The total bested last year's $3.27 million but fell just short of the $3,734,000 record set in 2008. This year's total was raised by 52 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring shows.
Special guests Daniel Radcliffe (How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Harvey Fierstein (of La Cage aux Folles) and Sutton Foster (of Anything Goes) presented the performance/bonnet awards at the Minskoff on April 26 following the two Easter Bonnet performances (one on Monday, one on Tuesday).
Here is a look at the Easter Bonnet Competition in performance:
The award for outstanding bonnet design went to Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo — a rare win for a non-musical. The cap consisted of a replica of the show's tiger cage set containing an incarcerated toy tiger. The winning bonnet was created by Moira MacGregor-Conrad and Tree Sarvay. When the show's star Robin Williams fired a prop gun at it, the tiger doll erupted in ribbons of blood.
The company of Broadway's La Cage aux Folles took the top prize for bonnet presentation, with a performance called "25 Years of Easter Bonnet," hosted by current co-star Christopher Sieber. He reminded the audience that the very first "Easter Bonnet" competition took place at the Palace Theatre, then home to the original production of La Cage. He then introduced members of the current revival who spoke the names of members of the original company who died of AIDS. They were then joined by members of the original 1983 company and the 2004 revival to sing "The Best of Times."
The 24 previous editions of the Easter Bonnet Competition have raised more than $42 million for BC/EFA. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund-raising and grant-making organization.
