About Last Night . . . Broadway Bares . . . All!

By Blake Ross
June 22, 2009

I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for the notorious "good time" that is Broadway Bares. The ad features an Adonis of a man holding a strategically placed laptop with the words "click it" emblazoned on the clickable parts. And click it they did.

I grabbed a drink from one of the many underwear clad cocktail waiters and joined Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, to take a sneak peak of the Broadway Bares "dressing" area in the basement of the Roseland Theatre. It was more like a de-dressing area with 70 MAC makeup artists applying body paint, sparkle and pasties to the ridiculously ripped 200-plus performers. It was as much of a party downstairs as it was upstairs!

The show was star-studded, as are most BC/EFA events, with the likes of Allison Janney, an almost naked (and extremely buff, I might add) Norm Lewis, Michael Urie, Daniel Reichard, (an unfortunately not naked) Cheyenne Jackson, Christopher Sieber and Sutton Foster (dropping her "good girl" act for the evening and breaking out the inner raunchy diva to the delight of the packed house).

With all the revelry, it was easy to see why Broadway Bares (now in its 19th year) is one of the most highly anticipated events in NYC. And, while the show is like a bachelorette party on steroids, it's really all about raising money for BC/EFA, an organization that has generated over $150 million for AIDS-related causes across the country. What better reason to strip down to your skivvies and show a little T&A?

Photos (of the parts we can show) are on their way!