Sun, Oct 13, 2024 | 3:00 pm
Mezza Concerts is proud to present its second show in a dynamic lineup of LGBTQ+ musicians and artists planned for New London. In the spirit of National Coming Out Day, Crys Matthews, who calls herself “the poster child for intersectionality,” will share her songs of social justice and “compassionate dissent” in The Oasis Room on a Sunday afternoon in New England. Organizer Constance Kristofik invites allies, queers, black and brown, and folks all sorts with loving hearts to experience a musician with a mission. Crys Matthews aims “To amplify the voices of the unheard, to shed light on the unseen, and to be a steadfast reminder that hope and love are the truest pathways to equity and justice.”
Opening the show will be the New London’s Cecil Carter, an actor and singer whose most recent theatrical role in regional theatre was Lola in the musical Kinky Boots. Cecil will sing songs by Nina Simone, Lou Rawls, and Sammy Davis Jr.
A pre-show reception will be held in the mezzanine from 2pm to 3pm. Celebrity bartender Kevin P. Rogers will be mixing his specialty cocktail “Kevin Cosmo.” Many of you know this charming man from tending bar at Bravo Bravo, Swtiz Real Estate, or teaching second graders at Gales Ferry School.
Come early and mingle with our co-hosts Voluntown Peace Trust and New London Arts Council. There will be representatives from OutCT, New London Arts Council, Voluntown Peace Trust, and War Resisters League as well as an info table full of local resources.
After the show, Crys Matthews will meet the audience at her merch table.
Crys Matthews
Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster child for intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift “a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” She is made for these times and, with the release of her new, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near. Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.”
Cecil Carter
Cecil Carter has been performing for local audiences for the past 7 years. He played in multiple Theater musicals such as the Leading Role as Lola in the musical Kinky Boots, Tick in the musical ‘Pricilla Queen of the Desert’, Rocky in the musical ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, The Ghost of Christmas Present in the musical ‘The Christmas Carol’, and The Guard in The musical ‘The Wizard of OZ’. Cecil has been apart an all men’s chorus since 2013 called the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus as a Tenor 1. He extended his talents to another Local chorus called The Subtones from 2015-2017 as a low Tenor. Through his community within the New London County he assists local performers and residences with choreography, music production, vocal training, and exercise training regimens.
Kevin P. Rogers
Kevin Rogers has been a 2nd grade teacher in Ledyard for over 25 years and adores shaping the minds his students at Gales Ferry School. Former bartender of the well-renowned Restaurant Bravo Bravo for decades, Kevin has supported the LGBTQ+ community for years. When he’s not teaching or volunteering for the YMCA, you can also find him buying and selling highly desirable properties around the coastal communities of Southeastern Connecticut. He and his husband, Jaime Lewis, reside in Stonington Borough with their bundle of love, an adorable Australian Labradoodle named Ryder.
You can follow Kevin on social media at @kevinp._rogers.
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