Take a strip down memory lane with BROADWAY BARES: CLASSIC which featured some of the most beloved dancers from past editions of Broadway Bares including creator, executive producer Jerry Mitchell.

On Sunday, June 6 (9 pm & 11 pm), Splash ( 50 West 17th Street ) hosted BROADWAY BARES: CLASSIC, the final edition of the popular “Solo Strips” series. BROADWAY BARES: CLASSIC features strips inspired by favorite numbers from BROADWAY BARES’ 20-year history. Headlining the evening was BARES creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchell, who took the stage of Splash, where he first created the event in 1992.

Other favorite performers who strutted, stripped and showed that they “still got it” included: Jennifer Cody (Shrek the Musical), Steve Geary (Contact), Sebastian LaCause (The Rocky Horror Show), Rachelle Rak (Fosse) and more.

When asked about his strip before CLASSIC, Jerry replied, “Friends have been asking just how much I will be taking off, and I’m not quite sure yet. But I always find getting dressed much harder. Don't you? Don't miss the fun!”

BROADWAY BARES: CLASSIC featureS the work of choreographers such as Jerry Mitchell, Denis Jones , Peter Gregus, Nick Kenkel and Rachelle Rak.

BROADWAY BARES is the hotly anticipated annual event combining the naughtiness of burlesque and the razzle-dazzle of Broadway and has been a smashing success since its inception in 1992. The event features the hottest male and female dancers on Broadway and has become one of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS' signature events. The 2010 edition, BROADWAY BARES XX: “STRIP-OPOLY” will be held at Roseland Ballroom ( 239 West 52nd Street ) on Sunday, June 20 with performances at 9:30 PM and midnight.

Buy tickets now to BROADWAY BARES: STRIP-OPOLY.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised over $175 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors’ Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, The Dancers’ Resource and three supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.

For more information, please visit the BC/EFA website at broadwaycares.org.

Sunday, May 16
8:00 PM and 10:00 PM
Splash
50 West 17th Street

The boys of SOLO STRIPS returned to Splash to explore dual personalities and perform multiple strips with BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS “NAUGHTY AND NICE.” The evening was directed by BROADWAY BARES 19 director Peter Gregus and featured choreography by Shea Sullivan and Dontee Kiehn. Stepping up to “the pole” to perform was Matt Anctil (RCMH Christmas Spectacular), Andrew Cheng (Chicago natl. tour), Reed Kelly (Wicked), Eddie Rabon (Broadway Bares 19), Jermaine Rembert (Memphis), John Carroll (Chicago natl. tour), Robb Sherman (Broadway Bares 19), Dennis Stowe (Shrek the musical), and Charlie Sutton (The Addams Family). Marty Thomas (Xanadu) returned to host.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW LARGER

Sunday, May 9
8:00 PM and 10:00 PM
Hudson Terrace
621 West 46th Street (between 11th and 12th Aves)

BC/EFA and Josh Wood were upstairs at the Hudson Terrace for the view of a lifetime at BROADWAY BARES; ROOFTOP STRIP. Helming this production was Broadway veteran Christopher F. Davis (Miss Saigon, The Life). Shaking their stuff on the roof were: Ephraim Sykes (Memphis ), Tim Taylor (Going the Distance), Giovanni Perez ( West Side Story Intl. tour) and Casey Lee Ross (Step Up).

BROADWAY BARES returned to Chelsea’s hottest hot spot and the original location of the very first BROADWAY BARES in 1992, Splash, for SOLO STRIPS: AROUND THE WORLD on Sunday, April 11.

Directed by Rachelle Rak, assistant directed by John Berno and costumes by Brad Musgrove, AROUND THE WORLD featured eleven of Broadway’s sexiest performers stripping to two capacity crowds and raising an impressive, if sweaty, $7,365. The evening was the second in a series paying homage to that very first BROADWAY BARES twenty years ago which featured Jerry Mitchell and six friends performing original strips on the bar at Splash for a $10 donation plus whatever tips the audience gave to the dancers.

