Photos & Video: BROADWAY BARES: LICENSE TO STRIP Raises $2,534,428

The License to Strip cast of 230 dancers represented 18 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows from this season.

By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jun. 23, 2026

More than 200 of New York City’s fiercest dancers took over Hammerstein Ballroom for Broadway Bares: License to Strip on Sunday, June 21, 2026. The espionage-inspired production immersed two sold-out audiences in a world of covert operations, barely classified secrets, liberation and love, raising a record-breaking $2,534,428 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which produces the evening. Included in that total was a record $1,251,972 raised through Stripathon, the online fundraiser led by the show’s cast and crew.

The evening featured J. Harrison Ghee, DeMarius Copes, Jimin Moon, Joey Taranto, Shoshana Bean, Taurean Everett, Frankie Grande, Sydney James Harcourt, Qween Jean, Layton Williams, Michael Graceffa, Keely Beirne, Jessica White, Alice Reis, Nika Lindsay, Ricardo A. Zayas, John Juan Mercado, Tony d'Alelio, Mitchell Tobin, Cajai Kennedy, Khasan Brailsford, Chance Hoover, Matt Wiercinski, MiMi Scardulla, Milena J. Comeau, Jenny Mollet, Emma Sofia, Preston Taylor, Aydin Eyikan, and Frankie Grande.

Broadway Bares’ Tony-winning creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchell accepted presenting sponsor M•A•C Viva Glam’s check of $200,000 from Kyle Anderson, senior national artist for North America at M•A•C Cosmetics. Anderson was accompanied by Sandy Joseph and César Silva, who represented the production’s 85 brilliant makeup artists. Over the years, as presenting sponsor of Broadway Bares, M•A•C has donated $5.4 million to Broadway Cares.

In Stripathon, the online fundraising competition led by the cast, crew and supporters of Broadway Bares, dancer Mark Mackillop once again topped the leaderboard with an extraordinary $227,371 raised. First runner-up Ricky Schroeder(BOOP! The Musical) followed with $29,517, while Steve Bratton ($28,767), Jason Viarengo ($27,557) and Katie Thrasher ($24,343) rounded out the top five. An inspiring 443 participants joined this year's fundraising effort, helping drive Stripathon to its record success.

The License to Strip cast of 230 dancers represented 18 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows from this season including 11 to Midnight, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, Buena Vista Social Club, CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Just in Time, The Lion King, Masquerade, MJ, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders, Ragtime and Wicked.

The book for this year’s show was written by Hunter Bell, Steven Cutts and Troy Britton Johnson. “Top Secret,” the opening number, was written by Amanda Green and Lynne Shankel.

Production Stage Manager Johnny Milani with Sarah Helgesen, Sammy Landau and Kassi Wilson led a team of 65 stage managers with more than 600 volunteers behind the scenes to create the show.