Contestants Announced For THE BROADWAY BEAUTY PAGEANT

March comes in like a lion for the 5th Smash Year of The Broadway Beauty Pageant! This not-to-be-miss event will be on Monday, March 21st, 2011 at 8:00 PM, benefiting The Ali Forney Center, NYC's primary housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. The annual show will again be at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street). The contestants this year are: Matt Anctil, La Cage aux Folles; Mikey Cusamano, Chicago; Ray Lee, Anything Goes; Brandon Rubendall, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; and James Tabeek, Mary Poppins.

Conceived by Jeffery Self and directed by Ryan J. Davis, The Broadway Beauty Pageant is musically directed by Christopher Denny. The evening is produced by Wil Fisher, Ryan J. Davis, Jeffery Self and Matthew Oberstein. The event will be Bigger and Better than Ever! Until February 14th there is a Special advance Valentine price for Orchestra tickets for only $40. Ticket prices are : $150 - VIP (includes gift bag and after party); $50 - Orchestra & $25 - Balcony. Tickets are on sale at the Box Office and on line at http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6590-the-5th-annual-broadway-beauty-pageant. For sponsorship information please contact Wil Fisher at 212.400.0282.

The Event Website is http://aliforneycenter.org/beauty/

Anthony Hollock won (Mr. Hair) in 2009. The past judges have included: Charles Busch (acclaimed award-winning actor, playwright), Christine Ebersole (Tony and multiple award winner actress, cabaret star), Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live, "Wicked"), Beth Leavel (Tony Award winner "The Drowsy Chaperone", "Young Frankenstein"), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Scott Nevins (host, TV/radio personality, comedian, interviewer), Seth Rudetsky ("Rhapsody in Seth", Chatterbox, "The Ritz"), "title of show" stars & creators: Susan Blackwell, Hunter Bell, and Jeff Bowen. Past hosts have been Tovah Feldshuh and Anthony Rapp

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, 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. Honorary Board Members are Sandra Bernhard, Tovah Feldshuh, Tim Gunn, Carson Kressley, Keith Olbermann, Ally Sheedy, Rufus Wainwright, and BD Wong. The Ali Forney Center is at 224 West 35th St., Suite 1102 New York, NY 10001 (212) 222-3427 and the fax is (212) 222-5861. www.aliforneycenter.org