Fox Theatre to Host Atlanta Pride's Stonewall Celebrations

The Atlanta Pride Committee and The LGBT Institute at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights are proud to partner with the Fox Theatre to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the legendary Stonewall Riots, which became a watershed moment for the LGBTQ civil and human rights movement in America. This first-of-its kind event in Atlanta features a comedy show with Wanda Sykes and Tig Notaro at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, June 20 at 8 p.m. The celebration continues with a drag show and performance by the legendary rock band Blondie on Friday, June 22 at 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre. Local LGBTQ advocate and activist Feroza Syed will serve as the emcee for both events.

Tickets will go on sale for both events on Friday, April 20 at 10 a.m. Tickets may be purchased by visiting FoxTheatre.org, by calling 855-285-8499, or at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office.

Tickets for the June 20 comedy show start at $43, plus applicable fees. Tickets for the June 22 drag show and Blondie performance range in price between $50-$125, plus applicable fees. A portion of the ticket price for both shows will be donated to Atlanta Pride and The LGBT Institute at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

"Atlanta Pride is committed to providing valuable programming throughout the year, especially around the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade in October and during June for our observance of Stonewall Month. We are thrilled to cap off more than a dozen Stonewall Month events with these two shows at the Fox Theatre and look forward to an enduring partnership that recognizes the rich diversity of our community," says Atlanta Pride Committee's Executive Director Jamie Fergerson.

The LGBT Institute will be curating documentary footage and sharing historical content from Atlanta's LGBTQ history throughout the two-night celebration with the assistance of partner organizations and its own LGBT Institute Archive at Georgia State University. "It's important that all of us take the opportunity to reflect on the incredible impact Stonewall had on the LGBTQ movement. We are excited to partner with the Fox Theatre, who has really taken a community leadership role in helping Atlanta celebrate Pride Month," said Executive Director of the LGBT Institute Ryan Roemerman.

Opening for Blondie's June 22 performance will be Atlanta's own DJ Vicki Powell and an A-list drag show starring Dax!, Taejah "The Doll" Thomas, Bridget Bidet with more surprises to come. Post show, DJ Vicki Powell and select drag entertainers will host an exclusive event at the Marquee Club, the Fox Theatre's premium membership club. A limited number of non-members passes will be available to purchase soon.

BIOS

Wanda Sykes has been called "one of the funniest stand-up comics" by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America. Her smart-witted stand up has sent her career in many different areas. She can currently be seen on ABC'S Blackish, which was nominated for a 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series." Last summer, she was seen in the Fox comedy Snatched with Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn. In 2012, Wanda joined forces with veteran producer Page Hurwitz to form Push It Productions, a Production Company dedicated to creating quality, comedy-based programming for network and cable television outlets. Push It Productions produced the 8th and 9th seasons of NBC's Last Comic Standing. The second season of their show Talk Show The Game Show premiered on TruTV in February and the second season of Face Value hosted by Deon Cole is currently on BET. In 2010, she won a GLAAD award for promoting a good image of equal rights for gays and lesbians.

Tig Notaro is a comedian, actor and writer originally from Mississippi, who Rolling Stone named one of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. Tig writes, produces and stars in the semi-autobiographical Amazon series One Mississippi. Season 1 yielded several nominations including - WGA, GLAAD and The Critic's Choice Awards. Tig was also nominated for an Emmy as well as a Grammy for her 2016 HBO special Boyish Girl Interrupted, a GLAAD Award nomination for the Netflix Original Documentary Tig, and her memoir I'm Just a Person is a New York Times Bestseller.

For the last four decades, Blondie remains a true National Treasure; one whose influence both shaped and continues to inform the worlds of music, fashion and art. From an irreverent Lower East Side punk outfit to bona fide international ambassadors of New York cool, Blondie will forever be synonymous with that punk spirit that lives somewhere in all of us. Comprised of singer-songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist and co-writer Chris Stein, powerhouse drummer Clem Burke, and long-time band members bassist Leigh Foxx, guitarist Tommy Kessler and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen, Blondie's chart-topping success, fearless spirit and rare longevity led to an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, a NME Godlike Genius Award in 2014, a Q Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2016, the 2017 Silver Clef Outstanding Achievement Award and more than 45 million albums sold worldwide to date and more than 45 million albums sold worldwide to date.

The Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta's premier venues for live entertainment and declared a "Top Stop of the Decade" by Venues Today Magazine. Listed as #1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade by Billboard Magazine, the Fox most recently won 2017's "Theatre of the Year" by the International Entertainment Buyers Association. Other notable achievements include Rolling Stone Magazine's "The Best Big Rooms in America" as part of their "Venues That Rock" series (2013), nominated for Theatre of the Year by Billboard and Pollstar Magazines, and awarded the 2011 Outstanding Historic Theatre of the Year award by the League of Historic American Theatres. For the past decade, the Fox Theatre has consistently ranked in the top three non-residency theatres in North America for gross ticket sales by industry trade magazines, Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today. The Fox Theatre has the #1 social media presence for any theatre or performing arts center in North America (2,000-5,000 seats), and for any Georgia venue according to the "Social Media Power 100" compiled by Venues Today Magazine. With 4,665 seat theatre, the Fox hosts 250 performances a year, from rock concerts to Broadway, ballets, comedy and movies, attracting 500,000 visitors per year. In addition, the Fox hosts wedding receptions, trade shows, corporate meetings and association functions in its fabulous ballrooms, lounge and outdoor terrace. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization, the Fox Theatre stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theater and is celebrating its 89th year. The Fox Theatre proudly acknowledges its partners for their generous support: Coca-Cola, Lexus, Georgian Terrace Hotel, Georgia Natural Gas, Atlanta Beverage-Yuengling, Regions, Grady Health System, and Whole Foods Market. Tickets for all events are available at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office, online at www.FoxTheatre.org, or toll free at 855-285-8499. For group sales information contact the Fox Theatre at (404) 881-2000, or visit The Fox Theatre website at www.foxtheatre.org. Please stay connected with the Fox Theatre on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About the Marquee Club

The Marquee Club presented by Lexus is a premium club slated to open May 2018. Adjacent to the Fox Theatre, the membership-based Moroccan-style club will feature 10,000 square feet of interior and exterior premium space; five stationary bars; three rooftop options to include multi-level interior and climate-controlled exterior environments. Open only during events at the Fox Theatre, the Marquee Club will be open to members pre-show and during intermission, as well as post-show for select events. Additional amenities include priority pre-sale ticketing notifications, access to private restrooms, concierge guest services, and self-parking access to an adjacent lot for some memberships. Single-show access for non-members will also be available for select performances. For more information on premium club access or to purchase a membership, please call Fox Theatre's Corporate Partnership, Premium Seating Office at (404) 881-2127 or visit FoxTheatre.org/MarqueeClub.