Cincinnati Men's Chorus Presents 'Women We Love'

The Cincinnati Men's Chorus presents its spring concert, Women We Love, featuring guest star Suede, on March 10 and 11 at the Gallagher Student Center Theater on the campus of Xavier University in Evanston.

"We love strong women, and it's time that we as men honor these women in music," said CMC artistic director Dr. Patrick O. Coyle. "Women have changed our lives socially and politically... think of Coretta Scott King, Judy Shepherd, and Rosa Parks. They've also empowered us through popular culture and theater: Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, and Liza Minelli are honored in this performance as well. And our guest performer Suede, well, she's in a class of her own!"

Selections that CMC will perform will include a medley of Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick songs and "We Are A Family" from the current hit movie Dreamgirls. VocalPoint!, CMC's close-harmony ensemble will offer a homage with a twist to two gay icons - Tina Turner and Madonna.

Helping the chorus will be Suede, a consummate entertainer who accompanies herself on piano, trumpet and guitar. She'll join CMC in a rendition of "Sister (Miss Celie's Blues)," a Quincy Jones and Lionel Ritchie song from The Color Purple, as well as "(I Want a Little) Sugar in My Bowl," a raucous tune made famous by Bessie Smith.

Suede is sometimes classified as a folk singer because of her political views. (In 1992, Suede sang at and emceed the first and only lesbian and gay presidential inaugural ball in honor of Bill Clinton's election. The ball also marked the public coming out of rock singer Melissa Etheridge.) She also gained attention when she prevailed over Sony Records in a lawsuit when a British group tried to use the name Suede.

Yet Suede prefers to be known as is an accomplished blues and jazz musician. The critics would seem to agree. "A great pop and jazz song stylist of all manner of material," wrote the San Francisco Examiner in one review. "Her voice is clear, pure and marvelously musical."

In 1995, she became the first female member of the legendary a cappella group, The Flirtations - perhaps most widely known for appearing in the 1993 hit movie Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Her discography includes one CD with the now defunct Flirtations, Three, as well as four solo CDs. Her third CD, On the Day We Met, received favorable reviews in the Washington Post and other media outlets.

Suede previously performed with CMC in 2003 in Cincinnati and in 2004 at the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses festival in Montreal.

In addition to the concerts, on Sunday, in cooperation with Equality Ohio, CMC will welcome special guest Candace Gingrich for a pre-concert discussion. Gingrich, the half-sister of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is senior youth outreach manager, for the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign.

Show time is 8:07 p.m. on March 10 and 3:07 p.m. on March 11. Tickets, which are $20. -- www.cincinnatimenschorus.org