Thanks For Watching
Thanks for joining us this year, join us in 2022!
You can still donate to the Ali Forney Center at the link below.
Special Performances By
The Ali Forney Center
The Ali Forney Center is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive agency dedicated to LGBTQ homeless youths—assisting nearly 1,400 youths per year through a 24-hour Drop-In Center which provides over 65,000 meals annually, medical and mental health services through an on-site clinic, and a scattered site housing program. 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.
Night Of A Thousand Judys
2021 Program
AN ONLINE CONCERT EVENT HONORING JUDY GARLAND
WRITTEN AND HOSTED BY JUSTIN SAYRE
MUSIC DIRECTION BY TRACY STARK
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: DAN FORTUNE
The ninth annual “Night of A Thousand Judys”– the Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center written and hosted by Justin Sayre – will be presented as a streaming online event on Thursday, June 24 at 8:00 PM Eastern.
Performers will include Alan Cumming(Cabaret, “The Good Wife”), Vivian Reed (Two-time Tony nominee), Sam Harris (The Life, Grease), Mary Testa (Three-time Tony nominee), Karen Mason (Netflix’s “Halston,” Sunset Boulevard), Nathan Lee Graham (Zoolander, CW’s “Katy Keene”) Jose Llana (The King & I, Here Lies Love), Margo Seibert (Rocky, Octet), Jane Monheit (Two-time Grammy-nominated vocalist), Grace McLean (The Great Comet of 1812, Alice by Heart), Kevin Smith Kirkwood (Kinky Boots, The Wiz), Nadia Quinn (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Robber Bridegroom), Gabrielle Stravelli (Award-winning vocalist), Duchess (“Vocal Group of the Year” – Jazz Journalists Association), and Kim David Smith (Joe’s Pub, Club Cumming).
The Ali Forney Center is the nation’s largest agency dedicated to helping LGBTQ homeless youth. Watch the concert and donate to the cause at ThousandJudys.com.
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 tributes and songs from her legendary career as a movie star, recording artist, and stage performer. The virtual event is written and hosted by Justin Sayre, featuring Tracy Stark as music director. “Night of a Thousand Judys” is produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, with Dan Fortune serving as executive producer.
The first seven sold-out annual concerts featured the talents of R&B legends Martha Wash and Sarah Dash; jazz vocalists Madeleine Peyroux, Cyrille Aimée, and Jane Monheit; singer/songwriters Nellie McKay and Erin McKeown; Broadway divas Carolee Carmello, Liz Callaway, and Tonya Pinkins; leading men Howard McGillin, Daniel Reichard, and Telly Leung; 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.
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JUSTIN SAYRE is a writer and performer who Michael Musto called, “Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg.” Sayre has been a fixture of the downtown scene in New York, first with their long-running monthly show,The Meeting of the International Order of Sodomites, Bistro Award-winning and two MAC nominations, and now with new shows at Joe’s Pub/The Public Theatre like “Peaches, Eggplants, and Tears” and “The gAyBC’s,” a five-part show which will be released in book form by Chronicle Books later this year. As a playwright, Sayre’s work has appeared at Dixon Place, The Wild Project, The Celebration Theatre, The Players Club, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre. Sayre was amongst the first class of The Queer Art Mentorship, where he worked with Everett Quentin of Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatre Company on their play, The Click of the Lock. Sayre has written a series of YA Novels, Husky and Pretty, with the third in the series, Mean, released later this year by Penguin Books. Sayre is the host of the podcast Sparkle & Circulate. Sayre’s first comedy album, The Gay Agenda, was listed as The Comedy Bureau’s “Best of 2016.” Sayre also writes for television, working with Michael Patrick King on his hit CBS comedy “2 Broke Girls” and for Fox’s “The Cool Kids.” Sayre also appeared on HBO’s “The Comeback” with Lisa Kudrow.
TRACY STARK – the pianist, arranger, conductor, and singer/songwriter – is a 10-time MAC Award winner, in the categories of Music Director, Piano Bar Entertainer, and Song of the Year. She is also a Bistro Award winner for Musical Direction and winner of the Dottie Burman Songwriter of the Year Award. Tracy has worked with Lesley Gore, Phoebe Snow, Karen Black, Randy Jones of The Village People, Jimmy Osmond, Tovah Feldshuh, Eric Millegan, Tonya Pinkins, Ann Crumb, Marni Nixon, and hundreds of other rock, jazz, and Broadway vocalists. She has conducted, played, and sung at all the finest and the sleaziest venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She has played and conducted numerous television shows, including The Today Show. Her songs are included on at least 20 different compilations and have been winning accolades in songwriting competitions for the past two decades. She has three CDs of original music, the latest of which is on the Miranda Music label, with special guests including Lesley Gore, Jane Monheit, Nona Hendryx, Karen Black, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Barb Jungr.
Previous Benefits
To view last year’s benefit, click the button below to be taken to the event page.