Broadway Megastars Sing ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ for Orlando: WATCH

Broadway Megastars Sing ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ for Orlando: WATCH

Broadway Orlando

Dozens of Broadway megastars have put out a benefit single for the LGBT Center of Central Florida as a tribute to the victims of last week’s shooting in Orlando, which took the lives of 49 people and injured 53 more.

The single, a cover of Burt Bacharach’s classic “What the World Needs Now is Love” was produced in conjunction with Playbill.

Sara Bareilles, Kristen Bell, Wayne Brady, Matthew Broderick, Andréa Burns, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Len Cariou, Paul Castree, Michael Cerveris, Joshua Colley, Lilla Crawford, Carmen Cusack, Darius de Haas, Fran Drescher, Gloria Estefan, Christopher Fitzgerald, Kimiko Glenn, Whoopi Goldberg, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Joel Grey, Sean Hayes, Heather Headley, Nina Hennessy, Megan Hilty, James Monroe Iglehart, Bill Irwin, Carole King, Judy Kuhn, Nathan Lane, Anika Larsen, Jennifer Lewis, Zachary Levi, Jose Llana, Rebecca Luker, Andrea Martin, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Janet Metz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jessie Mueller, Donna Murphy, Rosie O’Donnell, Kelli O’Hara, Rory O’Malley, Orfeh, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosie Perez, Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Alice Ripley, Chita Rivera, Keala Settle, Kate Shindle, Jennifer Simard, Will Swenson, Rachel Tucker, Tommy Tune, Jonah Verdon, Lillias White, Marissa Jaret Winokur, B.D. Wong and Tony Yazbeck.

Looks like Edie Windsor was on hand too!

Watch it, below.

Broadway Records President Van Dean, musical director/media personality Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley spearhead the charitable initiative Broadway for Orlando, according to Playbill.

The track can be downloaded at Broadway records and will be on iTunes shortly.

Said Rudetsky:

“The Broadway community was so terribly shaken and devastated by the horrific tragedy in Orlando. Everyone wanted to do something as quickly as possible that would truly make a difference. On Monday, my husband James woke me up at 7:30 AM and suggested we rally our friends and colleagues to do a ‘We Are the World’ type recording and raise money for the victims and their families. We started making calls and suddenly we had tons of theatre actors along with an orchestra and the services of a fully-staffed recording studio, all willing to donating their time and talent. Our community of artists has banded together as we always do to show we can end this cycle of violence and intolerance. Love WILL prevail!”

Also stepping up for the single – a 22 piece orchestra. More at Playbill.

The post Broadway Megastars Sing ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’ for Orlando: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/wveQ6dU8xbQ/

Riot Police Shut Down Istanbul Gay Pride March With Teargas and Rubber Bullets: VIDEO

Riot Police Shut Down Istanbul Gay Pride March With Teargas and Rubber Bullets: VIDEO

Istanbul Pride

Police in Istanbul, Turkey have fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds attending a banned LGBT march yesterday.

A press statement from the Istanbul governor’s office said the march was banned “for the safety of our citizens, first and foremost the participants’, and for public order.”

Istanbul bans gay pride t.co/BzVqh5HaSt

— The Independent (@Independent) June 18, 2016

Istanbul’s annual pride parade is thought to be the biggest in the Muslim world. Gay pride parades have been held in the city since 2003 but last year’s march was broken up by police.

RELATED: Gay Turkish Couple Stage Symbolic Wedding, Receive Death Threats From Family

Istanbul riot police break up ‘Trans Pride’ march via @RTENewsNow t.co/huXRLWHsgP

— Colm O’Gorman (@Colmogorman) June 19, 2016

Police cordoned off Taksim Square to prevent the Trans Pride rally taking place during Ramadan following complaints from ultranationalists angry that “degenerates” were going to demonstrate.

The Guardian reports:

Ebru Kırancı, a spokeswoman for the Lambdaistanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association, said: “Football fans can rally in this country whenever they want. We were going to do a peaceful activity. [The] holy month of Ramadan is an excuse. If you are going to respect Ramadan, respect us too. The heterosexuals think it’s too much for us, only two hours in 365 days.”

…Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, unlike many other majority-Muslim countries, but hostility towards gay people remains widespread. Critics say [President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] and his conservative Justice and Development party have shown little interest in expanding rights for minority groups, gay people and women, and accuse them of being intolerant of dissent.

Last Friday, a gang attacked a music store in the city where people had gathered to listen to Radiohead’s new album in protest of people drinking alcohol during Ramadan.

 

‘Pleads ”Please, I beg you” – then the police fire the tear gas’#IstanbulPride montage via SVT. Their title. pic.twitter.com/QEX8ImKH3Q

— b9AcE (@b9AcE) June 19, 2016

Mis Sokak’a polis saldırısı pic.twitter.com/oPqcyCRRl9

— Funda Eryiğit (@fundaeryigit) June 28, 2015

Istanbul Pride Stonewall

(Image via Twitter)

The post Riot Police Shut Down Istanbul Gay Pride March With Teargas and Rubber Bullets: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.



feeds.towleroad.com/~r/towleroad/feed/~3/eW3IAg8X04Y/

Die Diana @Bandit_MCR 29 & 30 June, 3-6 July @heyworth_emily @Annaphylactic photos @shayster57 https://www.ticketea.co.uk/tickets-theatre-die-diana/

Die Diana @Bandit_MCR 29 & 30 June, 3-6 July @heyworth_emily @Annaphylactic photos @shayster57 www.ticketea.co.uk/tickets-theatre-die-diana/

gmfringe posted a photo:

Die Diana @Bandit_MCR 29 & 30 June, 3-6 July @heyworth_emily @Annaphylactic photos @shayster57 https://www.ticketea.co.uk/tickets-theatre-die-diana/

DIE DIANA – PREMIERE!
Wednesday 29 June, Thursday 30 June, Sunday 3 July, Monday 4 July, Tuesday 5 July, Wednesday 6 July, at 7.30pm. £10 (£8 concessions). Bandit Mugger & Thief, 1 Canal Street, M1 3HE
A dark comedy exploring the afterlife of Princess Diana, the People’s Princess, written by Stephen M Hornby. On the twentieth anniversary of her death, three people step out of the shadows and lay claim to her title. Each one has a story to tell about what really happened to her then and since. But who do you believe, if any? And why?
‘Die Diana’ is hilarious, unnerving and utterly compelling, part homage, part horror show, a play like no other. The cast features Dan Wallace (aka Anna Phylactic, bringing another fabulous drag creation to life, Die Anna); Emily Heyworth (a trained GP, who is also appearing in Welcome to Paradise Road) and Ciaran Wilson (a drama teacher in Burnley who is in his first production since graduating from ALRA North).
Stephen M Hornby, national playwright in residence to LGBT history month. NEW WRITING, COMEDY, THEATRE, LGBT @inkbrew #DieDiana

Photographs: SHAY ROWAN
Tickets: www.ticketea.co.uk/tickets-theatre-die-diana/

Die Diana @Bandit_MCR 29 & 30 June, 3-6 July @heyworth_emily @Annaphylactic photos @shayster57 https://www.ticketea.co.uk/tickets-theatre-die-diana/