Benefits and GalasShereen Pimentel, Frances Ruffelle, Nathan Lee Graham, More Are Part of Night of a Thousand Judys June 5
The evening honors the late Judy Garland while benefiting The Ali Forney Center, dedicated to helping LGBTQ homeless youth.
By
Andrew Gans
June 05, 2022
The 10th annual NightofaThousandJudys, honoring late entertainment icon Judy Garland with skits, tributes, and songs from her career as movie star, recording artist, and stage performer, is presented June 5 at 7 PM at Joe's Pub.
Written and hosted by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, the event helps commemorate Garland's centennial as well as the 20th anniversary of the evening's beneficiary, The Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest agency dedicated to helping LGBTQ homeless youth.
Scheduled to perform are Tony winner Frances Ruffelle (Les Misérables, Starlight Express), Grammy winner Nathan Lee Graham (Zoolander, Priscilla), Grammy winner and Tony nominee Kathryn Gallagher (Jagged Little Pill), Olivier winner Tracie Bennett (Hangmen, End of the Rainbow), Laiona Michelle (Little Girl Blue, Amazing Grace), Bistro winner Nicolas King, Shereen Pimentel (West Side Story), Bistro winner Amy Jo Jackson, Lortel winner Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo), and singer-songwriter Eleri Ward.
The benefit is directed by Peter James Cook and choreographed by Jason Wise, with music direction by Tracy Stark.
“Ten years is a milestone, and lining up with Judy’s 100th seems like a kind of magic,” says Sayre. “It’s been an honor to present and be a part of this show for so long. To create a community around it, to work with so many wonderful performers and to celebrate Judy. But more so than this, it’s an honor to continually commit to queer kids. Being in a small way part of the work of the Ali Forney Center is the honor of a lifetime.”
NightofaThousandJudys is produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, with Fortune serving as executive producer. A VIP post-show reception will follow the performance. Tickets are available by clicking here.
The annual event showcases the work of emerging musical theatre writers who were named winners and finalists of this year's Write Out Loud songwriting contest.
The return of Broadway's music festival will also feature performances from shows including Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, Swept Away, and more.
The concert features hits from Les Misérables and Miss Saigon as well as rarely heard material from their musicals Martin Guerre,The Pirate Queen, and La Révolution Française.
Broadway Inspirational Voices, Crystal Monee Hall, and Bryce Pinkham are among the roster of artists helping to celebrate the Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder composer.