Broadway celebrated its sexiest night of the year June 18 with Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. The evening featured Broadway
favorites baring (mostly) all in burlesque production numbers. The event
included more than 190 dancers presenting "unrivaled fantasy lands,
animal
queendoms, and magic kinkdoms that will leave you dreaming of a fast
pass for more."
The charity event benefited Broadway Cares and raised a staggering $1,887,014, all of which goes to the nonprofit organization.
For the evening's finale, Mykal Kilgore performed his original song “Came Here for Love” with Bares-specific lyrics adapted by Kyle Ewalt. Kilgore was joined by Aléna Watters and Marty Thomas as the stage was filled with the entire Pleasure Park cast, guided by the choreography of Mike Baerga. Other performers in the finale, which can be viewed above, included Jaylon McCraven, Sarah Meahl, Justin Mock, Nick Nazzaro, Nick Picknally, Jovany Ramirez, Kaylin Shadle, Sissa Strain, Manatsu Tanaka,, Katie Thrasher, and Leslie Walker.
Check out behind-the-scenes photos at the Hammerstein Ballroom captured by Roberto Araujo.
Hunter Bell, Troy Britton Johnson, and Steven Cutts backstage at Broadway Bares
Mark Mackillop backstage at Broadway Bares
Tom Viola backstage at Broadway Bares
Katie Thrasher backstage at Broadway Bares
Taurean Everett, Justin Prescott, Kyle Brown, Stephen DeRosa, Nick Adams, and Constantine Rousouli backstage at Broadway Bares
Jennifer Geller backstage at Broadway Bares
Sangeetha Santhebennur backstage at Broadway Bares
Davide Zongoli and aerialists backstage at Broadway Bares
Aerialists backstage at Broadway Bares
Nick Kenkel backstage at Broadway Bares
Mykal Kilgore backstage at Broadway Bares
Michael Graceffa backstage at Broadway Bares
Marty Thomas backstage at Broadway Bares
Maci Arms and Cameron Mitchell Jackson backstage at Broadway Bares
Laya Barak and Kellen Stancil backstage at Broadway Bares
Kisha Carr backstage at Broadway Bares
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque backstage at Broadway Bares
Keely Beirne, Josh Drake, and Taylor Iman Jones backstage at Broadway Bares
Keely Beirne and Taylor Iman Jones backstage at Broadway Bares
Josh Drake backstage at Broadway Bares
Josh Daniel Green backstage at Broadway Bares
Jonathan Burke backstage at Broadway Bares
Jonathan Burke and Jay Armstrong Johnson backstage at Broadway Bares
Jessica Vosk backstage at Broadway Bares
Jerry Mitchell backstage at Broadway Bares
Jay Armstrong Johnson backstage at Broadway Bares
Jamie Patterson backstage at Broadway Bares
J. Harrison Ghee backstage at Broadway Bares
Hector Maisonet backstage at Broadway Bares
Hector Juan Maisonet and Colin Cunliffe backstage at Broadway Bares
Steve Bratton backstage at Broadway Bares
Davide Zongoli backstage at Broadway Bares
Davide Zongoli and Laya Barak backstage at Broadway Bares
Aerialists backstage at Broadway Bares
Aerialists backstage at Broadway Bares
Aerialists backstage at Broadway Bares
Christian Galvis backstage at Broadway Bares
Chase Madigan backstage at Broadway Bares
Cameron Mitchell Jackson backstage at Broadway Bares
Jonathan Lee, Laya Barak, and Kellen Stancil backstage at Broadway Bares
Animal Queendom cast backstage at Broadway Bares
Aléna Watters backstage at Broadway Bares
Aléna Watters and Marty Thomas at Broadway Bares
Alec Varcas backstage at Broadway Bares
AJ Blankenship backstage at Broadway Bares
The event, Pleasure Park, took inspiration from theme park attractions, including an opening number with the lyrics "It’s a world of glitter, a world of pecs." There was a magic-themed number featuring Cameron Jackson (Aladdin) as a wizard whose pants vanished in a disappearing act. Another featured Jamie Patterson (Aladdin) as a patron waited on by sexy servers Tyler Eisenreich (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and MiMi Scardulla (A Beautiful Noise) at the Meat Rack restaurant, where the waiters were dressed in black vests and not much else. A waterpark-themed number featured acrobat Zongoli and seven aerialists performing from high above the stage.
Making appearances at this year's show were J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot), Alex Newell (Shucked), Joanna “JoJo” Levesque (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Nick Adams (Hulu’s Fire Island), Kyle Brown (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Stephen DeRosa (Mr. Saturday Night), Taurean Everett (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Justin Prescott (Funny Girl), Constantine Rousouli (Titanique), Aléna Watters (Bad Cinderella), Jonathan Burke (The Inheritance), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Parade), as well as Broadway and recording vocalists Mykal Kilgore, Marty Thomas, and Jessica Vosk.
Laya Barak again directed the fundraiser, joined by co-director Kellen Stancil and associate director Jonathan Lee. Jerry Mitchell, recipient of this year's Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, and Nick Kenkel executive produced.
Choreographers included Barak, Stancil, Lee, John Alix, Mike Baerga, Nicholas Cunningham, Chloe Davis, Armando Farfan Jr., Billy Griffin, Amber Jackson, Monica Kapoor, Bo Park, and Michael Lee Scott.
Broadway Bares was created in 1992 by Mitchell as a way to raise awareness and money for those living with HIV/AIDS. Mitchell and six of his friends danced atop a New York City bar and raised $8,000 in Broadway Bares’ first iteration. Last year’s 30th anniversary edition raised $1.9 million, bringing Broadway Bares’ total to more than $21 million for Broadway Cares.
The evening helps provide meals and medication, health care, and hope to people across the country living with HIV/AIDS or facing other life-threatening illnesses and personal crises.
Broadway Cares 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 Broadway Cares has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and other critical illnesses across the United States.
Visit BroadwayCares.org.
Jerry Mitchell, MAC Viva Glam, and J. Harrison Ghee in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Alex Newell, Jerry Mitchell, and J. Harrison Ghee in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Justin Prescott, Constantine Rousouli, Taurean Everett, Nick Adams, and Kyle Brown in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Joanna "JoJo" Levesque in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Pandora Waterpark in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Company of Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jessica Vosk, and Jonathan Burke in Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park
