the staff of the San Francisco Police Department as the communications director. Previously, Dorsey served for fourteen years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, where he worked to support groundbreaking cases around marriage equality, education access, public health, tenants rights, and worker protections. He will complete the unexpired term of former supervisor Matt Haney, who was elected to the California State Assembly last month. Dorsey is an out gay man who will join Supervisor Rafael Mandelman as the Board’s second LGBTQ member.

“Matt Dorsey is uniquely positioned to understand our city government and its current challenges — professionally and personally, from public health to public safety,” said Mayor Breed. “San Francisco needs a strong voice and forceful advocate to help lead our efforts through a drug crisis that is costing lives and devastating neighborhoods — including many in District 6. As an accomplished City government veteran, and as a member of the recovery community, Matt is ready to not only make the hard decisions, but to understand the impacts those decisions will have on people’s lives. I trust Matt to work cooperatively, creatively, and effectively to help solve the problems facing our city.”

In addition to leading on solutions around substance use and recovery, Dorsey will bring his personal and professional experience to focus on the issues impacting San Francisco and District 6, including building more housing, protecting tenants, addressing transportation and traffic congestion, supporting small businesses, advancing LGBTQ rights, and supporting San Francisco’s recovery from the pandemic.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust Mayor Breed has placed in me to serve my city and my District 6 neighbors on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors,” said Matt Dorsey. “I’m a believer in what good government can accomplish, and I intend to be a full partner with Mayor Breed and my board colleagues in governing our city responsibly, accountably and effectively. I am also a three-time drug rehab graduate. I know well the challenges facing those, in my district and elsewhere, who grapple with substance use disorder. I believe in the promise of recovery, and I think our local government has an essential role to play in helping fulfill that promise. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, and excited to get to work for my city.”

Dorsey served on former City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s executive staff for 14 years, whereas senior advisor and communications director he helped to lead high-profile efforts by that office on history-making cases that won marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples in California; saved City College of San Francisco from imminent closure; protected countless renters from evictions; recovered millions of dollars from predatory employers for victims of wage theft; and more. He was among the progressive slate candidates elected to a four-year term on San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee in 2012. As San Francisco’s only openly HIV-positive elected official during his term on the DCCC, Dorsey authored resolutions to elevate awareness for San Francisco’s “Getting to Zero” initiative and helped to defeat the controversial 2016 statewide ballot measure, Prop 60, which would have imposed draconian restrictions on the State’s adult film industry and delegitimized public health advances in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

Prior to joining SFPD in 2020, Dorsey led Tobacco-Free Kids’ communications strategy for the 2019 No on Prop C campaign, soundly defeating a multimillion-dollar ballot measure by vaping giant JUUL Labs, Inc. that became the most expensive per-vote loss in San Francisco history. He is also a founding board member of the nonprofit neighborhood advocacy organization, Mid-Market Neighbors.

“This is bittersweet news for all of us in the San Francisco Police Department, but great news for the City and County of San Francisco,” said Chief of Police William Scott. “We look forward to working with Matt on the Board of Supervisors, but we will miss the thoughtful and principled leadership he brought to our staff. Matt Dorsey has earned the respect and appreciation of the men, women, and nonbinary members of SFPD for his service here. We’re grateful for the wealth of knowledge he will bring to City Hall about the public safety and police staffing challenges facing our city, and the promise of 21st century police reform. We applaud Mayor Breed’s pick, and we wish Matt well in his new public service role.”

“Matt Dorsey is an inspired choice for the Board of Supervisors, and my congratulations to Mayor Breed for recognizing how extraordinarily well matched Matt is to the challenges facing San Francisco,” said SFPUC General Manager and former City Attorney Dennis Herrera. “I’ve known and trusted Matt for more than two decades, and he is widely respected among the City government colleagues and journalists with whom he has worked over the years. He created the City Attorney’s Good Government Guide, which has become a cornerstone of ethics and Sunshine training citywide. He is a fearless champion for good government and public integrity, and I know he will work tirelessly to fight waste, fraud and abuse. San Franciscans will be well served by his leadership.”

