BC/EFA's Broadway Bares Announces Special Guests

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND is pleased to announce a few of the special guest stars who will join over 200 of New York's sexiest dancers at Broadway's hottest night in an event produced by and benefitting Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.
 
Joining the previously announced Mary Birdsong (Fame Becomes Me, "Reno: 911") who will play 'Alice' in this year's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" themed BARES are Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid) who will be playing 'The White Rabbit,' Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu, Damn Yankees), Tony Awardâ winner Nathan Lane (November), Tony Awardâ winner Andrea Martin (Young Frankenstein), and Matthew Morrison (South Pacific).

This year's rotation masters are Christopher Sieber (Shrek The Musical, Spamalot) and Jennifer Cody (Shrek The Musical, The Pajama Game).

Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen ([title of show]) are contributing creative material to this year's show with Bowen writing the music and lyrics for the show's opening number, and Bell penning the scenes. In addition, this years' BARES will feature special performances by NATEkid, who will showcase his unique fusion of hip-hop and jazz in a number inspired by "The Walrus & The Carpenter," the acrobatic troupe AntiGravity, and the aerial performance group The Living Art of Armando.

In addition to buying tickets to the show, BC/EFA's website also hosts STRIP-A-THON – the web-based version of a walk or dance-a-thon where dancers participating in the show compete to raise funds by soliciting individual donations online. Since launching the program in 2005, STRIP-A-THON has become an important component of BROADWAY BARES' annual fundraising success and has raised over $200,000. Web users interested in sponsoring a favorite male or female dancer can view the 97 participating dancers' profiles and make a donation by visiting www.broadwaycares.org and clicking on the STRIP-A-THON link off the homepage.

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND will be held on Sunday, June 22 with two performances only (9:30 PM & Midnight) at Roseland Ballroom (239 West 52nd Street). BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

This year's BROADWAY BARES will have over 200 of Broadway's hottest bodies traveling 'through the looking glass' to bring some of Wonderland's classic characters to life on stage at Roseland Ballroom. BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND will take Lewis Carroll's tale of young Alice (Mary Birdsong) as she travels down a rabbit hole audiences won't soon forget. Along the way, Alice will encounter a White Rabbit (Tituss Burgess) that will make audiences blush, a Mad Tea Party featuring a sexy Mad Hatter and a tempting March Hare, and a Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum that only BROADWAY BARES could deliver.

BROADWAY BARES 18: WONDERLAND is produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, executive produced by Tony Awardâ-winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), and will be directed by Denis Jones (Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).
 
This year's BARES will be one of the first opportunities to purchase BROADWAY BARES: BACKSTAGE PASS from Universe Publishing, a division of Rizzoli New York. BACKSTAGE PASS is the photographic chronicle of how one bright young man in a loincloth, dancing atop a giant drum on a Broadway stage, began one of the Great White Way's most worthy and exciting traditions! Jerry Mitchell was amazed at the tremendous attention his nearly naked body garnered in Tommy Tune's production of The Will Rogers Follies in 1990. He quickly capitalized on this fascination with exposed skin to raise funds for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) organization. Over the next 18 years, this "ah-ha" moment grew into the annual tradition that is BROADWAY BARES —an event where the most beautiful bodies of New York City's theater community take it all off and do what they do best—strut their stuff!

In addition to purchasing copies of BACKSTAGE PASS at this year's BARES, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS is currently accepting pre-orders for BACKSTAGE PASS via their website: www.BroadwayCares.org. Books purchased via BC/EFA start at $55.

Proceeds from all copies of BACKSTAGE PASS benefit BC/EFA.
 
The first Broadway Bares in 1992 featured seven dancers stripping on a bar and raised over $8,000. Since then, the 17 previous editions of BROADWAY BARES have collectively raised over $4.5 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and grown to a full-fledged production featuring over 200 of Broadway's sexiest dancers.

TICKETING INFORMATION:

Tickets can be purchased online at www.BroadwayCares.org or by calling (212) 840-0770 x 268.

9:30 PM SHOW: $650 Benefactor - includes reserved seat at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $250 VIP - includes non-reserved standing ticket in VIP area closest to stage or VIP Mezzanine with open bar before the show; $100 Priority - includes non-reserved standing ticket in Priority Viewing area close to the stage; $55 General Admission -non-reserved standing ticket.

MIDNIGHT SHOW: $650 Benefactor - includes reserved seat at a cocktail table and open bar before the show; $250 VIP - includes non-reserved standing ticket in VIP mezzanine with open bar before the show; $55 General Admission - non-reserved standing ticket.

Introducing, the new "VIP BACKSTAGE PASS" PACKAGE ($10,000). You and a guest will be escorted into Roseland for a sneak peek of dress rehearsal, and meet Jerry Mitchell and a guest celebrity. Enjoy dinner and drinks at one of Jerry's favorite local restaurants with your personal escort and guest celebrity. Come back to Roseland and join the entire company backstage for a short visit before you are escorted to your table in the VIP lounge and stay for both shows. After the Midnight show, you will join the cast as VIP guests at the post-show cast-party. This package is extremely limited in availability.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it's founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $130 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, or HIV-related illnesses.

For more information, call (212) 840-0770 x 268 or visit www.BroadwayCares.org.

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