Spotlight on Animation & Video Games

Emcee

Donna Sachet joined the Band once again as emcee for Spotlight on Animation & Video Games. At the time of the concert, Donna had called San Francisco home for 30 years, dedicating her talents as a singer, emcee, fundraiser, hostess, producer, and activist to the LGBTQ+ community. As the 30th elected Empress of San Francisco, she has appeared across the city and in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia. She is proud to have sung the National Anthem for the SF Giants in 2009, co-anchored the live television coverage of the SF Pride Parade for more than 15 years, starred in the weekly Sunday’s a Drag show at the Starlight Room for nearly 15 years, hosted her holiday cabaret Songs of the Season for 25 years, and co-chaired Pride Brunch with Gary Virginia for 24 years.

Emcee

Leanne Borghesi is a New York and San Francisco performing artist known for her brassy, comedic vocal style, which has entertained audiences in concert halls, theaters, and nightclubs for more than two decades. Hailed as “A Sumptuous Feast of Outrageousness,” Leanne has performed lead roles in musical theater and supporting roles in feature films, and created original cabaret acts including Showbroads, Mood Swings, Lush, Bazazz, and Divalicious. Her nightclub hit Borghesi’s Back! won the 2022 MAC Award for Best Musical Comedy Performer from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. Leanne has worked with the Band many times, singing at the Pink Triangle Dedication for 10 years and at several previous Spotlight concerts and fundraisers.

Artistic Director

Pete Nowlen was appointed Artistic Director of the San Francisco Pride Band in August 2013. At the time of the concert, he was on the faculty of both Sacramento State and UC Davis, where he was Director of Concert Bands, and held Artistic Director posts with Camerata California Chamber Choir and the Rancho Cordova Civic Light Orchestra, as well as serving as Artistic Advisor of Music in the Mountains in Nevada County. He founded Sacramento’s VITA Academy, dedicated to revitalizing classical music through community engagement and school music programs. His conducting credits include the Sacramento, Auburn, Camellia, UC Davis, and Sacramento State symphonies and more than a dozen major productions, from La bohème to The Rocky Horror Show.

Guest Performer

Ken Dulay is a countertenor who, at the time of the concert, was a senior at Sacramento State, double-majoring in Vocal Performance and Music Education. Ken began singing, and later playing the organ, for his church at a young age. He has performed with Camerata California, the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, and Music in the Mountains under the direction of Ryan Murray. Ken won first place at the 2022 Robert S. Dinsmore Opera Competition and received the Sacramento Renaissance Society Scholarship and the Shields-Baugh Music Scholarship. He also teaches voice and piano at the Natomas School of Music.