Executive produced by 2005 Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and directed by Denis Jones, this year's event will, according to production notes, feature "naughty nurses, hot young orderlies, and enough flesh to make a plastic surgeon blush." Subtitled Rxxx: Take Two and Call Me in the Morning, the annual fundraiser is set to include appearances by Christina Applegate, Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Jai Rodriguez, Bruce Vilanch, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, John Selya, Christopher Sieber and Cheyenne Jackson. The one-night-only event will boast live vocals by Shoshana Bean and Michael McElroy.
A little Bares history: Over a decade ago, 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 Will Rogers dancers raised $8,000 for the charitable organization. Last season's competition — executive produced by Mitchell and directed by Jodi Moccia — brought in a whopping $525,000. Frozen's Swoosie Kurtz and 42nd Street's Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy were the evening's hosts.
Tickets to the Bares fundraiser are priced $50 (general admission), $95 (priority viewing), $225 (VIP standing plus open bar) and $600 (VIP seating plus open bar). Call (212) 840-0770, ext. 268 or visit www.broadwaycares.org. The Roseland Ballroom is located in New York City at 239 West 52nd Street.
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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 $100 million for services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
