Mr. Memphis Crowned As Winner At 4th The Broadway Beauty Pageant

Charlie Williams, Mr. Memphis, was crowned as winner of the 4th The Broadway Beauty Pageant held Monday evening at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.). The popular event is the annual spring benefit for New York's Ali Forney Center, which houses homeless LGBT youth in New York City.

The Broadway Beauty Pageant, hosted by Ms. Tovah Feldshuh, featured male cast members representing their respective Broadway shows, competing for the title crown through talent, interview and swimsuit competitions. Other contestants included Wes Hart (Mr. West Side Story), Eddie Pendergraft (Mr. Wicked), Daniel Soto (Mr. Fela) and Rickey Tripp (Mr. In The Heights).

The contestants went head to head in front of a panel of celebrity judges, but ultimately, the final vote was in the audience's hands. The judges were Christine Ebersole, Charles Busch and Michael Musto (who stepped in for Jackie Hoffman).

Conceived by Jeffery Self and directed by Ryan J. Davis, The Broadway Beauty Pageant was musically directed by Christopher Denny with new music by Rick Crom (Newsical). The evening was produced by Ryan J. Davis, Jeffrey Self and Wil Fisher in association with Tim Hur.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was started in June 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. They have grown quickly to become the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. They are committed to providing LGBT youth with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met and where they can begin to put their lives back together. The center provides short and long term housing in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, plus free medical care, HIV testing, mental health services, showers, food, computer access and job training and placement at its drop-in centers in Chelsea and Brooklyn.

www.aliforneycenter.org/beauty

Photo credit: Carol Resegg