On Saturday, the team that brought you the award-winning streaming series, “Doris Dear‘s Gurl Talk”, was presented with the Silver Communicator Award at Gallaghers Steakhouse in the heart of the Theater District in New York City.
The awardees were the Executive producer and host, Ray DeForest of DeForest Theatricals, composer Blake Allen and videographer and owner of Bardo Arts Productions, Alex Pearlman. The restaurant was buzzing as the trio was presented their awards “Gallaghers Style” with the statues rolled out along with some yummy desserts that only a theater district restaurant of this caliber could do! Cheers were heard and phones were out snapping pictures as the trio posed with their awards.
“Doris Dear‘s Gurl Talk” was conceived, written, produced, and hosted by Ray DeForest, owner of DeForest Theatricals. Mr. DeForest is a MAC Award winning vocalist and Drag Queen and hosts the show as his drag persona ‘Doris Dear‘. The show is enjoying an award winning 3 season run on the streaming channel ‘Broadway on Demand’ and has now moved over to the Doris Dear YouTube channel ( click here ). The show won the coveted Silver Telly Award for season one last year, along with The Sesame Workshop!
Mr. DeForest conceived the show during the COVID lockdown as a way to tell his stories his fans have loved for years and highlight his talented successful friends from his long career in Theater, film and TV. Ray DeForest is a well-known TV personality who has had shows on The Food Network, HGTV, Animal Planet and more. Guests for the series include Broadway luminaries Karen Mason, Grover Dale, Jana Robbins, Marie Johnson, Amra Faye Wright and T Oliver Reid. Academy award nominated actress Brenda Vaccaro. Film, Broadway, and TV star Anita Gillette. Award winning Broadway producer, writer, and dramaturge Jack Viertel. Costume Designer Gregg Barnes, the Legendary Charles Busch, jazz trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack, award winning vocalist Meg Flather and many more. A fourth season is being planned out now with exciting guests lining up to have a seat in the Rumpus room with Doris Dear. Rumor has it that the producers are “in talks” to bring the show to a network!
Blake Allen wrote the retro feeling opening theme song as well as all the incidental music used throughout the show. Mr. Allen and Mr. DeForest worked closely to find the correct feel and lyrics to have the show have a retro but still fresh appeal. Blake called on his amazing professional theater friends to record the theme song that has had over 15,000 downloads! The roster of singers on the song reads like a Broadway hit with Doris Dear, Dani Apple, Bailey Carlson, Ray DeForest, Kristina Dizon, Caitlan C. Fahey, Jason Pintar and Sean Stephens!
Alex Pearlman is the owner of Bardo Arts Productions a videography production company based in NYC. Alex and Ray worked closely together to create the feel of a retro Rumpus Room during a time when few people were meeting in person! Bardo Arts has become a staple in the professional theater world as videographer for many Broadway shows, productions at City Center and for Broadway Cares productions.
The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program recognizing excellence in communication across a spectrum of industries, championing effective and meaningful work. The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms.
