Among the theatre favorites scheduled to make guest appearances are Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde), Harvey Fierstein (A Catered Affair), Deidre Goodwin (A Chorus Line), Capathia Jenkins (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me), Leslie Kritzer (Legally Blonde), David Hyde Pierce (Curtains), Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago) and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Jack Goes Boating).
Current Legally Blonde Tony nominee Jerry Mitchell is the executive producer of Bares, which is being directed by Denis Jones. Altar Boyz' Gary Adler has penned the opening number for the show; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Jeffrey Lane wrote the script.
Broadway Bares XVII: Myth Behavior is described as such: "All of Mount Olympus will tremble at this year's edition of Broadway Bares which will feature a pantheon of gods and goddesses (and a few mere mortals for them to toy with). Broadway Bares will celebrate Greek mythology with the Broadway Bares twist that makes the event one of the hottest of the summer. From the chiseled physiques of Narcissus and Poseidon to the deadly alluring Medusa to the debauched Bacchus and the legendary Amazons, a veritable clash of the titans will take place on stage at the Roseland Ballroom as hundreds of Broadway's hottest bodies bare it all for BC/EFA."
A little Bares history: Over a decade ago, Legally Blonde's Mitchell, who once danced nearly naked on a drum in The Will Rogers Follies, found himself inspired to take it all off to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and Broadway Bares was born. The first year, he and seven other Broadway dancers raised $8,000 for the charitable organization. Last season's competition raked in a record-breaking $659,500.
The Roseland Ballroom is located in New York City at 239 West 52nd Street. For ticket information call (212) 840-0770, ext. 268 or visit www.BroadwayCares.org. *
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation's largest industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. Since its founding in 1988 the organization has distributed over $130 million for services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
