Joe's Pub Presents NIGHT OF A THOUSAND JUDY'S, 6/13

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, called "a riotously funny and campy variety show" by Next Magazine, and "a rollicking, wry affair complete with funny political commentary on current events" by Gay City News, will present their second annual Pride benefit for The Ali Forney Center at Joe's Pub on Monday, June 13 at 7:00 PM. "Night of A Thousand Judys" - which will honor the legendary singer and actress with special skits, tributes and songs from her storied career - will be directed by Christian Coulson. The show will feature appearances by Jackie Hoffman (The Addams Family, Hairspray), Kim Smith (Bistro Award for "Outstanding Performer on the Rise"), Cole Escola (Logo TV's "Jeffery & Cole Casserole"), Lady Rizo (Grammy winning singer and chanteuse) and Summer & Eve (the folk-musical comedy band featuring Nadia Quinn of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), with more to be added soon. The acclaimed monthly comedy/variety show is a gay romp through politics - sexual and otherwise - social news, music, skits, and other important life-changing information. Justin Sayre and The Meeting* were nominated for a 2011 MAC Award for Best Male Comedy Performance.

Justin commented, "Every month at The Meeting* we pay homage to a gay icon; we have done everyone from Bette Davis to Miss Piggy. This year we are starting a new tradition, and honor perhaps the greatest gay icon of all time. Judy Garland was born on June 10, and her death at age 47 on June 22, 1969 was said to have been a contributing factor to the Stonewall riots. She loved her gay fans, and they have worshiped her for decades. For the month of gay pride, we could not think of a better fit. Night of A Thousand Judys will celebrate all things Garland and let everyone, performers and audience members alike, find a little Judy magic."

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre operates under the myth of the "gay agenda" and is structured as any organizational meeting for homosexuals would be - business of the day, upcoming events and social issues are discussed, ridiculed, and interwoven between comedy sketches, musical numbers, and other "homo-hijinks." In addition to writing the show, Justin serves as the Chairman of the I.O.S., The International Order of Sodomites, the centuries-old secret organization of homosexuals and their friends. Past "agenda items" have addressed current issues such as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in "Serving In Silence: The Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Story," the continuing romantic saga of gay penguins at the San Francisco Zoo, and a guide to the so-called "Gay Panic" defense. The monthly events have featured popular guest stars such as Frank DeCaro, Murray Hill, Jeffery Self and Cole Escola, Molly Pope, Bridget Everett, Poor Baby Bree and more.

The Ali Forney Center is the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. AFC's goal is to provide homeless LGBT youths, aged 16-24, with the support and services they need to escape the streets and begin to live healthy and independent lives. For more information on The Ali Forney Center, visit www.aliforneycenter.org

"The work that the Ali Forney Center is crucial to young LGBT people in New York," says Justin. "It enables them to thrive and grow in a healthy and warm environment, where they are celebrated for their identity rather than chastised for it. Life may have dealt you a raw hand, but there are people out there to help you through it. In her film roles and in her personal life, Judy Garland embodied an innocence and a resilience that still thrills young and old alike. She had tragedy in her life and yet she continued to give herself to a public that adored her. If Judy Garland was the comeback kid, The Ali Forney Center is the comeback place. I can't imagine a better combination."

Justin Sayre demonstrated a supernatural instinct for "camp" at an early age. A child of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, Justin moved to New York believing it was still 1947. He was terribly misinformed. As an actor, he has worked and studied with some of the finest professionals in New York. As a gay, Justin has excelled at scarf placement, Judy hands, and a healthy but firm love of the American musical. He has also performed at Comix, Symphony Space, as part of Joe's Pub's popular monthly series "Our Hit Parade" and, most recently, at the Leslie/Lohman Gallery for their Tennessee Williams 100th Birthday Celebration, curated by illustrator Robert W. Richards. Justin contributed a story about Justin Bond for Radical Faerie Digest - one of the oldest gay publications in the country - and is currently developing The Accused May Be Seated, his new play about Marie Antoinette.

Yale University presented a sold-out special edition of The Meeting* last month as part of their Pride Month. The Meeting* will have a special edition in the Fire Island Pines this summer and returns to its regular monthly spot at The Duplex in September. Justin's official monthly podcast of The Meeting*, co-hosted by I.O.S. Secretary and MAC Award-winner performer Matt Sigl, is available at www.themeetingpodcast.blogspot.com.

"If you fancy yourself a smart, funny homosexual, you simply have to attend The Meeting*", according to Frank DeCaro of Sirius XM Radio, "But while you're sitting there sipping a Brandy Alexander, don't imagine yourself to be smarter, funnier or gayer than host Justin Sayre because you're not. He's as sharp as they come, hilarious as all get out and even Oscar Wilde would have told him to butch it up - which makes this fearless leader of the I.O.S. a most commanding presence on stage."

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre will have a special presentation of Night of A Thousand Judys at Joe's Pub, located at 425 Lafayette, New York, NY 10003, on Monday, June 13 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $25. For tickets, please call (212) 967-7555 or visit JoesPub.com. The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre is produced by Adam J. Rosen and Dan Fortune.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.