Exclusive Photo Coverage: Laverne Cox, Bianca Del Rio & More Heat Up BROADWAY BARES 25: TOP BOTTOMS OF BROADWAY
By: Kevin Thomas Garcia Jun. 25, 2015
The epic 25th edition of Broadway Bares celebrated the golden age of Broadway with an evening of ripped dancers, cheeky choreographers and sumptuous showgirls, raising a record-shattering $1,598,501 on Sunday, June 21, 2015, for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway Bares: Top Bottoms of Burlesque featured 222 of New York's sexiest and most talented dancers, entertaining standing-room-only audiences at two performances at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive steamy photos below!
Since it began with eight dancers performing on a bar in 1992, Broadway Bares has now raised $14.3 million for Broadway Cares. BroadwayBares' two-time Tony Award-winning creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchellreturned to the director's chair for this year's extravaganza with his co-director, Nick Kenkel, who expertly helmed the previous two editions of the one night only event. The overall success also was fueled by Stripathon, an online fundraiser by the show's cast and crew which raised a record $581,725.
This year's electrifying onstage spectacular featured a colorful cast of characters that included special guest appearances by Andy Cohen ("Watch What Happens Live") Laverne Cox ("Orange is the New Black"), Bianca Del Rio("Ru Paul's Drag Race"), four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, two-time Tony winner Judith Light, Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita and two-time Tony nominee Christopher Sieber.
The evening offered a bodacious Broadway Bares spin to the classic Broadway musical 42nd Street, the story of a bright-eyed ingénue looking to make it big on the Great White Way.
Broadway Bares: Top Bottoms of Burlesque was produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, led by Producing Director Valerie Lau-Kee Lai and an extraordinary staff. Production Stage Manager Eric Insko led a team of 11 stage managers with more than 700 other volunteers behind the scenes helping to create the show. Joel Shier served as lighting designer; Nevin Steinberg handled sound design; and the show's scenic designers were David Arsenault and Steven Royal.
Presenting sponsor MAC VIVA Glam delivered a $300,000 check, presented by Jennifer Balbier, MAC senior vice president of global product development and MAC AIDS Fund board member. Balbier also saluted the extraordinary skills of more than 70 MAC makeup artists who volunteered on the show.
Broadway Bares was created by Mitchell in 1992 as a way to raise money to help those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
Photos by Kevin Thomas Garcia
Laverne Cox and Casey Lee Ross
Lesli Margherita and Christopher Sieber
Nick Rashad Burroughs, Alfie Parker and Benjamin Horen
Josh D. Green
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