Review: Spirits And Money Are Raised At The NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDYS Benefit for The Ali Forney Center at Joe's Pub

It was a beautiful night for a benefit last night, as summer continued its slow crawl over the island of Manhattan, and the residents of the city that never sleeps roamed the streets, looking for the kind of adventure that makes people like New York in June. The benefit and the adventure lay in wait for the fans of Judy Garland, the Ali Forney Center, and the NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDYS concert that honors the former and benefits the latter.

The creation and passion project of raconteur (and many peoples' religion) Justin Elizabeth Sayre, The Night Of A Thousand Judys celebrated its tenth production last night with a gorgeously starry cast of performers, each one tasked with bringing a Judy Garland classic to life, only in their own, individual way. Sayre's brainchild has, over the years, become one of the most popular gala evenings in each cabaret season, and although the opportunity to see such club and concert luminaries weave their magic around the songs of the greatest entertainer who ever lived has great allure, the most important part of Justin Elizabeth's creation is the money (and the profile) that is raised for the Ali Forney Center that provides shelter and comfort for homeless LGBTQIA+ youth. Sayre, famous for their blistering rants on everything from the most vital political goings on to the very inane (yet egually vital), puts on a good front as the Queen of Umbrage, but when it comes to the Ali Forney Center and the needs of queer youth, their heart is on their sleeve. Although there was much levity, biting humor, profane ponderings, and, yes, even a few rants, Sayre leaned pretty heavily on their inescapable ability to wax poetic and profound about life, the universal family of queers, survival, and Judy Garland, the greatest survivor of them all. Sayre, alone, makes a night out at Joe's Pub appealing.

But Sayre wasn't alone.

Working with producers Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, Justin Elizabeth Sayre curated a very special group of artists for the 10th Annual Night Of A Thousand Judys, some of them making their first-ever appearance in the benefit that everybody hopes to play in, each year. Each guest more lustrous than the last (Sayre remarked, repeatedly, on the splendor of the couture, and rightly so), the men, women, and gender-non-conforming artists of New York's cabaret and concert industry proved equal to the task assigned them: every artist arrived onstage as their most authentic and most resplendent self, and performed their own version of Judy's songs in ways designed to wow. What better manner of tribute for Garland could there possibly be? Under the brilliantly watchful eye of Musical Director Tracy Stark (who brought her A-Game with this show, as both arranger and onstage Maestra) every guest artist rose to the full height of their talent, taking a beautiful audience of (let's admit it, mostly queer) Joe's Pub patrons on an emotional roller coaster worthy of Judy Garland, herself. It is difficult to think that anybody without a vested interest in Judy Garland would be at this event, but there are, certainly, people who attended the program in support of Ali Forney, or as fans of a particular artist - but, were that the case, there can be no doubt that people are, today, busying themselves with YouTube searches for Judy's original performances of "It Never Was You" (breathtakingly performed by Kathryn Gallagher), "Paris Is A Lonely Town" (dramatically rendered by Frances Ruffelle), or "I Could Go On Singing" (which one-time Judy Garland portrayer Tracie Bennett used to pull down Joe's Pub on top of everyone's heads). Even a person who knows nothing about Judy Garland knows that she sang "The Trolley Song" and "The Man That Got Away" but a bonafide Garland fan is more likely to have seen the films Gay Purr-ee and I Could Go On Singing, so it was nice that the program veered away from the obvious into the obscure, and the rewards were considerable.

There are always standouts in a show of this nature, but not always for the reasons one might expect. With a cast like this, the quality of the show is guaranteed, but one can never predict the wild card of audience reaction, and last night there were some real surprises. When Thousand Judys first-timer Shereen Pimentel's ebullient performance of "The Trolley Song" transitioned from a rather traditional arrangement into something tailor-made to her talents, the crowd went wild to the point that Sayre would not allow Pimentel to leave the stage without an additional bow. As rising star Eleri Ward played and sang her version of "Come Rain Or Come Shine," approving facial expressions and nodding heads could be seen coming from the other onstage musicians, documenting their appreciation for her incomparable skills - it was a genuine pleasure to see, as was the hilarious moment when Bonnie Milligan changed the lyrics from "When your husband bluntly tells you you're too stout, don't you pout" to "When your husband bluntly tells you you're too stout... DIVORCE HIM," inspiring an outburst of applause (it was fabulous). And what could be more fun than watching a room full of gay men react, vocally, to Nicolas King's real-life story about Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, and the song "Johnny One Note"? It was one special moment after another, from start to finish, all helmed, beautifully, by Justin Elizabeth Sayre.

Most exciting for this writer was seeing Amy Jo Jackson step in at the last minute for an ailing Sally Mayes to sing "The Man That Got Away" (without the lyrics because, of course, she already knows the words) basking in the brilliant glow of all things Nathan Lee Graham, and an introduction to Laiona Michelle, who has, immediately, become my new obsession - and judging from the audience reaction to her "I Got Rhythm," I am not the only one putting up a Google alert on her name today. Oh, and special mention should be made of the fact that Justin Elizabeth Sayre is quite the singer (a new piece of information for this reporter), showing off mad skills in an appropriately Garland-esque performance of "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" complete with backup dancers Hunter Mayfield and Matthew Dant. It was a joyfully perfect way to start the evening, all of which was pretty perfect, through and through. It is a testament to Sayre and Executive Producer Fortune that the program went as smoothly as it did because, with a project and a cast of this size, something always happens. But it didn't happen last night. All that happened was a fabulous night of great entertainment, some soulful and heartfelt talk from Sayre about Judy, queer people, and the Ali Forney Center, and the raising of funds for an organization doing such important and vital work.

And, of course, there was Judy. But there will always be Judy - something that Justin Elizabeth Sayre and their friends will hopefully keep proving, time and again, with this annual program that, yearly, sends audiences over the... moon.

The NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDYS BAND was Skip Ward on Bass, David Silliman on Drums, Kristy Norter on Saxophone and Flute and Musical Director Tracy Stark on Piano.

Learn more about the Ali Forney Center and make a donation by visiting their website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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