The LGBTQ+ community has long been at the heart of Broadway. From the trailblazing work of composers like Stephen Sondheim to the fearless performances of openly queer actors today, Broadway has always been a haven for self-expression and a platform for pushing boundaries.
On June 26, Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Pride! brings Broadway’s vibrant legacy of LGBTQ+ artistry to Friends Field in an evening that promises powerhouse vocals, personal stories, and dazzling show tunes. Seth Rudetsky, the host, pianist, and Broadway insider behind SiriusXM’s On Broadway channel, will be joined by Tony Award-winner Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill), celebrated soprano Gay Willis (Showboat, Phantom…), and Broadway favorite Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked) for an event that honors the queer performers, creators, and characters that have shaped American musical theater.
But the celebration doesn’t end at the edge of the stage. Installed just beyond the performance space at Friends Field will be the striking pRYEde mural, an ongoing Westchester youth-led art initiative that has become an inspiring visual tribute to LGBTQ+ identity and history, and a powerful example of what happens when young people are given the tools to collaborate and tell their own stories.
What began in 2021 as a single mural painted by students for the Rye Town Park Pride Festival has since grown into a semi-annual tradition, with each piece exploring themes of identity, history, and hope. Led by middle and high school students from across the region, the murals have become mobile monuments to progress. When representatives from Caramoor and the pRYEde organization met by chance at a recent ArtsWestchester Awards ceremony, they soon realized they had an ideal venue and event to showcase a mural.
Installed at Caramoor during Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Pride! will be the 2022 mural Changemakers, which honors 11 LGBTQ+ leaders and allies, whose strong, bold silhouettes are surrounded by swirling motifs representing the winds of change. The figures portrayed are:
Leonard Matlovich (veteran and activist)
Audre Lorde (poet, librarian, activist)
Marsha P. Johnson (Stonewall Riots, trans youth activist, drag queen)
Harvey Milk (veteran, community leader in San Francisco)
Keith Haring (artist, HIV/AIDS activist)
Gilbert Baker (political activist, flag designer)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Supreme Court Justice)
Tammy Baldwin (congressperson, senator)
Elliot Page (trans actor)
Billy Porter (LGBTQ+ activist, actor)
“It’s incredible to see what young people can create when they come together with purpose and passion … it really is a beautiful thing,” says Alison Relyea, co-founder of the pRYEde initiative. “Public art matters, and when students take ownership of telling stories that mean something to them, it becomes a powerful experience, not just for them, but for everyone who sees it. Knowing that their work continues to live on and reach new audiences makes it even more meaningful. And each time the mural is displayed, it invites reflection, sparks conversation, and, we hope, shifts perspectives.”
So join us for the show tunes, stories, AND art. Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Pride! is a celebration of authenticity and resilience. It’s a chance to honor the artists who dared to dream out loud…and the young people who continue that work today, one brushstroke at a time.
Celebrate Pride at Caramoor.
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