View to a Thrill: A Review of 'Broadway Bares'
The annual fundraiser's 'License to Thrill' offered a treasure trail of clues about how to have a good time, daring dance moves ... and a little light James Bondage
June 24, 2026
One-night-only burlesque show Broadway Bares returned to the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC Sunday, marking the 34th year Jerry Mitchell’s creation has raised cash for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this time with a spy-themed License to Strip installment.
I’ve been going (almost) every year since 2008, stuffing money into G-strings at show’s end via its ribald “Rotation” feature, so I like to think I’ve had a hand (both of them) in helping the event top its fundraising record year over year — in fact, it raised a staggering $2,534,428 in a single night this year, some of it via moist dollar bills.
(I’ve also interviewed Jerry twice — please check out my latest Q&A with him above. And if anyone in the show sees this, feel free to ask if I have more images of you — and feel free to use these images on your social media, tagging them @boyculturedotcom on IG or crediting them to Matthew Rettenmund!)
I get there so early to be sure I’m close enough to the stage I could use a raincoat for all the flying sweat, and this year was no exception; I was tenth in line and a front-row bitch.
The night’s only bummer was discovering the dramatically smaller stage this year. When I first began attending, the show had three runways. In recent years, it has had one. This year, the stage extended out about half as far as usual. I guess it allowed for more paying customers (it’s a well-worth-it $150 a pop).
The show opened with “Top Secret” (choreography: Kellen Stancil), focusing on the fictional Mission MI69. Hadestown hottie J. Harrison Ghee, ravishing in red, laid down a challenge for a trio of wannabe spies: work their (bare) asses off and compete for the title of Top Provocateur.
The spies included one of the hottest people in NYC, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody’s Jimin Moon, whose moon was full and mesmerizing; DeMarius Copes (to whom I wouldn’t say nope); and Kinky Boots kinkster Joey Taranto.
“Sher-Locked” (choreography: Miles Keeney) was a winner, and it was no mystery why, with stunning BB veteran Mikey Graceffa was a kilted Sherlock Holmes.
He always radiates star power. Watson was a missing person, but I guess it has been less than 48 hours so no one was looking for him, not with all the lithe bods flying around the stage.
My friend predicted a Pink Panther number, and his instinct proved correct: “The Pink Diamond” (choreography: Nick Kenkel) found two stacked security studs guarding a gem while a slinky female — Moulin Rouge!’s Keely Beirne— all but flashed pink, preserving just enough mystery to keep it classy.
“Dom-in-the-Matrix” (choreography: Reed Luplau) was a sleek Matrix pastiche headed up by a high-kicking Jessica White, though I was green-pilled by one male dancer whose abs looked capable of bending a spoon — even a nonexistent one.
Next, Frankie James Grande (who’s killing it in Titanique) sashayed out and — I know he can be polarizing — killed his appearance. Literally, because he looks impeccable! He did am impressive dance down the stage and delivered lines with flawless timing. His co-star Layton Williams did some serious backflips as a follow-up. Their one-two punch was a great calling card for Titanique, if you haven’t seen it.
I never expected Carmen Sandiego to be remembered! “Lady in Red” (choreography: John Alix), starring Alice Reis, had me seeing double, as there was more than one globe-trotting Carmen in the mix.
The show was showing off with a deep cut in making sure to include a tribute to Mata Hari! “Mata Hari’s Palace” (choreography: Mike Baerga). The story of the sexy super spy starred Nika Lindsay and Ricardo A. Zayas and included some of that famous Broadway Bares aerial stunts (by Alyssa Gray).
One of the most spirited numbers had to be “Go-Go Gadget” (choreography: Sarah Meahl), maybe because it’s a millennial fave so the younger folks in the audience were extra-geeked. (Sigh. Millennials are in their 40s and are “younger.”) It helped that Gadget was embody-ody-odied by sexy John Juan Mercado, and that Madonna’s “Hanky Panky” was playing.
At this point, we were treated to a jubilant victory lap as Ghee and MacKillop brought out Tony winners Shoshana Bean and Qween Jean for a queer pep talk that managed to trash AI at the same time.
Bean did some impressive belting (and looked good in a see-through trench) and Jean promised they would stick up for every member of the queer community, all while advancing the show’s plot by noting that a famous Broadway star was secretly a Trojan horse set to destroy Broadway.
With “Invisible Ink” (choreography: Ilia Jessica Castro), the great Josephine Baker — who, yes, was a spy — was lovingly resurrected, beautifully portrayed by Cajai Kennedy of Wicked. Eye-popping costumes by Lindsey Eifert and Amanda Roberge).