According to monthly data reports on accidental drug overdose deaths from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood, which is part of District 6, typically ranks second or first in the number of fatal overdoses based on locations of death and victims’ residential neighborhoods. Only the Tenderloin, which is now in District 5, occasionally surpasses SOMA as a locus of San Francisco’s drug OD and open-air drug dealing crisis.

Former San Francisco Supervisor Bill Maher, who served on the Board of supervisors from 1983 to 1995, was the prior board member to publicly acknowledge his history with substance use disorder. Maher and his brother, John, founded the Delancey Street rehabilitation center in San Francisco in 1970.

###

media contact: DP&A, Inc., David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com    

A Cabbello Announces 2022 Season!
May 14 & 15: “We’re Still Here” features music of Stephen Sondheim 

2023 Season Kicks Off:
October 7, 8 & 9 Features Classic Themes from James Bond / 007 Films 

Both Productions at CV Rep

www.acabbello.org 

9 May 2022 – Palm Springs, CA: If music be the food of love, sing on! to paraphrase Shakespeare. After two years of COVID-enforced non-audience events, the “Bello Gents” of A Cabbello (www.acabbello.org) are back on-stage and in-voice for their 2022 season beginning with two concerts devoted to the legacy and music of  Stephen Sondheim – “We’re Still Here” – Saturday & Sunday, May 14 & 15, 4pm at CV Rep Playhouse (68510 E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City). Tickets are $ 40 and can be purchased online www.acabbello.org. Later this fall – October 7, 8, 9 – to coincide with the 60^th anniversary of the first James Bond film, the talented all-male ensemble, will perform the classic 007 theme music from the iconic franchise also at CV Rep as the kick-off to their 2023 Season.

“You can’t zoom art for very long,” says Linda Moran, Artistic Director for A Cabbello. “There is nothing like live, in-person, in unison, in harmony voices to lift our spirits and our hearts. The ‘bello gents’ of A Cabbello know all about that, and are looking forward to welcoming audiences back to live events.”

Founded in 2016, A Cabbello is the Coachella Valley’s premiere all-male vocal ensemble.  A Cabbello is committed to pursuing excellent, fervent and innovative music-makingwith the message of love, hope and unity, that fosters an enlightening artistic andspiritual experience for our members and audiences. 

“Classic Broadway and classic Hollywood converge this season,” says ​Kurt Kelley, Music Director. “To paraphrase Sondheim’s iconic song from Follies, ‘We’re Still Here’.”

Below, meet the “Bello Gents” of A Cabbello:
Alan Denny (Bass) – Alan has fed his performing soul traveling the U.S. and Europe in musical comedies and classical performances. Discovering laughter at an early age is a powerful aphrodisiac. When playing a little tin soldier in his grade school Christmas play, he dropped his gun and the audience laughed, he was hooked. Being a Southern Baptist Minister’s kid, he continued to hone his craft in youth and college choirs. Studying opera in college, he returned to his true love, musical comedy. Creating a home base in New York City, he toured and performed in many shows and revues, before moving to Los Angeles and then to Palm Springs. Alan also sings with Modern Men Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus.

Andrew Bird (Tenor 2) – Andrew has had the honor of performing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus on six Grammy award winning albums. As well, with the LA Master Chorale, Grant Park Symphony chorus, Lyric Opera Chorus, and many more. He performed in opera companies around the country and sang in Otello with Luciano Pavarotti at Carnegie Hall. Locally, he also sings with the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus and is part of the “From Met to Broadway” troupe. Andrew has the honor of serving as President of A Cabbello’s Board of Directors.

Cameron Merrihew (Tenor 2) – Cameron is a local performer who holds degrees in both vocal performance and theatre arts. Cameron has performed locally with groups such as the California Desert Chorale, the SweetHots, and the Desert Carolers. He also does theatre locally and has performed in multiple College of the Desert productions and with Desert Rose Playhouse, Palm Canyon Theatre, and Desert Theatreworks. As a new member of A Cabbello, Cameron adds an amazing energy, great spirit and exceptionally rich tone to our stage.

