A host of Broadway, television and film stars will kick off LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New York with a powerful tribute to Judy Garland, some 90 years after her Hollywood debut.

The 14th annual “Night of a Thousand Judys” hits Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater on Monday, June 1. As in previous years, the one-night-only concert is poised to be a song-and-dance spectacle, featuring performances by Claybourne Elder, Nathan Lee Graham and Alysha Umphress, among others.

Proceeds from the show, which is hosted by writer-performer Justin Elizabeth Sayre, will benefit the Ali Forney Center, a New York advocacy group for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Those who can’t attend but still wish to donate to the Ali Forney Center can do so here.

“Early on, we decided that far from a typical tribute show, this was about inviting artists from all over the creative map to present their take on Judy Garland, to show us what Judy means to them,” Sayre, who uses they/them pronouns, told HuffPost. “I think it makes for a really fascinating evening, because it’s always new.”

This year, “Psycho Beach Party” creator and star Charles Busch will be presented with the Judy Icon Award in recognition of his contributions to LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Similarly, theater producer and marketing professional Steven Tartick will accept the Good Judy Award in honor of his dedication to “uplifting the LGBTQ+ community.”

Though Garland died in 1969, she remains a mythical figure to many members of the LGBTQ+ community, young and old. Sayre believes if the stage and screen legend were alive today, she’d “be out there ― in any way she could ― singing for us, connecting with us, letting us all know that we were not alone in this fight, and encouraging us to go on.”

“In every state, in every city, LGBTQ+ people are seeing their hard-won rights torn away by a religious right run amok and an emboldened Republican party without a moral compass,” they said. “Judy knew how she was loved and by whom. She cared about people. She cared about fairness and love.”

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Garland’s big-screen debut in 1936′s “Pigskin Parade,” HuffPost asked Sayre for their picks on her five best performances. Here’s what they had to say.

“You can’t speak of Judy Garland without mentioning ‘The Wizard of Oz’ orDorothy Gale. It’s her signature role, her signature song, a part and aperformance that would inform her entire trajectory as an artist. It’s also howwe think about Garland herself. To so many, she’ll always be a young girllooking to go over the rainbow. Almost a century later, it’s still captivating andincredibly moving.”

“This is a personal favorite. Every Christmas, I curl up with my family andwatch this gorgeous film. Not only is Garland sensational in it, butit’s Vincente Minnelli’s direction that makes the movie so beautiful. It’s a loveletter of sorts to Garland and her talents. I love it. Plus, it’s packed full of thehits. ‘The Trolley Song,’ ‘The Boy Next Door,’ and ‘Have Yourself a MerryLittle Christmas’ ― how could you go wrong?”

“Most everyone talks about Judy’s partnership with Gene Kelly, and I lovetheir films together certainly, but for me her on-screen chemistry with FredAstaire is truly remarkable. It’s the meeting of two great talents, playing toeach other’s strengths, sharing the screen, and making each other so muchbetter.

“It’s my go-to, ‘Star Is Born.’ Not only is Garland incredible, as a singer but alsoas an actor. She’s heartbreaking. From ‘The Man That Got Away’ to ‘It’s aNew World,’ Garland is at the height of her powers, breaking our hearts andmaking us believe, somehow, there can be a happy ending after all. Even withits missing scenes, it’s a masterpiece.”

“I think this is the rawest and most visceral performance Judy Garland evergave on film. She’s incendiary. She’s magnetic. She’s basically playing herself,or at least a dramatized version of herself, and she’s mesmerizing. Her musicalnumbers are simple and understated, not the production numbers from herMGM years, but all you need with Garland is a stage and the lady herself. It’smagic.”

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