The Orange Is The New Black star was one of the unannounced performers at the yearly event, which raises funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Organisers celebrated the show's 25th anniversary with the evening's titled, Broadway Bares: Top Bottoms of Burlesque, at the Hammerstein Ballroom, and Cox joined in the fun by donning long leather gloves, a sheer corset and nipple pasties, as she shimmied onstage, much to the audience's delight.

The transgender actress danced to songs such as It's a Man's Man's Man's World and She's Got It among others, as she danced with scantily clad men.

Cox later took to Instagram.com to share pictures and videos of her performance with her followers, and wrote, "Wow the experience of a lifetime doing #BroadwayBares tonight. Thank you everyone for your talent and support... Technicians, stage managers, our brilliant costumers. Love you all. What talent in this room. You're all amazing... I had the time of my life doing this event."

Among the 150 performers who also took part in the gala were Broadway stars including Harvey Fierstein and Tony Award winner Christopher Sieber.

This year's (15) event raised a record $1.5 million (£937,500) for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which provides essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.