In celebration of its 30^th year, the Capital City Men’s Chorus will present an uplifting new musical, UNBREAKABLE, which tells the stories and struggles of more than a century of American LGBTQ history, May 18 & 19 at Bates Recital Hall.

Written by renowned composer Andrew Lippa, the epic choral work presents a historical arc to the stories of LGBTQ people over the last 12 decades, illuminated by four characters: Jane Addams, the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 and an open lesbian activist; Lem Billings, JFK’s best friend, a closeted gay man seated at the side of the most powerful man on Earth; Sylvia Rivera and the transgender community she nurtured; and AIDS and its impact on a generation.

“To be Unbreakable means you are made of something strong,” the Tony and Grammy nominated composer said. “Our gay community is made of that kind of strength. Throw your worst at us: misguided law; disease; derision; dismissal. We will always rise. We will always hold hands and remind you we are, and always have been, Unbreakable.”

Unbreakable was commissioned by the Capital City Men’s Chorus in conjunction with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Lippa, whose Broadway credits include Big Fish and The Addams Family, will perform with the chorus for the show’s run in Austin, which will be only the fourth live performance of the work.