By JK Clarke . . .
What better way to get into the spirit of Pride Month than with a pride of amazing singers performing some of Judy Garland’s biggest hits (and a few deep cuts)? Hard to fathom, so Monday’s 11th Annual Night of a Thousand Judys at Joe’s Pub was nothing short of magical. A gala event to benefit the Ali Forney Center (a NYC agency dedicated to protecting homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning youths from the harms of homelessness), the evening was a celebration filled to the brim with good cheer and goodwill.
Produced by Dan Fortune and Adam J. Rosen, the Night of A Thousand Judys was written and hosted by the extremely witty, charming and fashionable Justin Elizabeth Sayre who kicked off the show with “Maybe I’ll Come Back” (Charles C. Cook/Howard Jeffrey) from Garland’s 1956 album, Judy. When Sayre’s two bow-tie-sporting backup singers/dancers, Daniel Booda and Wyatt Slone departed the stage, they dropped one of the best and funniest Shakespeare-themed double-entendres I’ve heard: “Those two just went off pursued by a bear!” referring to both the famous stage direction from The Winter’s Tale and Justin’s own ursine comportment. Terrific.
Sayre, without notes, was batting a thousand all night, seemingly without notes or a script—now that’s a host!—and peppering their introductions with apt socio-political commentary (“the fires last week turned the sky sepia, making the world [coupled with all the recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation] like the beginning of the Wizard of Oz . . . I feel like someone is going to come steal my dog!”).
Then there were the singers! A roster of 11 greats from cabaret and Broadway wowed with a variety of numbers Garland made famous over the course of her lifetime. Carole J. Bufford, with a crystal clear voice, sang Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin’s “Lose That Long Face” from A Star is Born (1954); Alexandra Silber, all in silver, sang a lovely “Look for the Silver Lining” (Jerome Kern/B.G. DeSylva) from Till the Clouds Roll By (1958); and Telly Leung made us happy with “Make Someone Happy” (Jule Style/Betty Comden/Adolph Green) that Judy performed on her eponymous CBS TV show.
Under the direction of pianist Drew Wutke, the band of Sean Murphy (bass), Nicole Patrick (drums) and Amy Griffiths (saxophone and reeds), were smoothly matched with the diverse group of performers and Sayre’s playful barbs in perfect stride.
The show kicked into even higher gear when Nellie McKay stepped out in overalls, a plastic shovel and pigtails, with a basket of wildflowers to throw to the crowd and sang, “Happy Harvest” (Harry Warren/Mack Gordon) from Summer Stock (1950); then came Funny Girl’s fave Julie Benko who wowed, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart” (James Hanley), a vaudeville number of Judy’s; and Jae W.B. gave us gorgeous, sultry “Stormy Weather” (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler) from Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961). Other performers included Jack Bartholet, Hilary Kole, Elizabeth Ward Land, T. Oliver Reid and Lauren Patten.
As is tradition at Night of a Thousand Judys, the final number was a cast (and audience) performance of “Over the Rainbow” (Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg), the Wizard of Oz centerpiece for which she is best known. A joyous wrap-up of a joyous evening.
Most importantly, though, the evening was dedicated to raising funds for the Ali Forney Center, which provides essential services to LGBTQ homeless youths, many (if not most) of whom have been rejected by their families. The Center, we were reminded, helps over 2,000 youths per year and provides over 65,000 meals annually, and offers medical and mental health services, and many other essential services. This is a show all lovers of Judy should see; but, since you’ll have to wait until next year for the next Night of a Thousand Judys, you can go directly to www.aliforneycenter.org to make a much-needed donation.
Night of a Thousand Judys took place Monday, June 12 at Joe’s Pub in The Public Theater (Astor Place, NYC). www.publictheater.org
Photos: JK Clarke and Jennifer Lilya
