Hey Y'all,

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast corridor of the U.S., there was more than enough reason to rally in support of our friends who were hit hard.  When we heard that The Ali Forney Center, a homeless shleter for LGBT youth in New York City was closed down as a result of the hurricane, we flew into action.

With the help of the extraordinary Justin Vivian Bond we quickly put together a plan to raise funds and awareness of the problems facing the Center.  Joe's Pub agreed to allow us an evening and offered 100% of the ticket sales to our cause.  Justin enrolled some of Manhattan's most dynamic  performers and within 48 hours we had sold out every seat in the house.

In addition to the ticket sales, checks came in from all over the country including  very generous gifts from Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids and The Colin Higgins Foundation. 

All in all we raised over $20,000 for The Ali Forney Center.  I couldn't be more thrilled that this effort actually worked and that The After The Storm Foundation once again found a way to be of service.

I've copied the link to The Ali Forney Center below. They've been doing amazing work publishing the stories of local LGBT youth as the season progresses.

http://www.aliforneycenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1015

Also, see below for a great review of the event by the amazingly talented spoken word poet, Sean Patrick Mulroy.  He sums it up perfectly.

And if you feel moved to contribute to the cause you can always send a check to
AFTER THE STORM
P.O. 1640
Eagle, ID 83616

Thanks for your support,

James

--> FROM SEAN PATRICK MULROY:

Sunday’s benefit for the Ali Forney Center at Joe's Pub was more than a great show for a good cause; thanks to the brilliant line-up put together by Justin Vivian Bond and James Lecesne, the show was a tour-de-force, a reminder of what queer performance art should be all about.   Host and show opener Justin Vivian Bond took the stage promptly at 7:00, with the understated elegance and onstage poise that has made v a household name.  Throughout the night as Bond was put on the spot by the increasingly provocative performers it became clear that it is actually impossible to catch Bond flatfooted—v’s response to any situation is immediate and witty.

As the rest of the line-up hit the stage following a new song by Bond, each of the night’s line-up brought something new to the stage. Dan Fishback’s presence on stage is marvelously unselfconscious; he doesn’t get in the way of his art.  Fishback and a trio of singers performed sensitive harmonies so flawless, it was impossible to pick out a single voice.  Australian singer and songwriter Brett Every played a similarly tender piece on the piano with an old time troubadour’s grace.  Gracious collaborator and lovably self-deprecating Matt Ray’s familiarity with multiple instruments made the musical complexities seem effortless (Ray’s turn in the spotlight came later but was well worth the wait).  Another constant collaborator, Nath Ann Carrera, in a crown of white feathers, created quite a stir along with singer and amazon Amber Martin performing as instructors at a camp for witches, breaking into an appropriately chosen and performatively bad-ass bit rock and roll ferocity.  Nobody in attendance will be able to forget Martin’s righteous vocals, wild woman stare, and menacing scimitar. 

Speaking of wild women, if Salome’s dance of 7 veils was worthy of praise, perhaps worthier still is powerhouse Bridgett Everett’s decision to wear just one; her table-dancing rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” in a scrap of red fabric brought a delightful dash of raunchy revolutionary to the first portion of the evening, and later when Taylor Mac emerged, wearing the same teensy frock, it served as the perfect introduction to Mac’s disarming sense of humor as he corralled the audience to join him in a tongue-in-cheek nod to the holiday season.  If Everett and Mac brought the house down, and Lady Rizo blew away what was left with her sparkling poise and oh-my-god-is-this-for-real vocal pyrotechnics.  Joseph Keckler bait-and-switched the crowd with a droll introduction to his unbelievable operatics.  His song for the Opera Pirate was equal parts poignant and hilarious and showed a deep understanding of opera as a form which is rare in a cabaret setting.   Cole Escola’s fast and furious cover of The Crystals (and Robert Frost!) was exhilarating and unique, break-neck, and unforgettable. Quinn Cox’s rendition of Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” was also a stand-out, a tender unpretentious soliloquy that made it seem like the song had been written for Cox to sing.  

Closing the show was a surprise addition to the lineup was Christeene Vale whose act, a mesmerizing combination of flirty backwoods gangbanger and campy murder victim chic, has given the singer enviable street cred and renown.  A group encore brought the cast to stage for a Sinead O’Connor sing-along by turns as vibrant, playful, and riveting as the entire evening had been. The audience leaped to their feet in applause for an amazing collection of performances, a smashing success for an incredibly important cause.  If you missed the show and still would like to contribute funds to the Ali Forney center, you can find more information at:

 http://www.aliforneycenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1101

A great day for NRCC/St Mark's!

I wanted to let you know about the exciting things happenings at St. Mark's as a result of our showing of the film After The Storm last September. As you know, we went down there and screened the film for the community and the kids. Turns out that some local citizens in the audience were inspired to see what they could do. Today Advisor’s Excel, an insurance marketing company, presented a check to The North Rampart Community Center for $100,000. !!! Their sales convention is being held in New Orleans this week with approximately 500 people attending. Terry Bradshaw, a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the keynote speaker. They all came to the center and made the presentation today. This has allowed astro turf to be laid down outside the center where the kids play, and the whole floor of the gym has been replaced (pics below).

Next Thursday, January 20 at the Ritz Carlton – Keynote speaker: Terry Bradshaw, and the Sean Payton of the Sean Payton Pay It Forward Foundation will talk about the work that's being done at NRCC. Lynn, Coach Parker and four kids from the center will say a few words about the history of the center and their current needs. It is a surprise to the 500 in attendance that the work has already been completed!

Next Friday, January 21 starting at the Ritz Carlton and ending at Mardi Gras World – 9 floats parading with the 500 attendees, 2 local school bands and 10 kids from NRCC and Coach Parker walking and holding the Advisors Excel Banner.