Celebrating Broadway Bares Trips to New York City

This weekend would have been Broadway Bares. This would have been the 10th time my friend, Christian, and I would have been up to see it.

Broadway Bares is a fund raiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. A little about them:

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS helps men, women and children across the country and across the street receive lifesaving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance.

We are one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington DC.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of essential social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. We also award annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.

Broadway Bares is a burlesque show that each year has a theme. Last year it was Broadway Bares: Take Off. A little about that:

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.

But because of COVID this year’s show was postponed.

When we first started going it was only for the day. We would take an early morning bus up to New York. After the show (we always go to the early show), we’d take the 12:30 am bus back to Washington. Since we were going to be in New York we decided to see a show in the afternoon. Later on we decided to go up on Saturday morning. So we would see two shows on Saturday, one on Sunday afternoon and then Bares Sunday night.

So here’s a list of the shows we’ve seen over the past ten years and some information on the shows including Tonys awarded.

The final few pictures are during what is called the rotation part of the performance. It comes at the very end where all the dancers are on stage and the audience gets to tip the ones they like.

2011
Jerusalem — Mark Rylance best actor in a play

2012
Best Man — an all star cast including Candice Bergen, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, John Larroquette, Eric McCormack and Michael McKean

2013
Kinky Boots (one of the best musicals I’ve seen. Where you find out what the most beautiful thing in the world is). Best actor in a musical Billy Porter, Best choreography Jerry Mitchell (who came up with the idea of Broadway Bares) and finally Best Musical.

The Nance — A fantastic performance by Nathan Lane

2014
Cabaret — the bus we took up was late. We had 20 minutes to get to the theater

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill — one of the MOST amazing performances I have ever seen by Audra McDonald, she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Play. She became Billie Holiday it was just incredible.

2015
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  — an incredible show it was nominated for a Tony in the Best Choreography category. And won for Best Play

Hedwig and the Angry Inch — A great performance by Darren Criss

Hand of God — A play about a possessed puppet

2016
Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed — Another incredible cast including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter.

She Loves Me — The wonderful Laura Berlanti and Zak Levi

2017
Ground Hog Day — A really funny show Andy Carl was great.

Kinky Boots — This is such a wonderful show I decided to see it again.

War Paint — Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone. Wow!

2018
Angels in America — We saw both parts on the same day. An incredible play. Gut wrenching and at the same time at the end leaves you with a ray of hope. Andrew Garfield won for Best Actor in a Play. Nathan Lane won for Featured Actor

Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women — A very clever play. And I got to see Glenda Jackson who won Best Actress in a Play. Laurie Metcalf won for Featured Actress.

 

2019
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus — With Nathan Lane. A very funny but very dark play.

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune — The third time I’ve seen Audra McDonald.