A spectacular romp around the world with 192 of NYC’s sexiest dancers and two wild and worldly standing-room-only audiences led to a sensational evening of record-breaking modern-day burlesque at Broadway Bares: Take Off.
Produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Bares: Take Off raised $2,006,192 at two performances on Sunday, June 16, 2019, at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Stripathon, the online fundraiser led by the show’s cast and crew, raised a record-shattering $1,066,129. This marks the first time in the fundraiser’s history that Stripathon passed the $1 million mark, and the fourth year in a row it was the single largest contributor to the event’s grand total.
This year’s Broadway Bares put the lust in wanderlust, offering a tantalizing twist on world travel. The show celebrated Carnival and Day of the Dead, explored the strength and sensuality of Spain and Japan, teased the potential shenanigans of long flights and triumphantly landed at the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the birth of the modern LGBTQ-rights movement.
Guided by an extra-zesty Bares Air pilot and steward, two gay couples set to take off and strip down on an international adventure. Tony Award nominee Ashley Park (Mean Girls) and Nathan Lee Graham (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Zoolander) navigated the evening as our captain and flight attendant.
The younger, naive couple was played by Jay Armstrong Johnson and Christian Dante White; the established dynamic duo featured Stephen DeRosa and two-time Tony nominee Christopher Sieber.
The opening was choreographed by this year’s director, Laya Barak. The number was written by Troy Britton Johnson, with music by Lynne Shankel and lyrics by Amanda Greene.
The evening featured a tempting around-the-world trek.
A Day of the Dead celebration uncovered a salacious love triangle when a man summoned his scorned ex-wife at the “ofrenda,” or ceremonial altar. Ian Paget battled an otherworldly Khadija Tariyan (King Kong) and his new-found love for Judah Frank amid an ensemble of scintillating skeletons. Barak choreographed the hard-hitting, spirit-raising number.
A brief delay on the tarmac in the heat of the day caused the airport’s rugged, all-male ground crew to sweat through their shift - and their clothes. Adam Perry (Frozen) led a team of buff baggage handlers, choreographed by Andrew Turteltaub.
On a sultry, salsa-infused escape to España, Nina Lafarga (Frozen) attempted to pin down Henry Byalikov (TV’s Dancing with the Stars) in a spirited taming of the bull in choreography by Luis Salgado.
In Amsterdam’s libidinous Red Light District, Carleigh Bettiol (The Cher Show) and Jennifer Florentino (Moulin Rouge!) found love and lust amid the smoky glow of this all-female number, choreographed by Olivia Cipolla. Aerialists from Las Vegas’ acclaimed Living Art of Armando, choreographed by Armando Farfan Jr., added an alluring airborne element.
A frisky flight proved Bares Air is the sexiest ride in the friendly skies. Steven Trumon Gray (My Fair Lady) invited passengers and flight crew alike to join the Mile High Club choreographed by Ray Mercer (The Lion King).
A vigorous and vivacious Carnival party was led by Marija Abney (Black Panther), Afra Hines (Hadestown) and Briana Reed (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). Choreographed by Broadway Bares associate director Jonathan Lee, the women stripped down until little was left but their spectacular feathered headdresses.
A runway fashion show in Paris transformed into a fierce vogue ball-inspired face off choreographed by Justin Prescott. The dynamic piece featured a corset-clad Lawrence Alexander (The Lion King) and Tori Reneé, who led her voguing team to victory.
With a little help from Graham and flight crew members Holly Ann Butler (Come From Away) and Elliott Mattox (Beetlejuice), passenger Constantine Rousouli (TV’s Charmed) found a rousing cure for his fear of flying. Emmy Award nominee Al Blackstone choreographed the light-hearted, fantasy-inducing number.
Warrior Sabrina Imamura (Hamilton) proved she didn’t need saving from a sea of sexy samurais as she powerfully strutted in sky-high heels as part of captivating choreography by Kellin Stancil.
Taurean Everett (The Cher Show) brought the heat to Burning Man, fueling the festival’s artistic and creative energy with colorful striptease choreographed by Michael Lee Scott.
A celebratory and historically important arrival at Stonewall Inn served as the culmination of the couples’ vacation. Recording artist and LGBTQ activist Mila Jam and Gabriel Hyman (King Kong) led peaceful and empowered protests with poignant choreography and storytelling by John Alix.
The finale ushered in World Pride in NYC, choreographed by Sidney Erik Wright. Alex Newell (Once on This Island) and Ryann Redmond (Frozen) brought the house down with a show-stopping vocal performance of David Guetta’s “When Love Takes Over.”
