THE MEETING* Sets Final Season at Joe's Pub with Tributes to Beyonce, Bette Midler and More

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - the monthly gathering of the International Order of Sodomites, the centuries-old organization which sets the mythic Gay Agenda - will come to an end at the conclusion of its upcoming season.

After seven years of audacious humor, trailblazing political discourse and button-pushing cultural exploration, the acclaimed comedy/variety show will be presented for the eighth and final season from September 2016 through May 2017 at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater.

The Fall 2016 season shows are Sunday nights at 9:30 PM and will feature tributes to gay icons Beyonce (September 18), Bette Midler (October 23), and Angela Lansbury (November 20), with the 8th Annual Holiday Spectacular! being held December 18.

Tracy Stark serves as the season's music director. Special guests will be announced for each show.

"The Meeting* has been a tremendous gift to me for these past 7 years," says I.O.S Chairman Justin Sayre. "It's given me a voice and a platform to talk about all the things that weighed on my mind and for that I am eternally grateful. But sometimes you need to know when to say goodbye. Being the chairman of the IOS has brought me so much joy that I feel like if I continued to hold in my hand it would melt away. I will still be around. Performing, writing, singing the occasional song, but I think for right now, The Meeting* will be officially adjourned. We've formed a family and that was always at the heart of the show. But families change and grow and that's what we are looking forward to.

In the meantime, for our last hurrah we're going to present a dazzling array of guest stars and many of your favorite performers who have graced our stage over the years. We're tackling all the major icons we haven't gotten to yet. Kids, we're going out with a bang!"

The Meeting* - which has enjoyed successful runs at the Broadway nightclub 54 Below in New York andthe Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles - will return to Oasis in San Francisco for its fifth show this fall. Sparkle & Circulate with Justin Sayre, the official podcast of the International Order of Sodomites, was recently named among "10 Comedy Podcasts You Should Listen To" by Backstage. The show, featuring interviews with Randy Harrison, Alaska 5000, Nellie McKay,Justin VivIan Bond, Michael Musto, Frank DeCaro and R&B legend Sarah Dash, is available on iTunes here.

"The Gay Agenda" - the debut comedy album from Justin Sayre - is currently available on iTunes HERE and will be released as a physical CD on September 16, 2016.

Justin Sayre and The Meeting* - known for a signature blend of outrageous comedy, politics, culture and everything in between - were named among the Top nightclub shows of 2013 by Time Out New York, and received the 2012 Bistro Award for "Comedy Artistry" and a 2011 MAC Award nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance. Each month, the I.O.S gathers to honor an artist or a cultural work that is iconic to the gay community. Justin Sayre, the show's creator, writer and host, serves as the Chairman of the Board of the International Order of Sodomites and brings his singular wit to essential business of the day through such regular features such as "Letters to the Chairman" and "New Rulings from the Board."

Justin Sayre's video "The New Hanky Code" was a surprise online hit with over 69,000 views. It debuted on The Huffington Post and was picked up by several major outlets around the world. To keep up to date with videos from recent shows, subscribe to the I.O.S. YouTube channel.

Night of a Thousand Judys - the special all-star concert presentation of The Meeting* to benefit the Ali Forney Center- returned for its sixth annual installment in June 2016. The first five sold-out annual concerts featured the talents as R&B legends Martha Wash and Sarah Dash; jazz vocalists Madeleine Peyroux, Jane Monheit and Jessica Molaskey &John Pizzarelli; singer/songwriters Nellie McKay and Erin McKeown;Broadway ladies Carolee Carmello, Jackie Hoffman, Tonya Pinkins and leading men Howard McGillin, Telly Leung, Rory O'Malley and Daniel Reichard; downtown stars Justin VivIan Bond, Bridget Everett and Lady Rizo; nightlife fixtures Karen Mason, Maude Maggart and Karen Akers; and New York personalities Michael Musto, Austin Scarlett and Frank DeCaro, among many others. For more information, visit www.AliForneyCenter.org.

Justin Sayre, who has been described by Michael Musto in The Village Voice as "Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg," was recently hailed as one the "Funniest People in Brooklyn" by Brooklyn Magazine and among "LA's 16 Most Talented LGBT Comics" by Frontiers Magazine. He currently works as a staff writer on the CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" and has appeared opposite Lisa Kudrow on HBO's "The Comeback." His first young adult novel, Husky, was published by Penguin Books in 2015 and a sequel will hit stands in 2017. His works for the theatre include: The Boy Sonata, presented at Hot! Queer Theatre Festival and The Wild Project; Rite of Water for Queer Pop-Up Museum;Justin Sayre Is Alive and Well...Writing at Ars Nova, which was called one of the "Top 10 Events on the New York Stage" by the New York Daily News; and The Click of the Lock which was a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Festival and was last presented at The Players Club with Zachary Booth and Justin VivIan Bond. As Edge New Yorksaid: "Comedian, raconteur, performing artist, gay rights activist and sexual outlaw: I'm not sure Justin Sayre is classifiable. The veteran performer is on his way to becoming a Downtown Manhattan institution along the lines of Charles Ludlum or Charles Busch."

The Meeting* monthly events have featured popular guest stars such as Lea DeLaria, Tonya Pinkins, Tituss Burgess, Robin Byrd, Marilyn Maye, Christian Campbell, Joe Iconis, Frank DeCaro, Lance Horne, Lady Rizo, Kenny Mellman, Maude Maggart, Jack Ferver, Murray Hill, Jeffery Self, Cole Escola, Bridget Everett and more. Previous shows have paid tribute to singers such as Dolly Parton and Diana Ross; films like "Valley of the Dolls" and "Beaches"; actresses such as Bea Arthur and Molly Ringwald; as well as playwrights and filmmakers like Tennessee Williams and John Waters. According to Time Out New York, "The Meeting* has become a cult hit among a young, festive and culturally aware crowd. Sayre is an avatar of modern-retro cultivation."

Visit www.InternationalOrderofSodomites.com for more information.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre will be presented at JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater. The venue is located in The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th and Astor Place) NYC. For tickets - which cost $20 - call(212) 967-7555 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM or visit joespub.com, or visit in person at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street from 2:00 PM daily. There is a $12 food / two (2) drink minimum per person per show, unless otherwise noted. The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre is produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, withDan Fortune serving as executive producer.

Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub at The Public opened in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. Joe's Pub consistently presents the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. The organization also offers unique opportunities like New York Voices, an artist commissioning program that provides musicians the resources and tools needed to develop original theater works. Commissioned artists have included Ethan Lipton, Toshi Reagon, Bridget Everett, Allen Toussaint and more. In 2011, the Pub received a top-to-bottom renovation, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 Audience members annually.

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