Photo Flash: Broadway Bares Goes Back to School at Strip U!

A spirited audience of thousands went back to campus with stripped-down collegians who offered a sexy lacrosse scrimmage, a Pavlovian psychology experiment, a pumped-up pep rally and a fierce feminist studies class at Broadway Bares: Strip U, this year's edition of the annual highly choreographed, highly produced striptease spectacular. Produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Bares: Strip U raised $1,568,114 in two performances on June 18, 2017, at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom.

Stripathon, the online fundraiser led by the show's cast and crew, raised a jaw-dropping and record-breaking $686,135 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, marking the second year in a row and only second time in Broadway Bares history Stripathon was the single largest contributor to the grand total.

This year's Broadway Bares stripped away the fears of freshmen and saluted seniors as a journey across the Strip U campus took us to a seductive observatory, exploding chemistry lab, flirty fine arts class, frat party-turned-Greek god fantasy, a lesson in stiletto strutting and Havana, Cuba, for a sizzling semester studying abroad.

Two-time Tony Award nominee and seven-time Emmy winner Allison Janney started the show with a video invitation as Strip U's president, offering sexy salutations, a campus history and words of wisdom: "Our motto reminds us of our core values every day: Honorem, Integritas, Nuditas, Erectus."

The show opened with Broadway favorite Jay Armstrong Johnson (On the Town, TV's Quantico) learning he was accepted to Strip U, the only college where clothing is optional and striptease is always in the curriculum. As the dean of admissions at Strip U, Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical), flanked by some of Broadway's best student bodies, welcomEd Johnson to his new home for the next four years. The welcoming, diverse campus proudly stripped down, celebrating self love and acceptance.

The opening number was choreographed by Nick Kenkel, who returned to direct Broadway Bares for the fifth year and created the Strip U concept. The opening number was written by Hunter Bell and Wade Dooley, with music by Matt Sklar and lyrics by Amanda Greene.

The patriarchy was stripped apart in Strip U's feminist studies class, which lifted the audience into a rousing frenzy to deliver the loudest cheers of the night. With Kinky Boots' Lola, J. Harrison Ghee, as its gender-nonconforming guide, the number celebrated the historical fight of women - from suffragettes to American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II to the rise of Pantsuit Nation. Choreographed by John Alix, the fiery performance of 20 women was backed by larger-than-life images of women through years standing up and speaking out before landing on a modern-day protest sign that declared, "The Future is Female."

The traditional pep rally got a significant step up when The Lion King's L. Steven Taylor and Jelani Remy, who play Mufasa and Simba, led a crew of increasingly scantily-clad students in an energetic step dance. The pair showed off the pep in their step while acrobatically tumbling across the stage, as the step team stripped to shiny booty shorts. The number was choreographed by Laya Barak.

A studly psychology student got an unforgettable lesson in Pavlov's dogs when the strapping Josh Drake (Aladdin) turned into trainer to a class of obedient male classmates in a drool-worthy dance. In full command of his pack, Drake walked the harness-clad mass of male virility down the runway in the number choreographed by Sidney Erik Wright.

A shirts-versus-skins lacrosse scrimmage heated up the stage when Kyle Brown (Anastasia) coached a crew of sweaty, muscled men. Ericka Hunter (Miss Saigon) and Katie Webber (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) gave the game co-ed flair as they strutted and stripped their protective gear in the athletic number. The scrimmage was choreographed by Charlie Sutton.

The sky filled with spellbinding stars when 10 aerialists from Las Vegas' acclaimed Living Art of Armando performed a high-flying and breathtaking aerial dance at Strip U's observatory, staged by Bares favorite Armando Farfan Jr. Below the celestial constellations, Josh Daniel Green (Wicked), Kar Will and a team of Broadway Bares dancers stayed grounded for a ballet-infused romance, choreographed by Kenkel.

Check out photos from the big day below!