“Community, unity and nudity” took center stage at Broadway Bares: XXX, a one-night-only modern-day burlesque starring over 170 of the biggest talents on the Great White Way. The 30th anniversary HIV fundraising event raised $1.89 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BCEFA), according to a press statement from the nonprofit.
The standing-room-only event—two shows on Sunday, June 26—marked a return to in-person performances after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, though numerous online and digital fundraising events took place throughout the pandemic.
Watch the XXX opening number below or on YouTube:
This year’s extravaganza revisited musical numbers from the past 30 years of Broadway Bares, highlighting ’90s dance beats, a big top circus, superheroes (including Black Panther), fairy tales and Greek mythology while celebrating plus-size dancers, salsa-infused Disney numbers, West Side Story and much more.
Choreographer Jerry Mitchell launched Broadway Bares in 1992 at Splash, a gay bar in Manhattan. A Broadway dancer at the time, he and several friends raised $8,000 that inaugural night. Since then, the event has raised $24.5 million for BCEFA, according to BroadwayCares.org.
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At the end of XXX, Pulitzer Prize and Tony winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) joined Mitchell onstage. “I see thousands standing together who will not be dismissed or demeaned,” Jackson said, “who find strength in their unique expression that is empowered by love, determination and courage. And tonight, by an even stronger sense of coming together as a community—one that is built on inclusion and equity for all.”
Of note, MAC Viva Glam donated $200,000 to the event; Broadway Bares fan and supporter Dwight Curry also donated $200,000. Individual dancers also raised money during the Stripathon. This year, Mark MacKillop set an all-time record of $70,549. He was followed by runners up (former POZ staffer) Ben Ryan at $39,496 and Ricky Schroeder at $30,300.
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Broadway Bares is one of several fundraising efforts organized by BCEFA. Next up is the Fire Island Dance Festival from July 15 to 17.
For related POZ news, see “It’s Showtime! HIV Fundraisers Return to Broadway,” about Red Bucket campaigns and other efforts. To learn more about the history of BCEFA and how its funds support HIV/AIDS family service programs as well as research, see the POZ cover story “The Show Must Go On.”
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