Jane Lynch, Sting, Patti LuPone and More Fill the Gershwin for LGBTI Benefit

Inspiration, tears, laughter, and song came together for a great cause on Monday, September 15 as over 1000 people - including Olympic skater Johnny Weir and transgender singer Justin Vivian Bond -- filled Broadway's Gershwin Theater for "Uprising of Love," a benefit concert that shone the spotlight on the need for Global Equality for LGBTI people. The evening, presented by the Arcus Foundation, raised funds for Fueling the Frontlines, a three-year, $20-million campaign for LGBTI rights led by the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.

The show's host, lesbian icon and Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, spent much of her time onstage detailing the story - with the help from scenes of EPIX's upcoming documentary "From Russia with Love" - of Vladislav Slavitsky, a 17-year-old gay teen from Sochi, Russia (site of this year's Winter Olympics) who endured horrible discrimination in his home country. In what turns out to be a happy ending to his personal story, tennis superstar Billie Jean King has arranged for Slavitsky to live now in the U.S., and he appeared onstage toward the benefit's end to thunderous applause and made a heartfelt speech about coming to America.

There was also a videotaped message of hope from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, along with many tales of tragedy and triumph in the struggle for LGBTI rights throughout the world, from Chile to Uganda to India. Indeed, the benefit proved to be the perfect moment for Bollywood superstar Celina Jately to perform a live version of her worldwide sensation "The Welcome" and for New York audiences to get a sneak peak at the powerful musical "Witness Uganda," which is aiming for a Broadway run.

In addition, there were live appearances from activists Greg Louganis, LongJones, and Njeri Gateru, as well as comedienne Kathy Najimy (who could teach any rabbi a thing or two about the way to plead for donations), MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, Tony Award winner Lena Hall, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (who also penned the benefit's script).

The nattily-dressed Black, who spoke of his admiration for the late San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, introduced one of the evening's most stirring segments: "Tired of the Silence," an excerpt from the oratorio "I Am Harvey Milk" (debuting in New York on October 6 at Avery Fisher Hall), powerfully performed by its composer, Andrew Lippa, and a 16-person chorus of male Broadway singers.

In fact, the evening was chock-full of first-rate entertainment. Grammy Award winner and 2014 Kennedy Center honoree Sting, in superb voice, rocked the crowd with three of his hits, "An Englishman in New York," "Every Breath You Take," and "Fragile." Two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone thrilled the house by belting out two signature Stephen Sondheim classics "Being Alive" and "Not While I'm Around"; fellow Tony winner Billy Porter shook the rafters with "I Am Changing,"; Broadway's Ryan Shaw won whoops for his R&B-inflected version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; country star and lesbian activist Chely Wright delighted the audience with her hit "It Was"; the cast of the Broadway musical "Once" showed off their superior musicianship on the evening's title tune (penned by Grammy and Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge); and the evening's co-executive producer, Oscar-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, was joined by a visibly pregnant Stephanie J. Block and the company of "Wicked" (on their own set at the Gershwin) to sing that show's anthem "For Good."

In fact, it would be impossible for anyone - gay or straight - not to have been changed for the better after witnessing "Uprising of Love."

For more information on Fueling the Frontline, visit www.fuelingthefrontlines.org or call 212-529-8021.