Mimi Imfurst Stars in 'Hedwig' Benefit; Mitchell Appears

A one-night-only performance of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, to benefit The Ali Forney Center, will be presented March 5.

Produced by Sanctuary Productions, Epiphany, and James Coppola, the evening at Pieces Bar will feature downtown drag diva Glammy Nominee Mimi Imfurst in the title role.  The productions boasts an eclectic cast comprised of theatre professionals and downtown rock-and-rollers featuring 'The 60's Project's' Claire Karpen as Yitzhak as well as Mike Pettry, Diamond Dave, and Matt and Jimmy from Daddy rounding out 'The Angry Inch'.  Show time is at 10:00pm.  Scheduled to appear is 'Hedwig' creator/author John Cameron Mitchell and other special surprise guests.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, according to production notes, "tells the story of an 'internationally ignored' rock singer, Hedwig, and her search for love and stardom. Born a boy named Hansel whose life's dream is to find his other half, Hedwig reluctantly submits to a sex change operation in order to marry an American G.I. and get over the Berlin Wall to freedom. The operation is botched, leaving her with the aforementioned 'angry inch.' Finding herself high, dry and divorced in a Kansas trailer park, she pushes on to form a rock band and encounters a lover/protégé in young Tommy Gnosis, who eventually leaves her, steals her songs and becomes a huge rock star. Hedwig presents an absorbing narrative of Plato's Symposium and the fierce battle of self acceptance with love found, lost and found again, supported by the blistering, punk-fueled rock of the fictional Eastern European band, The Angry Inch."

All proceeds from tickets and a portion of drink sales will go towards The Ali Forney Center. The Ali Forney Center was started in June of 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth in New York City. The organization is committed to providing LGBT young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together.

Mimi Imfurst is very excited to be a part of a benefit for the Ali Forney Center, "When I was 16, I was assaulted by my bus driver, who called me anti-gay slurs, and was I 'outed' to my family by my school.  Very quickly, I found myself kicked out of my house and living on the streets without very many options.  I wish that I had an organization like the Ali Forney Center to keep me safe.  The Center is a crucial key in securing the safety of homeless LGBT youth."

Imfurst, a staple of the downtown drag and music scene has starred in regional productions of 'Hedwig' as well as in concert in Toronto.  She also penned and starred in the first two installments in her Virgin Mary chronicles, 'Mary, Like a Virgin', 'A Very Mary Christmas' and is working on a third 'Resurrections on the Dance Floor.'  Her 'Virgin Mary' collaborator Mike Pettry returns to play for 'Hedwig'.  Mike Pettry is 2007 Jonathan Larson Foundation Award winner and with various collaborators, he has written 'The Time Travelers Convention', 'Flipside', 'Sunday In Montgomery', and 'Long Distance.'

Pieces Bar is located in Manhattan 8 Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and Gay Street. Tickets priced at $10, are available at the door. Reservations for the evening can be made by emailing SanctuaryProductions@gmail.com.