BROADWAY STARS SHINE
ON NOV 14th AT THE TOWN HALL

The concert originally scheduled at The Town Hall on November 14, 2013 with Barbara Cook has been cancelled.  This turn of events left The Furshpans, with a challenging situation, however, both Joanne and Bernie decided to turn this lemon into lemonade and, with the help of some friends, put together an Extravaganza for the evening.  “I knew we had to do something big, so better yet, we’re turning this lemon into Limoncello,” said Joanne Furshpan.  “Our goal is to create some of the most entertaining events in NYC.  With so much talent around us, it makes it fun and exciting to put together a production like this.”

With very little time left, Furshpan Productions scrambled, and as Bernie put it, “We had to pull a hat out of a rabbit.”  He then explained, “My mom was a Holocaust survivor and always told me that her life lesson was never, never, never give up.  It’s ingrained in my head and we’re not afraid of running this marathon to the very end and pushing ourselves to the limit.”  In fact, Bernie, decided to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, on his 50th birthday.  The peak of this ancient volcano is just shy of 20,000 feet into the clouds and takes approximately five days to reach.  “That experience reinforced in me that I should never quit until I’ve exhausted all possibilities,” Bernie added.

The concert event on November 14th is titled, “Bright Stars of Broadway” and, because there are multiple blessings accounted for, the concert is dedicated to Zahava Furshpan, Bernie’s mom, who died almost three years.  A portion of the revenue will be distributed to both Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids and Help is on the Way Today.  Zahava was a big fan of musicals and extremely generous to those who suffered.  “She would have loved this concert and I have a feeling she’ll be attending, so I’m keeping a front row seat open for her.” Bernie exclaimed.

Featured in this musical event include the likes of:

Richard Kind, The Producers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Brenda Braxton, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago
Natalie Toro, A Tale Of Two Cities, Cats, Les Miserables
Bobby Creighton, The Little Mermaid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Bernard Dotson, Ragtime, Chicago
Brandi Massey, Wicked
Marcus Paul James, Rent, In the Heights
Debra Walton, Chicago, Pajama Game
Liz McKendry, The Producers
Michelle Dowdy, Hairpspray
Romelda Teron Benjamin, Brooklyn The Broadway Musical

MUSIC/CONCERT LISTINGS INFORMATION

BRIGHT STARS ON BROADWAY AT THE TOWN HALL November 14 at 8 PM 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway).  Tickets go on sale on Wed, November 6, 2013. To order by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 982.2787 or www.ticketmaster.com.   Orchestra: $65, $60, $55; Balcony/Loge $60, $45

#  #  #

Contact: Bernie Furshpan, Bernie@metropolitanroom.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Connie Thorp
Phone: (212) 844-9845
Email: press@icny.org
Twitter @ImperialCourtNY

THE IMPERIAL COURT OF NEW YORK

208 W. 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
Phone (212) 501-4797

and
H.M.I.S.M. Emperor XXII Wen-D Pinkhouse & Empress XXVII Gracie Steeles announce

28^TH ANNUAL NIGHT OF A THOUSAND GOWNS
TO BENEFIT
God’s Love We Deliver & True Colors Fund

NEW YORK, NY,  – At the inaugural Crowns and Cocktails event held at The Hilton New York, The Imperial Court of New York honored their sponsors and announced the God’s Love We Deliver and True Colors Fund as beneficiaries for the 28th Annual Night of a Thousand Gowns to be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at The Hilton New York.

 In it’s over twenty-seven-year history the ICNY has raised millions for LGBT, HIV/AIDS and youth enrichment related causes. The Night of a Thousand Gowns is more than just a dazzling display of regal glamour, it is an opportunity to celebrate the LGBT community, and in particular, the colorful cross-dressing segment of that community. Last year’s event was attended by close to 1,000 attendees and raised a substantial amount for our beneficiaries. In its twenty-seven year history the Court has donated over a million dollars to worthy LGBT, HIV/AIDS and youth enrichment related causes. Night of a Thousand Gowns is a dazzling display of regal glamour and an opportunity to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The event has been profiled in The New York Times, OUT, Time Out New York, and Metrosource, among others.

 “The Imperial Court has made a tremendous difference in not only our community, for those too sick to shop or cook for themselves, but the larger community as a whole in the NYC area. We deeply appreciate the support The Court has given God’s Love, through their volunteerism, their fundraising, their publicity, their amazing Night of a Thousand Gowns and their friendship” said Stephen Covello, Major Gift Officer of God’s Love We Deliver.    He went on to say “every year we stand by the Court and watch them support our organization and others, who need visibility, funds and love from such a great group of people.”

 “The True Colors Fund is honored to be a beneficiary along with God’s Love We Deliver of the 28th Annual Night of a Thousand Gowns,” says Gregory Lewis, Executive Director of the True Colors Fund. “I am in awe of The Imperial Court of New York’s unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. All of us at the True Colors Fund look forward to an extraordinary evening and are dedicated to ensuring that the funds raised go a long way to help bring an end to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth homelessness.”

 President of the ICNY, Gary Cosgrove thanked both organizations for their work: “We are thrilled to be able to support two longtime & worthy organizations like God’s Love We Deliver & The True Colors Fund.”

 About GOD’S LOVE WE DELIVER

God’s Love We Deliver is the tri-state area’s leading provider of nutritious, individually-tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.   The mission of God’s Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition.  They prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. They also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to clients, families, care providers and other service organizations.  All services are provided free of charge without regard to income.

www.glwd.org

About TRUE COLORS FUND

The True Colors Fund was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper to raise awareness about and bring an end to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth homelessness, and to inspire everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of equality for all.

www.truecolorsfund.org

 About The Imperial Court of New York

The Imperial Court of New York, a 501(c)3 corporation, is New York’s most regal fundraising organization serving the LGBT Community for the past 27 years. Part of a proud tradition, the Court has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations including: ACRIA (AIDS Community Research Initiative of America), LIFEbeat (Music Industry Fights AIDS), the LGBT Center, Hetrick Martin Institute, Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Bailey House, God’s Love We Deliver, the Ali Forney Center and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, among many others.

www.icny.org