The best time I had during a week away from work was at the 18th annual “Broadway Bares” show at Manhattan’s Roseland Ballroom on June 22.
The sexy spectacle raised a record-breaking $874,372 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and featured some of the best talent on Broadway. Producer Jerry Mitchell was just a chorus boy when he came up with the idea for the show in 1992 and has since gone on to become one of the most successful choreographers and directors on Broadway.
Mitchell’s dance card is too full these days for him to stage this one-night only event, but he left the show in the very capable hands of director Denis Jones and associate director Peter Gergus.
“Broadway Bares” seems to get bigger and more elaborate each year; “Wonderland” was the theme of the June 22 benefit, with the best costuming and scenic design in recent years (if someone was able to move the show to a Broadway house, you wouldn’t really have to improve the production values).
When I talked to Mitchell a few years ago about the benefit, he said BC/EFA had talked about extending the run of “Broadway Bares” for more than the current two performances on one night, but the logistics make it impossible.
Almost everyone who works on the benefit is recruited from shows running on Broadway and Sunday night is the only evening the dancers and actors are all off.
On June 22, for instance, “South Pacific” Tony nominee Matthew Morrison (above) was the star attraction in a terrific “Humpty Dumpty” number in which he slowly shed a giant egg costume to the tune of Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance.” The fact that Morrison was willing to rehearse and perform such an elaborate piece of choreography while doing eight shows a week of “South Pacific” says a lot about the young star.
Although “Wonderland” will never be seen again, lots of promotional goodies tied in with the show, including posters, T-shirts, and coffee mugs, are available on the BC/EFA Web site at www.broadwaycares.org
