Beth Leavel, Patina Miller, Judith Light, David Hyde Pierce et al. Set for BROADWAY BARES XXI MASTERPIECE, 6/19; Guest Stars Announced!

A priceless collection of Tony winners and nominees will be making this year's BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE a truly "starry night" as they join more than 200 of Broadway's sexiest dancers in an auction-themed burlesque show that would make any art critic blush. BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE, which is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will be held Sunday, June 19, with two performances only (9:30 PM and midnight) at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street).

This year's BARES will feature Tony Award winner Beth Leavel (Baby It's You) singing an original opening number, "Going, Going, Gone," written by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar. Tony nominee Patina Miller (Sister Act) will perform the finale, "The Final Masterpiece." Other special guests include Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Judith Light (Lombardi), Tony nominee Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon), Emmy winner Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart), Tony and Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce (La Béte), Tony winner Roger Rees (The Addams Family), Tony nominee Christopher Sieber (La Cage aux Folles) and the always provocative New York Post columnist Michael Riedel.

The opening number is available now for download exclusively at broadwaycares.org/masterpiecesingle. "Going, Going, Gone" carries on a BARES tradition of featuring an original song to start the show. A collection of 13 original BARES opening numbers, recorded by the Broadway stars who debuted them, also is available at www.broadwaybares.com.

It's been said that "all art is erotic" and Broadway's sexiest bodies will prove that to be true as the 21st edition of BROADWAY BARES takes you inside an auction too hot for Sotheby's and Christie's. The most delectable dancers in New York will emulate the art world's seductive nudes and give life to history's sultriest sculptures.

BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE is produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, executive produced by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde) and directed by Josh Rhodes (Sondheim: The Birthday Concert, The Drowsy Chaperone, Working at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago).

BROADWAY BARES, the hotly anticipated annual event combining the naughtiness of burlesque and the razzle-dazzle of Broadway, has been a smashing success since its inception in 1992. The event has become one of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' signature events. The first BROADWAY BARES featured seven dancers performing choreographed stripteases on a bar and raised more than $8,000. In all 20 editions, BROADWAY BARES has collectively raised more than $7.5 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.BroadwayCares.org or by calling 212.840.0770, ext 268. For more information and merchandise, visit www.BroadwayBares.com.

Ticket packages include:

9:30 PM SHOW: $750 Reserved Table Seating, includes reserved seat on the VIP mezzanine at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $275 VIP Standing, includes non-reserved standing ticket on the VIP mezzanine or in VIP area closest to stage with open bar before the show; $125 Priority Standing, includes non-reserved standing ticket in priority viewing area near the stage; $60 General Admission, non-reserved standing ticket.

MIDNIGHT SHOW: $750 Reserved Table Seating, includes reserved seat on the VIP mezzanine at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $275 VIP Standing, includes non-reserved standing ticket on the VIP mezzanine or in VIP area closest to stage with open bar before the show; $60 General Admission, non-reserved standing ticket.

For the first time, BC/EFA also is offering the "Stripper Spectacular" package ($2,500) for either show. It includes a reserved table seat at one of the best center locations on the VIP mezzanine, admission to a private cocktail party at the home of Jerry Mitchell before the performance, a backstage tour, an exclusive gift bag, a poster autographed by the cast, a Broadway Bares: Openings CD and the Broadway Bares: Backstage Pass coffee table book.

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 $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

BC/EFA awards annual grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic and more.

 

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos