Broadway CaresThe 7 Sexiest Moments from Broadway BaresBroadway Bares: Top Bottoms of Burlesque, the 25th annual fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, was presented June 21 at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
By
Carey Purcell
June 22, 2015
Monica Simoes
Inspired by the Golden Age of Broadway, the evening of music, dance and striptease, features more than 150 Broadway performers ready to bare it all for a good cause. The evening was loosely built around a story similar to that of the musical 42nd Street, with Petey Sawyer (Nick Adams) moving to New York in search of stardom and finding it in J.M.'s show (Christopher Sieber).
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 more than $250 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.
Along with countless and spectaularly sexy dance numbers, the evening also included some hilarious comedic appearances, with Lesli Margherita playing a fast-talking secretary and a reference to J.M.'s Grindr profile (which featured a photo of him in character as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical).
With so many of Broadway's best on just one stage, the evening heated quickly. But Playbill.com managed to keep its cool long enough to remember some of the sexiest moments of the night.
No stranger to dressing in drag — he won one of his many Tony Awards for his performance as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray — it wasn't a question of if Harvey Fierstein would appear in Broadway Bares, but when. He didn't keep us waiting for long. He appeared, resplendent in fabulous drag, in the opening number.
The third number of the night featured Bianca del Rio playing the role of the seasoned and demanding star who would highlight the Bares number until an injury forced her offstage, a la 42nd Street. A tantalizing and sensual routine was then performed, utilizing a shadow screen to tease the audience even further as Rio shed layer after layer of clothing.
Much to the audience's delight, Cox appeared in the "Casting Couch" number, which included dances to the songs "A Man's World, and "She's Got it," among others. Cox seemingly appeared out of nowhere and, to thunderous cheers, took the stage. If every audition room were this sexy, casting calls would be even more crowded.
Future Stars of Magic Mike?
Let me just say, these men can clean up my place any day. Quickly shedding their uniforms, these dancers quickly became airborne. The question of how they maintained such impressive physiques was quickly answered as they began doing push-ups while suspended in mid-air. I think the upcoming musical adaptation of the popular stripper movie "Magic Mike" has found its stars.
Wearing black lingere and pasties is one way for a conductor to get musicians to pay attention.
Swinging from Chandeliers
Nothing short of breathtaking, this number involved almost-naked actors hanging from swinging lights — sometimes with only one leg. The number began with exquisite costumes that reminded viewers of Julie Taymor's award-winning designs for The Lion King — but with much less cloth and a lot more skin. The bird-like visions quickly ascended into the air and remained there for a dazzling amount of time.
The amount of money raised.
As the performances ended and the entire cast assembled onstage, Bares creator Jerry Mitchell, Judith Light and many other activists announced that the evening had raised a record-breaking amount of more than $1.5 million dollars. What's sexier than that?