Rak had the challenging task of taking us around the world for a strip in nearly a dozen time zones but was certainly up to the task. She explained, “Ten years of Broadway Bares has made stripping sort of my specialty skill! Thanks to Jerry (Mitchell) who taught me how to take off a glove properly. I now pass on my knowledge and sass.”

Host Marty Thomas, most recently in Xanadu and Wicked, kicked things off with an electric rendition of the evening’s theme song, the Electric Light Orchestra hit “All Over the World” which revved up the crowd for what it was about to experience.

BROADWAY BARES creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchell joined Thomas and special guests Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia and Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan thanking the enthusiastic crowds and announcing raffle winners. With each strip, we get closer to the fundraising goal of $1 million goal set by Mitchell at the first SOLO STRIP this past January 31st for Broadway Bares XX, which will be held on June 20 at Roseland Ballroom.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW LARGER

BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS AT SPLASH KICKS OF FUNDRAISING EFFORTS LEADING UP TO BROADWAY BARES 20 SUNDAY, JUNE 20 AT ROSELAND BALLROOM

At the inaugural BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS at Splash, it was announced that a $1 million fundraising goal has been set for the 20th edition of BROADWAY BARES.


CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW LARGER

The announcement was made via videotaped message by BROADWAY BARES creator Jerry Mitchell (Tony Award winner, director/choreographer of Legally Blonde and choreographer of the upcoming Love Never Dies, Catch Me If You Can).

Jerry Mitchell said, “BROADWAY BARES has always had extremely generous audiences who have helped us raise over $6.5 million to benefit BC/EFA. But this year to celebrate our 20th edition, I want to go all out, so I’m challenging all the BARES hotties and all our fans to help us raise $1 million to benefit BC/EFA. Sunday’s SOLO STRIPS is just the first in a series of nationwide events that will help us reach this goal. In exchange, I promise to make BROADWAY BARES 20, the best one yet.”

Michael Graziano, BC/EFA’s Producing Director said, “Last year we raised an astounding total, but there are a limited number of tickets we can sell at Roseland Ballroom and let’s face it, g-strings can only hold a limited amount of cash. So we decided to hold smaller events throughout the spring to help us reach our $1 million goal. Sunday’s SOLO STRIPS was the first of what we plan to be a series of ventures to help us reach this total.”

BROADWAY BARES 20 will be held Sunday, June 20 at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street) with two shows (9:30 PM & midnight). Ticketing information will be announced in the coming months.

Last night’s inaugural BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS was a resounding success with two capacity crowds at Splash to see seven of Broadway’s hottest men strip to raise money for BC/EFA. SOLO STRIPS was a return to the origins of BROADWAY BARES when, in 1992, Jerry Mitchell organized a burlesque show featuring himself and six friends performing original strips on the bar at Splash.

The inaugural BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS dancers were: Joshua Buscher (West Side Story, Broadway Bares 19), John Carroll (A Chorus Line national tour, Broadway Bares 18 poster boy, Broadway Bares 19), Daniel Robinson (Hairspray, Broadway Bares 18 & 19 featured dancer), Anton Harrison LaMon (The Phantom of the Opera, Movin’ Out national tour, Broadway Bares 19), Tony James (The Lion King, Broadway Bares 16, 17, 18, featured dancer), Nick Kenkel (Peep Show, Legally Blonde, from Broadway Bares 11-18 ), and Kenway Kua (Wicked, The Frogs, Broadway Bares 17). Photos from the event will be posted shortly to www.BroadwayBares.com.

Actress and recording artist Felicia Finley (Catch Me If You Can, The Wedding Singer, solo album Great Mood for a Tuesday), acted as emcee for the evening and opened the show with a cover of the Foreigner classic “Feels Like the First Time.”

BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States . Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $170 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses. BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors Fund – including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, The Dancers’ Resource and three supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide. For more information visit: www.BroadwayCares.org