Broadway Bares All For a Good Cause

More than 200 of New York City’s fiercest dancers accomplished their mission to infiltrate Hammerstein Ballroom for Broadway Bares: License to Strip, delivering an evening of high-stakes seduction and larger-than-life spectacle.

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 produced 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’s success will help hundreds of thousands of people across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., including members of the theater and entertainment community, access meals, medication, healthcare, housing assistance, counseling, and other essential services. At a time when many communities face growing economic uncertainty and devastating funding cuts, this support has a lifesaving impact.

The evening began at Mission MI69, where master provocateur J. Harrison Ghee (Hadestown) challenged DeMarius Copes (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Jimin Moon (Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody), and Joey Taranto (Kinky Boots) to put the “ass” in assassin and compete for the coveted title of Top Provocateur. Their mission: stop a rogue artificial intelligence agent from destroying Broadway. The challenge exploded into a pulse-pounding opening number featuring espionage, seduction, and high-stakes showmanship, choreographed by Broadway Bares: License to Strip Director Kellen Stancil.

As the evening unfolded, the agents encountered a star-studded team at Mission MI69 headquarters, including 2026 Tony Award winner Shoshana Bean (The Lost Boys), Taurean Everett (Death Becomes Her), Frankie Grande (Titaníque), Sydney James Harcourt (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), 2026 Tony winner Qween Jean (CATS: The Jellicle Ball), and 2026 Tony nominee Layton Williams (Titaníque). Together, they guided, distracted, and occasionally derailed the competing agents as the race to save Broadway intensified.

From a sizzling Sherlock Holmes to a purring Pink Panther, and from coquettish Carmen Sandiego to a buff and bare James Bond, the trio of spies-in-training met a bevy of bodacious characters on their quest. Here’s who they encountered while completing their mission:

Michael Graceffa (Death Becomes Her) cracked the case in “Sher-Locked,” a steamy Sherlock Holmes-inspired mystery choreographed by Miles Keeney. Surrounded by a sharply-dressed brigade of detectives, Graceffa followed the clues through a pulse-pounding number that proved there was nothing elementary about Broadway Bares.

Keely Beirne (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) prowled onto the scene as the elusive Pink Panther in “The Pink Diamond.” At an elegant cocktail party with a hunky security detail guarding an oversized jewel, Beirne orchestrated a feather-filled heist choreographed by Broadway Bares Executive Producer Nick Kenkel. As flashlights swept the room and tensions rose, the sly feline thief ultimately claimed the prize for herself.

Jessica White (Just in Time) bent reality as Trinity in the futuristic “Dom-in-the-Matrix.” Choreographed by Reed Luplau (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), the high-tech spectacle featured gravity-defying flips, daring lifts and enough cyber-inspired seduction to leave audiences questioning what was real.

Alice Reis slipped past every investigation imaginable as globe-trotting thief Carmen Sandiego in “Lady in Red.” Choreographed by John Alix (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), the number unleashed a parade of decoy Carmens who confused a captivated ensemble while Reis stylishly evaded capture at every turn.

Nika Lindsay (national tour of Frozen) and Ricardo A. Zayas (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) channeled the seductive intrigue of legendary spy Mata Hari in “Mata Hari’s Palace.” Amid flowing red silks and a troupe of whirling aerialists overhead, the duo commanded a world of danger, desire and deception in a number choreographed by Mike Baerga (The Heart of Rock and Roll) with aerial choreography by Alyssa Gray.

Inspector John Juan Mercado found himself delightfully distracted while pursuing a pair of mischievous bandits played by Tony d’Alelio (Gypsy) and Mitchell Tobin (Death Becomes Her) in “Go-Go Gadget.” Choreographed by Sarah Meahl (Chess), the playful caper transformed a bustling meat market into a scene of comic chaos, culminating in a hilariously unexpected showdown.

Cajai Kennedy (Wicked) embodied legendary entertainer and French Resistance operative Josephine Baker in “Invisible Ink.” Wearing Baker’s iconic banana skirt, Kennedy captivated an ensemble of soldiers with dazzling charisma and undeniable charm in a mesmerizing number choreographed by Ilia Jessica Castro.

Dancer and choreographer Khasan Brailsford brought comic book detective Dick Tracy to life in “The Dick Tracy Show.” Choreographed by Julius Anthony Rubio (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), the playful romp paired Brailsford with Chance Hoover’s glittering, gender-bending Breathless Mahoney, whose flips, splits and scene-stealing antics threatened to derail the investigation at every turn.

Matt Wiercinski (The Great Gatsby) had the audience saying “yeah baby, yeah!” as Austin Powers in “Oh, Behave!” Led by choreographer Billy Griffin, a glamorous battalion of fembots helmed by MiMi Scardulla (Wicked) marched onto the runway with weapons drawn and confidence blazing, only to discover they were no match for Powers’ animal magnetism and shagadelic appeal.

Milena J. Comeau (The Outsiders), Jenny Mollet (Ragtime) and Emma Sofia (CATS: The Jellicle Ball) took flight as Charlie’s Angels in “Ángeles de Plata.” Choreographed by Jenny Oehlwein and Shani Talmor, the trio dazzled with salsa-inspired flair, trading sultry solos and synchronized swagger as they danced circles around the criminals in their path.

Preston Taylor (The Great Gatsby) stirred audiences as a martini-sipping James Bond in “License to Restrain.” Choreographed by Kellen Stancil, the number took a turn toward “James Bondage” when Aydin Eyikan (MJ)’s nearly naked Goldfinger arrived to tie up the superspy. Beneath a suspended cage with soaring aerialists choreographed by David Isaac Gray, Eyikan delivered spellbinding contemporary movement.

The mission concluded with a joyous finale choreographed by Tanner Lane. After Ghee revealed that Copes, Moon and Taranto had stopped the Broadway-ending plot and that all had earned the title of Top Provocateur by working together, the cast celebrated with a spirited musical sendoff. Two hundred thirty-five dancers filled the stage in a triumphant display of community, unity and unapologetic joy, bringing the mission to a thrilling close.

The show’s famous “Rotation” was ushered in by Frankie Grande, who sailed in from the Ship of Dreams at Titanique. During Rotation, the entire cast filled the stage to receive tips from the audience after each show.

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.

About Broadway Cares

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway, is 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 theater community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has awarded more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, the HIV/AIDS Initiative and the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative. Broadway Cares provides annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., providing lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance. At times of crisis, Broadway Cares also awards one-time humanitarian grants to provide emergency aid across the US and around the world.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org. License to Strip T-shirts, hats, clack fans and more merchandise are available in the Broadway Cares online store at broadwaycares.org/store.