An evening of “Songs of Hope, Love and Courage” will be performed by the husband-and-husband team of Jon Arterton and James Mack at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23 at Catherine Hickman Theater in Gulfport (5501 27th Avenue South).
Jon Arterton and James Mack have been singing together since they met in 1997. Jon founded St. Petersburg’s 130-member One City Chorus in 2016, inviting community members from all areas and walks of life to participate in singing together with no auditions. The Chorus, specializing in uplifting songs about peace, equality and social justice, has already performed to packed houses and been presented with a “Best of the Bay” award for “Best Voices Raised Together in Song” by Creative Loafing. Many years before starting One City Chorus, Jon earned a Master’s Degree from New England Conservatory of Music, appeared in a Broadway musical and founded the proudly gay a cappella group The Flirtations. James studied to become a Southern Baptist minister but, instead, turned his people skills toward managing an exclusive men’s clothing store in Manhattan and owning an eight-room guest house in Provincetown. Jon and James will be joined by guest pianist-extraordinaire John Thomas, with whom they’ve collaborated for 20 years.
Tickets are $20 (suggested donation for general admission) and $25 (suggested donation for early entry, a reception with hors d’oeuvre and preferred seating) and are available at the Gulfport Casino (5500 Shore Blvd.) and Gulfport Beach Bazaar (3115 Beach Blvd.). For more information about this performance, contact Susan Gore by email to flsnowfrog@gmail.com.
This show benefits the LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Library. The Resource Center provides collections, services and events throughout the year to the local LGBTQ community, its friends and family, and is a project of the non-profit Circle of Friends of the Gulfport Public Library. Find out more about the Resource Center, the Circle of Friends and the Library on the web at www.mygulfport.us/gpl or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GulfportLibraryFL.