Daniel Stewart (Baritone) – Daniel’s love of singing and playing piano was encouraged by his musical mother and fostered growing up in the Baptist Church. After earning a double Associates Degree in Music and Vocal Performance, life got in the way and a long period of no singing ensured. His interests in electronic music and collecting electronic equipment and taking yearly old man skateboard trips with pals since childhood kept him busy. Daniel rediscovered his passion with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles from 2011 to 2014. We are so grateful his husband Mike an​d sweet dog, Angus found their way back to the Coachella Valley in 2020. Sharing his incredible voice and spirit with us for the first time is our gift to you, our audience. Enjoy!   

Darryl Kozak (Bass) – Darryl’s heart has always been full of music. Two things get him up in the morning, God and Music. He has performed extensively in concert halls and churches as a soloist in demand throughout Southern California, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, and several European countries. Serving others as a Life Coach and an ordained Lutheran Minister for a congregation in Corona fills his days with purpose. We are blessed that he travels across the miles to come share his gifts with us. Darryl’s exciting news is that he is currently working on an album featuring inspirational, uplifting songs. Stay connected and we’ll let you know when it will be released, hopefully within the year

David Sperber (Baritone) – David moved from Los Angeles, where he sang with GMCLA for 16 seasons, to our desert oasis 3 years ago. He has been singing show tunes since the age of 4. His obsession with Broadway runs deep. At his Bar Mitzvah reception, he sang a 30-minute musical theatre set…talk about a captive audience and his parents granted his dream Bar Mitzvah gift request and took him to Broadway to see CATS! He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theater. He is co-owner of Intelligent Deals, Inc., a marketing e-commerce agency. David and his husband, Chris, enjoy their new Rancho Mirage surroundings, where David has embraced the valley’s pickleball craze with a vengeance.  

Evan Boomer (Tenor 1) – Music fills Evan’s life whether sharing with his incredible husband and 4 fantastic kids, helping his 5^th grade students find their own creative path, through fellowship at church or lifting you up, our audience. As a San Francisco Bay Area native, he received his BA in Theatre Arts from California State East Bay before relocating to the desert and obtaining his master’s degree in Education from California State University, San Bernardino. While in San Francisco, Evan also performed professionally in musical theater. Two shows that stand out are Spring Awakening…need we say more…And Xanadu, where he was truly able to unleash his inner comedic character actor as a Greek goddess on roller skates! Open invite to come sing with him as the Worship Pastor at the LGBTQIA+ affirming Desert Oasis Chapel of Palm Springs.

Gary Hawthorne (Bass) – Growing up along the rivers and lakes of South Georgia, Gary’s love of music flowed and was fed with the richness of gospel, spiritual, blues, and soul. In San Francisco, he joined his MCC church choir and studied voice at San Francisco City College. Fast forward 21 years, Gary discovered the gay choral movement in Palm Springs and has not stopped singing since. Sharing his talents with The Caballeros, PSGMC, California Desert Choral, Modern Men and now us. We are so grateful he is lifting his voice with A Cabbello. Gary’s gift of making everyone feel seen and heard, embodies the best of the true southern gentleman and his gracious hospitality and kindness is legendary.

Heath Richard (Tenor 1) – A late bloomer in finding his voice, Heath began singing at 40, however don’t let that fool you. The next 10 years, he enjoyed performing some fantastic roles in theater in the Chicagoland area. Lucky for us, 4 years ago, he and his partner were drawn to the Coachella Valley. His passion for singing is shared in multiple ways, performing with A Cabbello, Modern Men. and leading the pack on Tuesday Karaoke night at Roost Lounge. Heath also is an amazing hair stylist and Barber and makes magic with his scissors and razor at Saloniste. We also appreciate Heath’s time and dedication as an A Cabbello Board Member.

