LOVEBALL, The Official Opening Night Party Of NYC Gay Pride '09, Held 6/27

THE SAINT AT LARGE in association with The Federation of Ballroom Houses present THE OFFICIAL OPENING NIGHT PARTY OF NYC'S GAY PRIDE ‘09 LOVEBALL, Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall and Benefiting Heritage of Pride

Saturday, June 27th, 10:00PM - Nokia Theatre, 1515 Broadway, Times Square, NYC

Immediately Following STONEWALL: The 40th Anniversary Commemorative Concert

Music by: Alyson Calagna and Chris Cox / Opening DJ: Vjuan Allure Commentator: Jack Mizrahi / Lights by: Guy Smith

Features a Song, Dance and Runway Tribute to Judy Garland And Special Musical Appearances

The Saint At Large, gaydom's premier underground party since 1980, is proud to join The Federation of Ballroom Houses to present LOVE BALL, the Official Opening Night Party of New York City's Gay Pride Weekend. RuPaul's Drag Race meets A Chorus Line as the fierce legends and icons of the Harlem Ballrooms battle it out with the chiseled chorus boys, gypsies and go-go gods of Broadway. Set against a dance party, the colorful pageantry and theatrics of a Runway Competition will entertain the Opening Night gala crowd for the world's biggest Gay Pride Celebration marking the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Proceeds from LOVE BALL will benefit HERITAGE OF PRIDE.

Grammy Award®-nominee DJ/ Producer Chris Cox commands the turntables with rising star Alyson Calagna. DJ Vjuan Allure and commentator Jack Mizrahi bring the authenticity of the Ballroom community to open the subliminal ball featuring over 50 performers walking in three major categories on three separate stages. Surprise musical performances round out what will surely be a stellar night of immersive entertainment open to all.

LOVE BALL will pay special tribute to the gay icon and avatar Judy Garland, whose tragic death fueled the riots in Greenwich Village sparking the birth of the Gay Rights Movement. Samples of her spectacular career will be featured in song samples, remixes, VJ'd movie clips and subliminal drag ball categories highlighting her MGM years ("Emerald City" sequence) and solo career ("A Star Is Born" sequence) to create the first dance-a-long Broadway-style extravaganza.

LOVE BALL will immediately follow STONEWALL: The 40th Anniversary Commemorative Concert. Presented by OUTmusic in association with The Saint At Large, the 90-minute concert will feature approximately a dozen OUTmusic artists and other performers including solo artists,
bands, comedians and dancers. Its mandate is to bring the entirety of the LGBT community together in a night of festive recognition of this special milestone. Political and business leaders, members of the media and other LGBT dignitaries will have an opportunity to welcome guests from around the world. Proceeds from STONEWALL will benefit a number of charities including LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT and LIFEBEAT.

The Saint At Large, one of the world's preeminent producers of nightlife entertainment catering to the gay community, has retained its reputation for state-of-the-art production value and cutting edge innovation. The Black Party, held every March on the Vernal Equinox, is considered the originator of and remains the largest predominantly gay dance event in the world. The 30-year-old family run business has been featuring show business icons and introducing emerging dance music artists since its roots at the legendary East Village gay mega club, The Saint. Featured artists have included Grace Jones, Sylvester, Marky Mark and more recently, Jennifer Hudson and Roisin Murphy in their respective New York solo concert debuts. It produced the film, SCHWARZWALD, starring FTM porn star, Buck Angel, as the first MOVIE YOU CAN DANCE TO, which has toured nightclubs and film festivals internationally. It is thrilled to be working with HERITAGE OF PRIDE on the OFFICIAL OPENING NIGHT PARTY after producing last year's highly successful CHAMPIONS: THE AFTERPARTY.

TICKET INFO:

General Admission Advance Ticket: $60 through June 18th

General Admission Ticket: $70 through DAY OF EVENT

VIP (backstage access, open bar): $125

COMBO TICKETS: STONEWALL and LOVE BALL (access before 10PM): $50 General Admission Standing; $75 General Admission Seating; $125 VIP Premium Tickets (includes backstage access and open bar).

COMBO TICKETS: LOVE BALL: THE OFFICIAL OPENING NIGHT PARTY and DANCE ON THE PIER: $110 through May 31st and $130 through Day of Event available via nycpride.org.

Tickets available via www.saintatlarge.com; NASTY PIG, 265A West 19th Street; WEAR ME OUT, 353 West 47th Street; VILLAGE APOTHECARY, 346 Bleecker Street; SCREAMING MIMI'S, 382 Lafayette Street.

For more information, contact thesaint@saintatlarge.com or (212) 674-8541.