Photo Flash: Cause Celeb! Viva Las Divas! Benefit

"Cause Celeb!, A Benefit for The Empire State Pride Agenda," was presented at Joe's Pub on November 27th at 7 PM.

"'Cause Celeb!' is a cult downtown hit alternative cabaret series that features interpretive readings of celebrity autobiographies. Created by Nancy Balbirer and Charlotte Booker, each themed evening draws from the most sensational (and often salacious) passages of starry tomes, to hilariously dramatic effect," state Joe's Pub notes.

November 27th's benefit theme was "Cause Celeb! Viva Las Divas!" and included "some of our most favorite divas climbing out of the wreckage of their career nadirs, with all of the moxie that made them fabulous to begin with!"  The evening featured Joan Rivers as Joan Collins from "Past Imperfect," Charles Busch as Joan Crawford from "My Way Of Life," Julie Halston as Nancy Reagan from "My Turn," Marylouise Burke as Diana Ross from "Secrets of a Sparrow," Charlotte Booker as Hedy Lamarr from "My Life as a Woman," Michael Musto as Esther Williams from "The Million Dollar Mermaid," and Nancy Balbirer as Elizabeth Ashley from "Actress: Postcards From The Road."

"The Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization. Our mission is to win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. Through our education, organizing and advocacy programs, we work toward creating a broadly diverse alliance of LGBT people and our allies in government, communities of faith, labor, all sectors of the workforce and other social justice movements to achieve both equality for LGBT New Yorkers and the broader goals of social, racial and economic justice."

For more information, visit www.prideagenda.org/.

Joan Rivers and Charles Busch

Julie Halston, Nancy Balbirer and Joan Rivers

Chris Wells and Michael Musto

Marylouise Burke and Chris Wells

Chris Wells, Charlotte Booker, Michael Musto and Nancy Balbirer with Musto's new book La Dolce Musto

Nancy Balbirer and Cintra Wilson

Michael Musto