ORLANDO, Fla. – The Frontyard Festival at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is about to take on a whole new tone. “My Portraits of Pulse” is an all-new event involving the Orlando Gay Chorus, bringing a photographer’s story to life.
-
The Frontyard Festival is a six-month, physically-distanced live entertainment event with a diverse line-up of shows at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando. As we commemorate five years since the Pulse nightclub massacre, the festival is debuting “My Portraits of Pulse” on June 8.
-
The outdoor performance features photography by J.D Casto. In the weeks and months following the 2016 nightclub shooting, the Orlando Gay Chorus board member – who’s also a professional photographer – captured thousands of images.
-
While the images are projected on the big screen, the Orlando Gay Chorus will be performing live. “[We’re going to have] the world premiere of “Pulse” by Melissa Etheridge,” OGC artistic director James Rode said. “So yep, Tuesday will be the first time it’s ever heard publicly.”
-
About the Chorus itself, Rode added, “I don’t think people realize how long the chorus has been in Central Florida. We just celebrated our 30th anniversary…You think about a group that has “Gay” in the title and it was started in 1990 in a city that’s in the South.”
-
“My Portraits of Pulse” is a free event at Dr. Phillips Center. Doors open Tuesday at 7 p.m. The show starts at 8 p.m.