The Singing OUT Tour 2019 with Heather Mae and Crys Matthews headlines Pride Weekend at the Smith Opera House
GENEVA NY — The Smith Center for the Arts is celebrating Pride Weekend June 7-9 with a concert and three films that celebrate the LGBTQI community at the Smith Opera House.
The Singing OUT Tour 2019 with Heather Mae and Crys Matthews headlines the weekend as part of The Smith’s Jan Regan Club Series. Mae and Matthews will share The Smith stage stage with the audience on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. It promises to be an intimate experience.
Ask anyone about the new generation of social justice music-makers and they’ll mention either Heather Mae or Crys Matthews. Mae, a powerhouse performer and earthshaking vocalist, has turned her personal struggle with mental health and body image into an empowering message of self-love, a universal light force that shines for every audience member. Matthews is a powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.” These two singer-songwriters have joined forces with JJ Jones (Girlyman) and Joe Stevens (Coyote Grace) for The Singing OUT Tour.
This concert is part of The Smith’s 12th Birthday Celebration and is sponsored by Bottomless Brewing. General admission tickets are $20 plus service fees. A limited number of seats are available.
On Thursday, June 6, the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning” screens at 7 p.m. Shot in the late 1980s by Jennie Livingston, the documentary examines how a community of African-American and Latino gay and transgender New Yorkers build sustenance, creativity, and family through fashion and ballroom culture. It is rated R. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for youth, with service fees applying to online orders.
On Sunday, June 9, the 2010 documentary “Stonewall Uprising” screens at 2 p.m. The 1969 Stonewall Riots, named for the Greenwich Village gay hotel and bar, the Stonewall Inn, in front of which the riots occurred – kickstarted gay liberation and the foundation of gay rights in the United States. It is unrated. This is a free screening.
On Sunday, June 9, the 2018 Oscar-winning biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” screens at 7 p.m. It’s a foot-stomping celebration of the British rock band Queen, its music and its extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. The film is rated PG 13. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for youth, with service fees applying to online orders.
Grant support for the Singing OUT Tour and the films is provided by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. Media sponsorship is provided by Finger Lakes Public Radio WEOS 89.5 FM Geneva. Bank of the Finger Lakes is The Smith’s film sponsor.
Tickets for the Singing OUT Tour, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Paris is Burning” are available at the Smith Box Office and online at www.thesmith.org. They will also be available at the door. No tickets are needed for “Stonewall Uprising.”
The Smith Center for the Arts, stewards of the historic Smith Opera House, provides diverse arts and educational enrichment opportunities year-round for Finger Lakes residents and visitors. The Smith Opera House is at 82 Seneca St. in Geneva, NY. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For more information, call 315-781-5483 during box office hours or visit www.thesmith.org.