Jason Mannino (Baritone) – As a recent transplant, after 21 years in Los Angeles, Jason enjoys working on his new home & exploring all that the Coachella Valley has to offer. He quickly connected with Modern Men, Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus and had the honor of performing in the world premiere of Momentum. He holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from University of Santa Monica. Jason is a dynamic certified career coach with the International Coaching Federation (www.coachmannino.com), as well as, an executive search recruiter. We are thrilled, Jason creates time to bring his gifts to our stage and also appreciate his expertise and dedication as an acting A Cabbello Board Member.

Justin  Marsh (Tenor) has performed in numerous opera, oratorio and musical theater productions across the USA and Germany; and, he has sung in television and radio broadcasts both nationally and internationally. Known for his lyrical voice, comedic acting abilities and being a specialist in contemporary composition, he has performed in festivals of new works and collaborated with composers since he was in his undergraduate studies. Justin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and received his Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Justin, also a licensed Esthetician, moved to Palm Springs in 2019 and opened a location of his skincare practice, “Downing And Grove Skincare” on North Palm Canyon Drive. In December 2021, he met Kurt Kelley while singing with The Desert Carolers… Kurt brought him to A Cabbello and Justin is thrilled to be here.

Mike Stokesberry (Baritone) – Mike grew up in Illinois and remembers singing as early as the first grade. He was blessed to have a music teacher that was a major encouraging influence in his life and the rest is history. Loving and enjoying the camaraderie and magic of blending voices, he has been singing in choirs and choruses ever since. Groups include the Mountainside Master Choral, Riverside Chamber Choir, Inland Master Choral, Meritage Vocal Arts Ensemble, Long Beach Camarata, and the California Desert Choral. He has incredible memories of living in Asia, where he sang two years with the Tokyo International Singers and 2 years, the Hong Kong Bach Choir. We are incredibly grateful for his ‘Swiss army knife’ abilities in assisting A Cabbello with many behind the scenes needs from creating rehearsal tracks to managing our outgoing communications and systems.  

Paul Kowal (Bass) – Paul got the choral music bug as a college student, when their choir had the honor of participating in a cultural exchange program. He spent eight weeks performing throughout Africa and the Middle East with the Amherst College Glee Club. Experiencing first-hand how powerful music can be in creating bonds. He became a lifelong choral junkie, singing 3 years with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and a dedicated 30 years with the Boston Symphony Chorus and eight LGBT choruses. Along with singing, his life has been dedicated passionately to serving on fifteen different chorus’ boards and he was instrumental in founding the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus and Boston’s Coro Allegro. Paul also currently sings with Modern Men Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus.

Phillip Merlino (Tenor 1) – Phillip holds a degree in classical vocal performance and has performed multiple roles as a natural countertenor. A widely used soloist in multiple oratorio and classical works, Phillip has performed as a soloist in concert halls including the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. He is the alto section leader for the choir of St Margaret’s Episcopal Church in San Juan Capistrano and is hired regularly as a guest soloist for multiple groups. He is absolutely loving his time with A Cabbello! When not singing, he enjoys waterskiing, boating, and anything involving the great outdoors and passionately helping his clients as a Real Estate Professional.

Rob Thomas (Tenor 2) – Whether as a featured soloist or an ensemble performer, Rob’s spirit and energy fills the room when he sings. He began singing in church at the age of 6, continuing through elementary and onto an elite high school choir. Before moving to the desert, Rob sang with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, where he had the honor of performing a solo at Carnegie Hall. For 5 years he was the toast of the town as a female impersonator at Seattle’s The Royal Crown singing and dancing full out, “serving up woman on a platter”.  Rob founded and performed with the “Caballeros” (now, the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus), California Desert Choral and Harmonic Voices. He also sings with Modern Men Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus.

