The June 23 performance at the new Rose Theater at the Time Warner Center will be hosted by playwright/actor Charles Busch and will include performances by Tartaglia and White as well as the previously announced Cyndi Lauper, Donna Murphy, Barbara Cook, Fred Hersch, Andy Bey, Angela M. Brown, Patricia Racette, Beth Clayton, Leila Josefowicz and the STREB dance troupe. The 7 PM show will be followed by a benefit cocktail party; tickets are priced $85, $100 and $135.
The weekend of events kicks off June 21 at 6:30 PM at the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse with Family: A Reading of Gay and Lesbian Literature. Kate Clinton will host and moderate a discussion with How I Learned to Drive's Paula Vogel, The Body of Jonah Boyd's David Leavitt and Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All's Allan Gurganus. Out at Lincoln Center: Midsummer Night Swing will be presented June 22 from 6:30-10 PM. Lea DeLaria will host the evening of dancing-under-the-stars at the Josie Robertson Plaza. The Village People will be among the evening's musical guests.
In a recent statement, Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy said, "Lincoln Center has long been a place where diversity flourishes — in the genres, range of performances and artists we present. In the past few years, we have been active in taking steps to make all people feel more at home at Lincoln Center. We want to assume a leadership role in welcoming patrons drawn from the gay and lesbian communities to our campus. We are proud to welcome people from all over the world to Lincoln Center during 'Heritage Week' celebrations in this, the cultural capital of the world."
Lillias White, who starred in the award-winning revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, garnered a Tony Award for her work in Cy Coleman's The Life. She also starred on Broadway in Barnum and Once on This Island and as Effie in the revival of Dreamgirls. She has also appeared in the Actors' Fund of America's benefit concerts of Dreamgirls, Funny Girl and Hair and was recently part of the cast of the City Center Encores! production of Purlie.
John Tartaglia made his Broadway debut in Avenue Q. He received a Tony nomination, a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for that performance. The singer-actor also appeared in the Children of Eden and Hair benefit concerts and in the City Center Encores! presentation of Carnival. His TV credits include eight seasons on "Sesame Street" as well as "Animal Jam," "Bear in the Big Blue House," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." Tartaglia was also seen in the Empty-Handed concerts at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and has performed solo evenings at the Ars Nova and Joe's Pub. Tickets for "Lincoln Center Salutes Gay Pride" are available by calling (212) 721-6500. For more information visit www.lincolncenter.org.
