Chelsea Table + Stage To Present PRIDE ANTHEMS with Natalie Joy Johnson, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, and Jon-Michael Reese

New York's newest hotspot for intimate dining and extraordinary music - will celebrate Pride Month with the new show "Pride Anthems," a journey through the past 50 years of LGBTQ+ music, on Wednesday, May 24, with two shows on 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM. From Donna Summer and Queen to George Michael, Erasure, Madonna, Lady Gaga and much more, these essential songs take us from disco to the present day. The story of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is linked to this music, which evokes the struggles, heartache, and liberation of queer lives then and now. The show, featuring performances by Natalie Joy Johnson, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, and Jon-Michael Reese, is written by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, with music direction by Brian J. Nash. "Pride Anthems" is being produced by IMG Artists in partnership with Pride Live. Tickets are $20-40, in addition to a service charge. A livestream option is available for both shows for $20 each. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE is located at 152 West 26th Street.

"Pride Anthems" creates a vibrant musical experience that celebrates, inspires and commemorates the legacy and power of the Stonewall Riots, and takes you on a musical and cultural journey through the past 50 years to today. "Pride Anthems" is a show for all ages to come together in song and celebration of where the LGBTQ+ community has come from and how far it has come since Stonewall. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Pride Live and the Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center (SNMVC) which will open in June 2024. To learn more about Pride Live, please visit pridelive.org

Natalie Joy Johnson was recently seen as "Suzy Solidor" at LaJolla Playhouse in the west coast premiere of the new musical Lempicka. Her other stage credits include "Pat" in Kinky Boots (Broadway), "Enid" (Broadway) and "Paulette" (First National Tour) in Legally Blonde, "Cori" in Southern Comfort (Barrington Stage) and "Nadia" in Bare: A Pop Opera (2004). Her TV appearances include "High Maintenance" (HBO), and "Difficult People" (Hulu). Natalie is an accomplished cabaret artist, selling out shows all over NYC, performing internationally, and creating two multi-year residencies at clubs in NYC. Her singles "Gorgine" and "Get Into It... Queen" (by Miss Natalie) are available wherever you stream music, and the videos live on YouTube. www.nataliejoyjohnson.live

Kevin Smith Kirkwood most recently appeared in the Off-Broadway revival of Kinky Boots as the "Referee Angel" and as "Victor" in the Fulton Theater's production of Smokey Joe's Cafe. He was seen on television in The CW's "Katy Keene." Kirkwood made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and earned a 2005 New York Innovative Theater Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for It's Karate, Kid! Kirkwood would go on to receive a New Hampshire Theater Alliance Award Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for Violet and won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his performance in Rent. After performing in the entire Broadway run of the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots, Kevin went on to play "Scarecrow" in the Broadway at Sacramento Music Circus production of The Wiz. On film, Kirkwood stars as "Roxy" in the horror feature Condemned. He voiced "DJ" on Season two of Marvel's podcast "Wolverine: The Lost Trail." Kirkwood created and stars in the popular solo show, "Classic Whitney: Alive!," which has played to sold out houses at Joe's Pub, The Cutting Room, on cruise ships around the world, and a command performance at the Whitney Houston estate.

Jon-Michael Reese is an award-winning queer performer based in Brooklyn. He was last seen in the Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop and performed in various plays and musicals across the country, from Matt in The Fantasticks to James Baldwin in Jimmy and Lorraine. His cabaret, "By Myself: Judy and Jon-Michael, Together Again!" was recently seen at Club Cumming and The Green Room 42.

Justin Elizabeth Sayre is a playwright and performer who Michael Musto called, "Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg." Sayre is a fixture of the Downtown Cabaret Scene in New York, first with their long-running variety show, The Meeting (Bistro Award-winning & 2 MAC nominations). They are currently in residency at Joe's Pub at the Public with their new variety show, Assorted Fruit. As a playwright, Sayre's work has appeared at Dixon Place, The Wild Project, The Celebration Theatre, Dynasty Typewriter, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre. Their 12-part-epic Ravenswood Manor, a camp-horror-soap-opera called "a sharply written and well-acted exemplar of the horror-comedy genre" by the LA Times, is currently being developed with Sony Television and RuPaul. Sayre has written a series of YA Novels, Husky, Pretty, and Mean, released by Penguin Books, and the book, From Gay to Z: A Compendium of Queer Culture just released by Chronicle Books. Sayre has written for television, working with Michael Patrick King on his hit CBS comedy, "2 Broke Girls" and Fox's "The Cool Kids." Sayre also appeared on HBO's "The Comeback" with Lisa Kudrow. They are NYCLU artist ambassador and a 2023 MacDowell Fellow.

Brian J. Nash is an award-winning pianist, singer, musical director, orchestrator, and producer who is based in New York. Brian has been the music director of many Off-Broadway and regional musicals, and works in concert with Jennifer Holliday, Deborah Cox, Andy Bell (Erasure), Ana Gasteyer, Laura Benanti, Tiffany, Shoshana Bean, Christina Bianco, and many others. Brian recently sold out a run at the Sydney Cabaret Festival, and performs around the world as both a solo artist and music director. As a record producer, he has produced and played on pop and rock records for Justin Tranter, Shanna Sharp, Boys Like Girls, Peppermint, and Stacy Allyn Baker, and many cabaret and cast albums. He holds a degree in opera performance from Boston Conservatory and has taught master classes in song interpretation all over the world. His collaboration with Natalie Joy Johnson has resulted in two multi-year residencies in NYC and recordings with their band, Miss Natalie. His solo album, Forever/After, is available on iTunes. BrianJNash.com.

Pride Live is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to accelerating awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community via social advocacy and community engagement to advance the fight for full equality. Our mission is to elevate awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community. For us, that means having a positive impact and encouraging engagement from as many members of the community and allies as possible to continue the fight for full equality. From working with our most marginalized and underrepresented organizations, to supporting the effort leading up to the declaration of Stonewall National Monument, launching the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion with a surprise performance by Madonna at the Stonewall Inn, to conceptualizing Stonewall Day - Pride Live works in service of the LGBTQ+ community.

IMG Artists is a global leader of performing arts, social media, and festival and events management. For more than thirty years, the company has set the standard for excellence across fields of artist and celebrity management, touring, dance and attractions, festival and event management and cultural consulting. Their specialists in offices across four continents offer unparalleled international reach and depth of experience to the company's artists, clients and partners.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE, highlighting a diverse range of musical genres, is a welcome addition to the list of high-end venues on the New York performance scene, deftly balancing a glamourous interior, traditional hospitality, and top musical talent. The current lineup features a dazzling array from the worlds of pop, folk, country, soul, jazz, and much more. Providing a wide variety of upscale American menu items, with distinguished wine and bespoke cocktails, audiences will experience some of the best touring performers in the world, alongside local emerging artists. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE melds the ambiance of a classic supper club with the acoustics of a serious listening room and a contemporary spin appealing to several generations of music lovers.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE opens the doors to hospitality, entertainment, and enjoyment every night, featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting, a 10-seat in-theatre bar, lofted VIP mezzanine for private groups, and table seating for the perfect date night. The ever-changing menu and entertainment schedule means guests never have the same night twice. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE is located at 152 West 26th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), downstairs inside the Hilton New York Fashion District. Purchase tickets at chelseatableandstage.com @chelseatableandstage

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