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Broadway Backwards 4 brings the gay!

The fourth annual “Broadway Backwards” concert benefiting New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center raised the roof of the American Airlines theater on Monday, February 9. No surprise that the audience was packed; with such performers and presenters as Whoopi Goldberg, Mario Cantone, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia, Michael Urie, and beloved Florence Henderson on hand, the show – in which well-known songs from Broadway musicals are presented in a new, gayer context – was really something else. Here are pics of this very special, one-night-only performance.

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Alan Cumming and the male ensemble got the show going with the production number “Rainbow High,” from Evita.

Comedy legend Anne Meara kvelled as Kirsten Wyatt joyously sang “I Met a Girl” from Bells are Ringing, backed by the full company.

Whoopi Goldberg and company offered an all-female version of “Gee, Officer Krupke” from West Side Story.

Aaron Lazar, who played Enjolras in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables (and who was recently showcased in AfterElton’s “Hot Theater Guys” feature), gave a beautiful rendition of a song he didn’t get to sing in that show: Eponine’s “On My Own.”

Jai Rodriguez, best known for TV’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, offered a powerful performance of “Listen” from the movie of Dreamgirls. The song was rethought as the cry of a gay Latino youth demanding that his mother accept him as he is.

Gay faves Jose Llana, Christopher Sieber, and John Tartaglia (left to right) performed “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof as a comment on the popular dating site Match.com.

Cheyenne Jackson (another of AfterElton’s “Hot Theater Guys”) duetted with Sandra Bernhard in the double-meaning ditty “You’re the Top” from Anything Goes. Bernhard screwed up most of the lyrics, but she seemed to be having a great time anyway!

Tony Yazbeck – yet another of AfterElton's “Hottest Guys in Theater” – performed “Buddy Beware” from Anything Goes with the male ensemble.

The super-sexy men of the ensemble slithered and bumped their way through “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity. For future reference, that’s Tim McGarrigal at center in the two photos immediately below.

America’s mom, Florence Henderson, showed another side of her personality as she checked out what one of the “Big Spender” guys had to offer.

You go, Flo!

Ms. Henderson and the female ensemble agreed that “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.”

Len Cariou, the original Sweeney Todd, sang one of the women’s songs from another Stephen Sondheim show: “Losing My Mind,” from Follies.

Jennifer Foote and Jenn Colella sang “People Will Say We’re in Love” from Oklahoma!

Gina Gershon, recently seen on Broadway in Boeing Boeing, offered a lesbian take on “Madeleine” from Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

The amazing Tituss Burgess, currently featured in Guys and Dolls, gave a thrilling performance of Stephen Schwartz’s heartbreaking story-song “Meadowlark” from The Baker’s Wife.

Ron Palillo, of Welcome Back Kotter fame, commiserated with two ladies in love as they sang “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls. (“In other words, just from waiting around for that plain little band of gold, a person could develop a cold!”)

There was a strong pro-gay marriage bent to “Broadway Backwards 4.” Michael Urie and Becky Newton of TV’s Ugly Betty performed “Getting Married Today” from Company, with Christopher Kale Jones as Urie’s hopeful groom.

The always hilarious Mario Cantone sang a Chita Rivera number: “Chief Cook and Bottle Washer" from Kander & Ebb’s The Rink.

Maureen McGovern, her voice sounding as gorgeous as ever, sang “This Nearly Was Mine” from South Pacific.

Throughout the show, John Tartaglia’s friend Rod lusted after the several male hotties in the cast.

Marty Thomas, who won last year’s Broadway Beauty Pageant, led the company in the joyous finale: “Defying Gravity,” from Wicked.

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