From a Press Release
CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2013 — Celebrating the spirit of the season, the Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band and shhh…OUT! Lakeside Pride Jazz Ensemble present a special joint "Holidays in Uptown" concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence, Chicago. This concert will warm your heart with holiday hits — old and new — and tickle your tonsils with a Christmas Sing-Along.
Special guest vocalist Becca Kaufman will join the Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band for a performance of "Christmas Eve is Coming Soon," an original song written for the gay indie holiday film "Scrooge & Marley." Kaufman sang this song in the movie, which will receive a repeat screening at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport, Chicago, on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2:15 p.m. Members of Lakeside Pride were among the musicians who contributed to recording the original motion picture soundtrack for this film.
This special evening is chockablock with holiday cheer, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "Sleigh Ride," and selections from the classic animated movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas." And because no holiday concert would be complete without fairies — the sugar-plum variety, of course — we'll be putting selections from "The Nutcracker" through its paces.
The holiday season is a time for giving, and Lakeside Pride will donate a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales to Inspiration Corporation, an Uptown-based nonprofit dedicated to helping people affected by homelessness and poverty.
Ticket holders have the opportunity to enjoy a special pre-concert prix-fixe menu of contemporary American cuisine at Inspiration Kitchen — Uptown, 4715 N. Sheridan, Chicago. Students and graduates of Inspiration Corporation's award-winning Foodservice Training program prepare the food. To make a reservation, visit www.inspirationkitchens.org or call ( 773 ) 275-0626.
This concert is also an official Toys for Tots drop-off location. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to help the U.S. Marines deliver a message of hope to children in our city who are less fortunate. Lakeside Pride will exchange each donation for a discount coupon to our "British Invasion" concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 at Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence, Chicago.
Concert tickets are available online for $20 at www.lakesidepride.org and onsite at Preston Bradley Center before the start of the concert. Student and senior tickets are available for $12. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in Holidays To Go, a unique fundraiser where audience member have the chance to purchase a variety of goodies from merchants across the city valued between $20 and $50 for only $20.
Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles is a recognized 501( c )( 3 ) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities connect with diverse audiences through music. Inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2011, the Lakeside Pride Freedom Marching Band, Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band, and shhh...OUT! Lakeside Pride Jazz Ensemble reach more than one million people annually.
Windy City Media Group and ChicagoPride.com provide media support for the 2013/14 Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles Concert Season. Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles is a recognized Resident Partner of Center on Halsted. Additional support for the concert provided by Preston Bradley Center.
