Photo Coverage: 2009 'Broadway Beauty Pageant'

BroadwayWorld.com was there to cheer on all the talented contestants and celebrate a good night for a great cause!

The Broadway Beauty Pageant, formerly titled Mr. Broadway, featured male cast members representing their respective Broadway shows. Other contestants included James Brown III (Mr. Little Mermaid), Adam Fleming (Mr. Wicked), Tony James (Mr. Lion King) and David Larsen (Mr. Billy Elliot). Contestants competed for the title crown through talent, interview and swimsuit competitions.

Each contestant went head to head in front of a panel of celebrity judges, but ultimately, the final vote was in the audience's hands. The judges were Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live, Wicked), Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein), Charles Busch (The Third Story, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife) and Seth Rudetsky (Rhapsody in Seth, Chatterbox, The Ritz). The evening was hosted by the award-winning actress and current star of Irena's Vow, Ms. Tovah Feldshuh.

Current Miss New York, Leigh-Taylor Smith (who was third runner-up to Miss America) was there to crown Mr. Broadway too!

Following the coronation, the audience was given the opportunity to make an additional donation to the Ali Forney Center, resulting in over $9,000 raised at the door. Overall, the event raised more than $30,000; more than double last year's amount.

The Broadway Beauty Pageant is written and conceived by Jeffery Self and directed by Ryan J. Davis, with musical direction by Sonny Paladino. The evening is produced by Ryan J. Davis, Jeffrey Self and Wil Fisher in association with Matthew Oberstein and Tim Hur.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was started in June 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. They have grown quickly to become the nation's largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth.

Photos by Peter James Zielinski