The 11th annual Night of a Thousand Judys – an all-star Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center for LGBTQ+ homeless youth in NYC – comes to Joe’s Pub on Monday, June 12, with a starry line-up from Broadway and beyond honoring the legendary Judy Garland with tributes, skits, and songs from her stage, screen, and recording career.
Written and hosted by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, directed by Peter James Cook, and choreographed by Jason Wise, with Drew Wutke serving as music director, the event will feature performances by Tony Award winner Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill), Julie Benko (Funny Girl), Telly Leung (Aladdin), T. Oliver Reid (Hadestown), Alexandra Silber (Fiddler on the Roof), and Elizabeth Ward Land (Scandalous), celebrated singer/songwriter Nellie McKay, jazz vocalist Hilary Kole, BroadwayWorld’s Vocalist of the Year Carole J. Bufford, Bistro Award winner Jack Bartholet, dancers Daniel Booda and Wyatt Slone, and rising star Jae W.B. (Lincoln Center’s Festival of Firsts).
Tickets for the event, produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, with Fortune serving as executive producer, range from $75 (partial view) and $100 (Regular) to $150 (Premium) and $175 (VIP). The $150 Premium tickets include preferred seating and admission to The Ali Forney Center’s Oasis Summer Party on Wednesday, July 19; the $175 VIP seats also include an exclusive post-show reception at Joe’s Pub.
According to recent statistics, there are more than 5,700 homeless youths annually in NYC, where The Ali Forney Center is the only provider of specialized housing and support services to high-risk disconnected LGBTQ+ young people at their 24/7 Drop-In Center and seventeen emergency and transitional housing sites. To meet an increasing need for an affirming environment and support, The AFC’s move to a new centralized location in midtown Manhattan this month will allow for more space to accommodate a larger number of displaced youth.
“We are thrilled to be back celebrating Judy’s legacy and the great work of The Ali Forney Center,” said Sayre. “This year is especially important since our friends at AFC are in the process of expanding their reach. Their new Drop-In Center will enhance the badly needed services they provide to our kids on the street . . . so we’re happy to partner with them to help make this a reality.”
If you’re unable to attend the special event on Monday, you can still support The AFC with a donation by clicking here.
Night of a Thousand Judys plays Monday, June 12, 2023, at 7 pm, at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $75-175, plus a 2-drink or 1-food-item minimum per person), go online.