Kurt Jordan (Principal Accompanist) – Kurt developed an intense interest in learning the piano after having seen The Phantom of the Opera with his parents at age 10. He studied under the guidance of Joann Algier throughout middle and high school, during which time he discovered a love of music using multiple pianos. This passion was further explored at Azusa Pacific University while studying with Dr. Robert Sage. Kurt performed several recitals of material he arranged for two and three pianos, the recordings of which have received radio play in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Boston, Austin and Beirut. In 2009, Kurt had the honor of performing the West Coast premiere of Alvin Curran’s 7.5 hour long piano song cycle, Inner Cities 1-13, as well as the U.S. premiere of movement 14 at Burning Man in 2013. Kurt graduated from Azusa Pacific University in 2010 with a BA in Music Theory and Composition. He is involved as accompanist for many musical organizations throughout the Coachella Valley including: From Met to Broadway, the Cathedral High School Chamber Singers, The Arrangement, College of the Desert, and Green Room Theatre. Kurt is the Principal Accompanist for Modern Men, A Cabbello, The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert and Desert Outreach Synagogue. Kurt has also composed several large-scale works for piano solo, a song cycle for piano and soprano, and an SATB choral piece. He is currently working on a song cycle inspired by the paintings of Agnes Pelton for piano, soprano, gong, singing bowls, and dancers.

Kurt Kelley (Music Director/Conductor) is honored and delighted to be leading this incredible group of men, some of the finest singers in the area.  This production marks his debut as Music Director and Producer, collaborating with Artistic Director, Linda Moran. Gratitude to our founder and friend, Rich Cook; and thanks to these incredible men–our musical journey has only begun and I can’t think of better travel companions! Since arriving in the desert Kurt has sung with A Cabbello, and the Palm Springs Men’s Chorus. Previous professional singing experiences with The St. George Choral Society in New York City, and the Nebraska Choral Arts Society in Omaha.  He served as the Vocal and Choral Music instructor at Fordham High School for the Arts in NYC.  He was and continues to be in-demand as a professional pianist, conductor, accompanist, church musician, vocal coach and music director. Kurt has an extensive musical theater and musical direction background, working with performers at every level of ability and experience, from Regional and Off-Broadway and Cabarets, to college, community and high school theater. He is most proud of his contributions to the award-winning Drama Club at Nyack High School (NY).  Past productions there include the first-ever non-professional pilot production of Phantom of the Opera, as well as Titanic, Cats, Parade, Xanadu, Big River, My Favorite Year and a host of others. Other professional conducting credits include In the Heights, Oliver, The Music Man, Nine, Ragtime, Company, Assassins, Sunday in the Park With George, Violet, Closer Than Ever, Amahl and the Night Visitors and Sweeney Todd.  In addition to A Cabbello duties Kurt is the Director of Bands and Choirs at Painted Hills Middle School, in Desert Hot Springs.  Kudos to this group of performers and thank you, dear audience, for your continued support!

Linda Moran (Artistic Director) – Linda’s journey began as a teen, dancing as Mary Poppins in Disneyland parades, can-canning at Knott’s Berry Farm, a regular on American Bandstand and numerous community theatre productions. Linda learned “how to work a show” performing a year – 6 days a week, 2 shows a night, 3 shows on Saturday as a Bluebell Showgirl and swing in Don Arden’s Hallelujah Hollywood at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Then on to C’est Magnifique at the Americana in Miami. ‘Those were the days my friend, and we always think they will never end.’

Unfortunately, a life-changing fall off a set piece during rehearsal, resulted in a spinal fusion and Linda woke up paralyzed. After extensive therapy, she defied the odds and not only began to walk again, but fought to kick up her heels. Auditioning and returning to the stage, in New York, only to find her back would not hold up to the rigors of performing was devastating.

Learning to shift the picture of her life’s dream as a professional dancer taught Linda resilience and how to turn her passion for dance into other arts areas. A myriad of exciting directions developed: theatrical stage director, choreographer, Hollywood casting director and university professor, public educator and Director of Business Development. Reflecting, she has been involved in 250+ musical theatre productions from coast to coast. She has had the privilege of coaching Broadway, TV & film actors and dancers, as well as co-creating Arroyo Vista Children’s Theater.

Linda also found in the corporate environment, labels may be different from theatrical terms, but foundational concepts were the same. Compelling communication, credibility, overcoming obstacles and establishing relationships were key to achieving results. Founding her own company, Theatrical Tapestry, and creating success with national companies over 25+ years in a variety of industries brings her a wealth of experience as a renowned facilitator, performance coach and a motivating, engaging guest speaker.