Broadway Cares/Equity Fights will hold their annual "Broadway Bears" charity event at 7 PM Feb. 15 at the Hudson Theatre (145 W. 44th St. In Manhattan). As usual, the auction will feature dozens of stuffed bears, each decked out in the fashion of a particular theatre production or personality, and signed by the artist the bear resembles. In the weeks leading up to the auction, Playbill On-Line will feature a different Broadway Bear each day. For information on the auction, call (212) 840 0770, ext. 268. *

Irene O'Dare, from Irene

Original Costume Designer: Irene Sharaff
Bear Costume Designer: Richard H. St. Clair
Signed by Debbie Reynolds

"In my sweet little Alice blue gown when I first wandered down into town." For her Broadway debut in Irene, Debbie Reynolds brought in Hollywood's Irene Sharaff to design her costumes. Best remembered in this blue evening cape, the Broadway Bear version is made from more than 12 yards of tulle cut into 1,296 individual layers! The cape is trimmed with a blue silk-taffeta bow and covers a lined underskirt of matching blue netting with a silver "dotted swiss" pattern. Miss Reynolds would never appear in flat shoes (and neither would our bear!) so our Irene wears matching silk-taffeta sling-back pumps with Louis heels, blue rhinestone buckles and self-bows. Make her yours and you'll be "the talk of the town."