The outdoor fundraiser in Shubert Alley raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and features a host of theatrical memorabilia donated by the theatrical community. The day-long event (10 AM-7 PM) also boasts a Celebrity Table, where theatre fans can purchase autographs by, or photos with, their favorite stars from Broadway, Off Broadway and television serials.
As of press time those scheduled to take part in the Celebrity Table include the following talents:
11 AM-12 noon: "As the World Turns"' Real Andrews and Martha Bryne, Avenue Q's Stephanie D'Abruzzo and Ann Harada, Little Shop of Horrors' Kerry Butler and Hunter Foster, Henry IV's Dana Ivey, Nine's Rebecca Luker, Mary Beth Peil and Chita Rivera, Mamma Mia!'s Joe Machota and Tina Madigan and The Producers' Peter Samuel
12 noon-1 PM: "The Guiding Light"'s Bradley Cole and Ricky Paul Golden, "As the World Turn"' Ellen Dolan and Eileen Fulton, Hairspray's Harvey Fierstein and Dick Latessa, Wicked's Joel Grey, Urinetown's Jeff McCarthy, Take Me Out's Denis O'Hare, Movin Out's Elizabeth Parkinson, John Selya and Ashley Tuttle and Mamma Mia!'s Louise Pitre
1-2 PM: "As the World Turns"' Leslie Kay and Grayson McCouch, Trumbo's Nathan Lane, "All My Children"'s Jill Larson and James Mitchell and Uncle Vanya's Roger Rees 2-3 PM: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks' Polly Bergen, "Guiding Light"'s Marj Dusay, A Chorus Line's Barbara Luna, Chicago's Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway Bound's Phyllis Newman, Cactus Flower's Betsy Palmer, Zanna, Don't!'s Jai Rodriguez, Edge's Angelica Torn and Chapter Two's Ann Wedgeworth
3-4 PM: The Dinner Party's Penny Fuller, A Class Act's Randy Graff, "As the World Turns"' Elizabeth Hubbard and Tamara Tunie, The Phantom of the Opera's Sandra Joseph, Imaginary Friends' Swoosie Kurtz, Annie's Andrea McArdle, Gypsy's Jana Robbins and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown's B.D. Wong
The well-attended event also includes a Grand Auction (at 4:30 PM), where "unique and priceless items" are auctioned to the highest bidder. For a complete list of this year's auction items — including opening-night tickets to The Boy From Oz or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, signed theatrical posters by Paul Newman and original Broadway casts, a day with The Phantom of the Opera, New Year's Eve Producers tickets and much more — visit the Broadway Cares website at www.bcefa.org or call (212) 840-0770.
Last year's auction raised $450,000 for BC/EFA. During the Grand Auction, the walk-on parts in Broadway musicals garnered the highest bids — Mamma Mia! raised the most ($13,000) with The Phantom of the Opera and Hairspray taking $6,000. Opening-night tickets and party passes to Dance of the Vampires went for $4,000 with Man of La Mancha a close second at $3,600.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation’s largest industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization. Since its founding in 1988 the organization has distributed over $65 million for services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
