The 14th annual Gypsy of the Year competition — hosted by Tony Award winners Harriet Harris and Harvey Fierstein — raised a record breaking $2,623,825 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Held at Broadway's Palace Theatre, home of Disney's Aida, the competition beat the previous BC/EFA record set at the 2001 Easter Bonnet Competition. That fundraiser netted $2,275,658 for the charitable organization.
The Broadway companies of Hairspray and Rent raised the most money for BC/EFA at this year's Gypsy event, with Hairspray pulling in $375,607 and Jonathan Larson's Rent taking in $237,689. Other top money makers included Thoroughly Modern Millie ($143,890), Mamma Mia! ($136,766) and Flower Drum Song ($114,802).
A culmination of six weeks of fundraising, the Gypsy of the Year competition awards prizes in both the fundraising and best presentation categories. The aforementioned Hairspray won the fundraising portion, although fundraising awards were also bestowed upon the top fundraising Broadway play, Off-Broadway company and touring company. Winners in those categories included Metamorphoses ($106,155), Naked Boys Singing ($15,343) and Mamma Mia! Tour #2 ($130,760).
Presentation awards went to Urinetown: The Musical (winner) and Les Misérables (first runner-up). Les Misérables, in their final appearance at a BC/EFA fundraiser (the show will close in March), was introduced, via a recording, by original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson. The actor announced that Les Misérables had raised $1.5 million for BC/EFA during their lengthy Broadway run. The current cast, joined by some 100 former company members, sang the musical's anthem, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Urinetown took shots at everyone on Broadway from Hairspray to Thoroughly Modern Millie. Urinetown's Little Sally wondered aloud why Millie didn't win Best Skit at last season's Easter Bonnet Competition even though they won Best Book of a Skit, Best Score of a Skit and Best Director of a Skit. Officer Lockstock replied, "Because Easter Bonnet is partial and biased, not at all like the Tonys." Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. For further information, visit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on the web at http://www.bcefa.org.
