Last night at Emerson’s elegant Cutler Majestic Theater, more than 150 guys revisited the catalogue of Sweden’s most profitable export in what’s being called the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus “ExtrABBAganza.”
Witnessing this show is already surreal - and then there were the glow sticks. The opening-night performance on this, the eve of Boston’s annual Pride Weekend, brimmed with spirit and enthusiasm.
And the singing was pretty damn good too.
With Chad Weirick leading off on the piano and hips gently swaying, the chorus burst into the familiar melody of “Take a Chance on Me” before letting soloist Bryan Clark steal the spotlight for a tightly enunciated “Super Trooper.”
During “Mamma Mia,” six caroling dancers ripped off their white tux shirts to reveal sequined tops. The stop-motion routine they dipped into during the tune’s chorus dripped with hilariously self-deprecating faux-macho moves.
And there were a few moments of believable drama.
The dark edge in “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” came across with intended seriousness - the dark lighting helped - as did “Fernando,” featuring beautiful harmonies from John Buckingham and Paul Consoli.
And Bill Spera handled the peaks and valleys of “The Winner Takes It All” with becoming restraint.
Act II included a skit that loosely tied the songs together.
Some parts definitely worked better than others, but Courtney Furno’s performance as ABBA vocalist Agnetha Faltskog was particularly entertaining, and likewise, Matt Deos is a natural in drag.
Equally natural was the way the material’s inherent theatrical flair lent itself to the choral treatment.
The BGMC made “When I Kissed the Teacher” and “Does Your Mother Know” sound as if they’d been unabashedly belted from auditoriums throughout the universe for years.
And while that might not be the case, gay men have certainly been crooning ABBA tunes from the privacy of their bedrooms since the group burst on the scene in the early ’70s.
If singing is one of life’s most liberating experiences, then the BGMC more than earned its freedom last night.
