Puerto Vallarta Gay Men’s Chorus annual gala to honor Tracy Parks, founder of Incanto Vallarta

Lady Zen, Joan Houston, Tonny Kenneth and guest auctioneer Sean Moore will also participate in 8th annual fundraiser

PVGMC

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Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico March 16, 2020.- A longtime supporter of live performance art in Puerto Vallarta will receive the highest honor from the PV Gay Men’s Chorus at its annual gala later this month.

Incanto Vallarta proprietor Tracy Parks will receive the Building Bridges Award from the men’s chorus at the eighth annual fundraiser gala, Shaken Not Stirred, on the evening of March 19th at Oscar’s Restaurant. The chorus acknowledges and celebrates Parks for supporting the organization in its mission to build bridges of understanding, acceptance and love in the community.

This year’s PVGMC gala features the theme music from everyone’s favorite spy, James Bond, as well as cocktails and a multi-course dinner. Lady Zen, Joan Houston, and Tonny Kenneth will join the chorus for unique performances of classic Bond songs such as “Diamonds are Forever” and “Skyfall,” and perennial favorite Sean Moore of Nacho Daddy will auction a number of items live at the event.

Since opening the theater, piano bar, and restaurant just three years ago, Tracy Parks has turned Incanto Vallarta into one of the preeminent live performance venues in the city. Parks takes particular pride in discovering and introducing Mexican and pata salada talent to audiences, such as the classically trained Mexican opera singer Alejandro Peña and powerhouse vocalist Enrique de Allende, as well as supporting homegrown productions from the Princesas Desesperadas and the Vallarta Vocalista Ensemble. Parks and Incanto produced previous runaway hits Naked Boys Singing and Greater Tuna, the latter of which featured Parks’ sometime alter ego, Pearl Burras. Prior to opening Incanto, Parks was the entertainment director at The Palm Cabaret and Bar.

“It is such an honor to receive recognition for doing what I love,” Parks said when informed of the award. “While I enjoy connecting with our family of artists in Vallarta, introducing new performers from Mexico really makes my heart sing. When this kind of collaboration occurs, all kinds of magic happens.”

PVGMC Artistic Director Derek Carkner affirms, “Tracy has been incredibly encouraging from the moment I took on this role two years ago. Whether he was offering us a place to rehearse or donating to our fundraising initiatives, he has always been one of our biggest supporters. He is also very generous in promoting our events and showcasing our singers at Incanto when one or more of us is in attendance at the venue.”

Last year’s event sold out quickly, so get your tickets early and support the chorus as it approaches its 9th season of singing.

Tickets are 1750 pesos each, and are available in advance (cash only) at the Timothy Real Estate Group office, located on Calle Ignacio L. Vallarta in Col. Emiliano Zapata or online through ticketsource.us. Ticket sales and auction proceeds will enable the chorus to operate throughout the entire year, covering music costs and rehearsal rentals, among other expenditures. The chorus is also growing its board of directors for the coming season and would love to offer non-singers the opportunity to join in a leadership role.

Special thanks go to Platinum Level sponsors David R. McCann and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, as well as the many sponsors and businesses that have donated live and silent auction items to this year’s gala. “We really wouldn’t exist without the generosity of so many members of our community,” says Carkner. “We cannot thank our supporters enough.”

About the Puerto Vallarta Gay Men’s Chorus:

The Puerto Vallarta Gay Men’s Chorus is the first organization of its kind in Mexico and all of Latin America, and a proud member of GALA Choruses (www.galachoruses.org), a worldwide organization that represents over 8,000 singers and over 170 choruses around the world.

Founded in 2012, the PVGMC is a bilingual, cross-cultural chorus with members from Mexico, Canada, the United States, and around the world. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Carkner, it has elevated the performance standard and brought renewed audience awareness and appreciation across all of Banderas Bay. For more information, visit www.pvmenschorus.org