Broadway Bares: Take Off Raised More Than $2 Million in Two Performances
(© Jonathan Tichler)
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced that Broadway Bares: Take Off raised $2,006,192 at two performances on Sunday, June 16, at the Hammerstein Ballroom. In addition, Stripathon, the online fundraiser led by the show's cast and crew, raised $1,006,129, marking the first time in the fundraiser's history that the event passed the $1 million mark, and the fourth year in a row it was the single largest contributor to the event's grand total.
Broadway Bares: Take Off featured Billy Porter, Alex Newell, Stephen DeRosa, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nathan Lee Graham, Ashley Park, Christopher Sieber, and Christian Dante White.
The show was directed by Laya Barak, an accomplished dancer and choreographer whose work has appeared in the last five editions of Broadway Bares. Barak codirected last year's Broadway Bares: Game Night with Nick Kenkel, who joined creator Jerry Mitchell as an executive producer.
Broadway Bares was created in 1992 by Mitchell, then a Broadway dancer, as a way to raise awareness and money for those living with HIV/AIDS. In its first year, Mitchell and six of his friends danced on a New York City bar and raised $8,000. To date, Broadway Bares has now raised $21.2 million for Broadway Cares.
