Erin Markey, Josh Sharp, April Kidwell, and More Join NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDYS on 6/6
By: Louisa Brady Jun. 05, 2016
They join headliners Annie Golden, Lillias White, Barrett Foa, Alice Ripley, Nathan Lee Graham, Vivian Reed, Lady Rizo,Gay Marshall, Carol Lipnik, Rob Maitner, Gabrielle Stravelli, Marissa Mulder, T. Oliver Reid and Nadia Quinn & Ahna O'Reilly with the Playbillies
Called "a rambunctious, uproarious, unpredictable all-star concert" by The Wall Street Journal, "Night Of A Thousand Judys" will honor the iconic Judy Garland with special skits, tributes and songs from her legendary career as movie star, recording artist and stage performer. There will be a pre-show VIP reception at 6:30 PM and the performance at 8:00 PM. The evening is written and hosted by Justin Sayre, directed by Peter James Cook and choreographed by Charlie Williams. Tracy Stark is the show's music director, with Lance Horne serving as music supervisor. "Night Of A Thousand Judys" is produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, with Dan Fortune serving as executive producer. Additional special guests will be announced.
The first five sold-out annual concerts featured the talents of R&B legends Martha Wash and Sarah Dash; jazz vocalists Madeleine Peyroux, Jane Monheit and Jessica Molaskey & John Pizzarelli; singer/songwriters Nellie McKay and Erin McKeown; Broadway ladies Carolee Carmello, Jackie Hoffman, Tonya Pinkins and leading men Howard McGillin, Telly Leung, Rory O'Malley and Daniel Reichard; downtown stars Justin Vivian Bond, Bridget Everett and Lady Rizo; nightlife fixtures Karen Mason, Maude Maggart and Karen Akers; and New York personalities Michael Musto, Austin Scarlett and Frank DeCaro, among many others.
"Night Of A Thousand Judys" is a special presentation of The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show known for a signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between. The Meeting* is currently enjoying a successful monthly run at Joe's Pub, which hosted the first "Night of a Thousand Judys" in 2011. The Meeting* - which enjoyed successful runs at the Broadway nightclub 54 Below in New York and the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles - will return to Oasis in San Francisco for its fourth show on Saturday, May 28. The show has been hailed as "delicious and delightfully droll" by The New York Post and "hilarious and sardonic" by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening "so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight." Justin Sayre and The Meeting* were named among the Top nightclub shows of 2013 by Time Out New York, and received the 2012 Bistro Award for "Comedy Artistry" and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance. Each month, the I.O.S gathers to honor an artist or a cultural work that is iconic to the gay community. Justin Sayre, the show's creator, writer and host, serves as the Chairman of the Board of the International Order of Sodomites and brings his singular wit to essential business of the day through such regular features such as "Letters to the Chairman" and "New Rulings from the Board." Sparkle & Circulate with Justin Sayre, the official podcast of the International Order of Sodomites, was recently named among "10 Comedy Podcasts You Should Listen To" by Backstage. The show, featuring interviews with Randy Harrison, Alaska 5000, Nellie McKay, Justin Vivian Bond, Michael Musto, Frank DeCaro, Jeffery Self and R&B legend Sarah Dash, is available on iTunes here. www.InternationalOrderofSodomites.com
The Ali Forney Center is the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. AFC's goal is to provide them with the support and services they need to escape the streets and begin to live healthy and independent lives. For more information on The Ali Forney Center, visit www.aliforneycenter.org
JUSTIN SAYRE has been described by Michael Musto in The Village Voice as "Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg," and was recently named one of LA's 16 Most Talented LGBT Comics by Frontiers Magazine. He currently works as a staff writer on the CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" and has appeared opposite Lisa Kudrow on HBO's "The Comeback." His first young adult novel, Husky, was published by Penguin Books in 2015 and a sequel will hit stands in September 2016. His works for the theatre include: The Boy Sonata, presented at Hot! Queer Theatre Festival and The Wild Project; Rite of Water for Queer Pop-Up Museum; Justin Sayre Is Alive and Well...Writing at Ars Nova, which was called one of the "Top 10 Events on the New York Stage" by the New York Daily News; and The Click of the Lock which was a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Festival and was last presented at The Players Club with Zachary Booth and Justin Vivian Bond. As Edge New York said: "Comedian, raconteur, performing artist, gay rights activist and sexual outlaw: I'm not sure Justin Sayre is classifiable. The veteran performer is on his way to becoming a Downtown Manhattan institution along the lines of Charles Ludlum or Charles Busch."
PETER JAMES COOK is a Brooklyn-based writer, director and performer. Directing: Never Sleep Alone (Joe's Pub), Game Play (Ars Nova), Just Right, Just Now (Lesser America), Raptured (Play Co.), Twelfth Night (Stella Adler), TRAVIS (Ars Nova), The Tempest (Porpentine), Sailor Man (NY Int'l Fringe - Outstanding Play), Straight Up Vampire (Joe's Pub), The Nosemaker's Apprentice (The Brick). Peter is a Drama League directing fellow, and the Literary & Humanities Manager at Theatre for a New Audience.
"Night Of A Thousand Judys" - a special presentation of The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - will take place at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center, located at 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023, on Monday, June 6. Tickets are $45 (Balcony), $60 (Regular), $75 (Prime), $100 (VIP) and $500 (Ruby Slipper VIP). The $100 seats include a VIP pre-show reception at 6:30 PM, a deluxe gift bag and preferred seating. The $500 seats include a ticket to Rufus Wainwright at Carnegie Hall, in addition to a gift bag, premium seating and an exclusive poster signed by the cast. Tickets are on sale now at KauffmanMusicCenter.org.
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