In case I didn't mention it before...

I'M GOING TO NEW YORK THIS WEEKEND! YAY!

Super. Duper. Excited. Saturday can't come fast enough, I tell you what.

Why? Many, many reasons. I love the city. I'm going with my bestie. I'll be showing a newbie the town for the first time. I'll get to see my friends who live there. I'll get to see shows. Booze. The list goes on and on.

Speaking of shows, the primary reason for our trip is to catch the midnight performance of Broadway Bares 19 on June 21st. What is Broadway Bares? It is an annual burlesque-style performance that features many of the actors currently appearing in shows on Broadway in various stages of undress. Benefiting Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS, the show usually features a few special guests. In years past the likes of Andrea Martin, Nathan Lane and David Hyde Pierce have shown up. Playbill.com has announced some of the special guests for this year's show, and a handful of them have me especially excited. To help you understand my enthusiasm, I'll be enlisting the help of my good friend YouTube. Let's roll:

Heidi Blickenstaff
Having appeared in many supporting roles on Broadway, Heidi's star turn was in the musical within a musical within a musical [title of show] where she played herself. I was lucky enough to see the show last September, and the song she sings in this clip left her - and most of the audience - in tears at the end.


Sutton Foster
An absolute force of nature. Nothing I could say would properly sum her up, so I'll let these two clips do the talking.



Gavin Creel
I'll be honest; this guy hasn't really been on my radar for long, but in the short time I've been aware of him, he has impressed me quite a bit. I shouldn't be surprised, since he played opposite Sutton in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and if he can do that and not be eclipsed, that's saying something. Plus, he's a 'mo (He came out publicly very recently), so that makes me like him even more.


Michael Urie
I love him as Marc on Ugly Betty, so I know I'll love him in this show. This clip makes me laugh.


Allison Janney
Do I really need to explain why? Fine, watch a clip of her on Ellen.