As a Madonna fanatic, I had eagle-eyed the yellow Dick Tracy coat worn by a dancer in the promo images for the show, but that wasn’t a guarantee that the Queen of Pop would be explicitly referenced. She was! “The Dick Tracy Show” (choreography: Julius Anthony Rubio) was absolutely dazzling, indistinguishable from watching an actual Broadway musical.
Khasan Brailsford played the detective with whom Warren Beatty remains obsessed and Chance Hoover was anything but a drag as a drag Breathless Mahoney. “Now I’m Following You: Part II” made an appearance, as did — Dick, that’s an interesting name — Khasan’s dick. Almost! The show’s only major wardrobe malfunction arrived when his tearaway costume tore away everything but a modesty pouch. That said, he never went full Monty and was able to elegantly shield the mishap with his huge, huge hand and to distract with a smile.
Another highlight, and possibly my fave number, arrived via “Oh, Behave!” (choreography: Billy Griffin). While an Austin Powers-themed number was easy to suss out before the show began, it was unpredictably delightful and inventive.
Matt Wiercinski of The Great Gatsby (and the great body) was a perfect Austin, looking pretend-nerdy even though I knew I was going to be saddled with a spank-bank image of Austin Powers with a killer ass even before his spy outfit was torn away. (I was right!)
What made the number rock was his interplay with the army of fembots, especially MiMi Scardulla (Wicked) — they were so hilarious playing off of each other. Effortlessly effervescent and impish.
The secret identity of the Broadway star programmed to destroy the theater district was revealed to be … a very ripped Taurean Everett of Death Becomes Her. Our intrepid wannabe spies were on-point in unmasking — and undressing — this threat.
“Ángeles de Plata” (choreography: Jenny Oehlwein and Shani Talmor) served as the show’s inevitable Charlie’s Angels number, with Milena J. Comeau (The Outsiders), Emma Sofia (Cats: The Jellicle Ball) and Jenny Mollet (Ragtime) as the ladies. Each were assigned very hazardous duties, and each strove to take us away from all that.
I loooved Ragtime and I loooved Jenny in this number! She was so perfect it was a crime.
Finally, the James Bond take came, signaling that we were close to the end. “License to Restrain” (choreography: Kellen Stancil) was an absolutely breathtaking way to end the main show, starring Preston Taylor as Bond in bondage and Aydin Eyikan — one of the most beautiful boys in NYC, painted in gold — as a randy Goldfinger.
It was actually hard to know where to look (I did figure it out), because along with all that, there was a caged aerial show (choreography: David Isaac Gray) happening. You haven’t lived until you’ve stood under a bunch of naked men spinning overhead.
What served as the show’s encore was the rapturous “Golden” (choreography: Tanner Lane), during which we learned that our three competing spies had all been declared Top Provocateurs, which — I’m sure all tops would agree — they earned.
The show after the show is always a blast, with Jerry Mitchell honoring all the top fundraisers (Mark MacKillop raised about 10% of all the money raised for the year!) with the help of Sydney James Harcourt (Cats: The Jellicle Ball) in a pube-tastic harness. Why Sydney was not a part of the main show is a head-scratcher, but his participation in “Rotation” reminded me of when Matthew Morrison did it the very first time I attended — a total gift!
Actually, here is as good a place as any to ask … where was Luke Evans? Wouldn’t he have been perfect for this, considering he’s gay, on Broadway and showing plenty of skin in The Rocky Horror Show? Weird as hell that there was no major representation from that very queer show. People get busy and have limits, but there are a lot, lot, lot of big names currently on Broadway who fans would have to have seen make an appearance for this very good cause: Mariska Hargitay doing a Jayne Mansfield tribute, comic relief from Rachel Dratch or Laurie Metcalf, some skin from the Clock Twink or the son of Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa … the possibilities are endless.
No matter — the perfect show filled with so many perfect ends came to a perfect end with a flesh-soaked “Rotation.”
Afterward, I bumped into Matt Skrincosky, a Broadway Bares legend, which was such a trip! I first saw him in a Broadway Bares in 2010.
I also was able to compliment Harvey Guillén and to grab some footage of surprise attendee Abby Lee Miller; the Dance Moms villainess was given a heroine’s welcome by a bunch of dancers outside.
After that, it was time to stagger home at 2 a.m. and get ready for next year.⚡️
→ Please donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS here. ←
