YOU BETTER TWERK IT
It’s a little too soon to present Broadway Bares live this year, but ain’t we lucky for that? From the front porch to the kitchen, the bedroom to the backyard, this year’s cast — more than 170 dancers — has created fourteen premiere, concept, all-new, highly produced virtual performances created exclusively for the stream of Broadway Bares: Twerk from Home, which premieres online at Broadway Cares this Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 9pm ET. The annual, modern-day striptease show is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. It’s free to watch, but donations are welcome.
Broadway favorites Harvey Fierstein, J. Harrison Ghee, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Robyn Hurder, Peppermint and Jelani Remy will make special appearances: Peppermint joins the cast to perform “Strip,” a new song by Frank Boccia, and Armstrong reveals more than his home exercise regime in a sweaty opening number. Tony Award winner Fierstein makes a special appearance as the show begins, with Ghee, Hurder and Remy each sharing the impact of donations made throughout the stream.
Combining its signature blend of dance and striptease with cinematic filming techniques this year, Twerk from Home is a more up close and intimate Bares than ever before. The videos put a tantalizing twist on being stuck at home, from lusting after your virtual trainer to a video conference where pants are optional. Celebrating bodies of every shape and size, the cast knows the best part of getting dressed up is the undressing. The vaxxed and waxed performers grant intimate access to life behind closed doors, where it’s rarely business on the top but always a party on the bottom. The celebratory finale was filmed outside in the heart of Times Square.
Broadway Bares’ 30th anniversary celebration, originally set for June 21, 2020, was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person event is set to return in 2022 and will mark the 30th anniversary milestone then.
Broadway Bares: Twerk from Home is directed by Bares creator and Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell with co-directors Laya Barak and Nick Kenkel . The show will include choreography by Barak, Kenkel, John Alix, Al Blackstone, Frank Boccia, Karla Garcia, Jonathan Lee, Ray Mercer, Dylan Pearce, Jenn Rose, Luis Salgado, Michael Lee Scott, Gabriella Sorretino, Kellen Stancil, Rickey Tripp and James Alonzo White.
Costumes for the virtual presentation will be designed by Sa m Brooks, Kenwyn Dapo, Jess Gersz, Alexander Cole Gottlieb, Jennifer Jacob, Jeff Johnson-Doherty, James Nguyen, Nicolas Putvniski, Justin Quackenbush, Brendan Tufts, Jeffrey Wallach, TC Williams and DW Withrow. Caite Hevner serves as video production manager, joined by more than a dozen editors and directors of photography. Benedict Braxton-Smith leads the audio production team of sound and music editors. Bares veteran Johnny Milani returns as production stage manager, creating a team of more than 20 stage managers. For the finale, makeup is led by Cesar Silva and the hair team is led by Ian Joseph.
photo of Yancy Greene on poster photographed by Roberto Araujo
photos of previous Broadway Bares shows by Mathew Murphy & Billy Bustamante
© BroadwayCares.org
