'Broadway Bares' Hits the Strip & Breaks Records

This year's Broadway Bares, which played this past Sunday night at Hammersmith Ballroom, joined Vegas spectacle with New York star power. Called "Broadway Bares: Hit the Strip!" this year's edition "raised a record-shattering $2,259,134 and bested the previous record of $2 million set in 2019. Included in that total is Stripathon, the online fundraiser led by the show's cast and crew, which raised a record $1,155,133," reports the event's website.

Broadway Bares is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For more information and/or to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, follow this link.

The show's cast off cast of 223 dancers represented 19 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows from this season including "& Juliet;" "A Beautiful Noise," "The Neil Diamond Musical;" "Aladdin;" "Back to the Future: "The Musical;" "Chicago;" "The Great Gatsby;" "Hamilton;" "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child;" "Hell's Kitchen," "Here Lies Love;" "How to Dance in Ohio;" "Lempicka; MJ;" "The Outsiders;" "Sweeney Todd;" "Titanique;" "Water for Elephants;" "The Wiz and Wicked."

The book for this year's show was written by Hunter Bell, Steven Cutts and Troy Britton Johnson. Its story followed best friends Taylor Iman Jones; Jelani Remy; Constantine Rousouli and Johnny Sibilly hosting a Strip bachelor party for Jay Armstrong Johnson. Along the way, they meet up with a lineup Vegas characters, including Laverne Cox, Nathan Lee Graham and Rachelle Rak, for a sexy, spectacular tour of the strip.

Along the way they come by two boxers, Wayne "Juice" Mackins and Andrew Slane, who "devilishly duked it out in "Knock Out." A series of jabs, hooks and bodacious body rolls revealed a stripped-down Mackins to be the winner, all while being cheered on by risque ring guys and ferocious fans. The hip hop-infused piece was choreographed by Jonathan Lee," writes Broadway Bares.

"In a final spectacular surprise for bachelor boy, Remy welcomed a performance by The Boy Band Project's Jesse Corbin, John Edwards, Jesse JP Johnson, Chris Messina and Travis Nesbitt, who shared a spin on the beloved "Backstreet's Back" with adapted, Las Vegas-infused lyrics by Kyle Ewalt. The besties and boy banders were joyously joined by the entire Hit the Strip cast, set to choreography by Mike Baerga," reads the Broadway Bares website.

According to the group's website, "The Boy Band Project, transports you back to a time when the boy band phenomenon dominated pop culture and TRL was appointment television. Delivered with their own special mix of handsomeness, tongue-in-cheek humor, and Broadway talent, these boys have been seen all over the world spreading their boy band love. Even if you've never demolished a Trapper Keeper notebook with pictures of your favorite boy bander, this show will make you party like it's 1999 before you can say Bye, Bye, Bye.

"The boys re-imagine the sound, movement, and energy of NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, One Direction, 98 Degrees, O-town, BoyzIIMen, Jonas Brothers and more. This musical thrill-fest features a group of boys direct from Broadway's Wicked, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, The Book of Mormon, Altar Boyz, and Rock of Ages."