Despite Rain, Bway Flea Market Raises Over $358,556 for BC/EFA, Twin Towers and Red Cross

By Christine Ehren
October 1, 2001

With a mid-afternoon rain driving both sellers and buyers for cover, the 15th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction still managed to bring theatre lovers one-of-a-kind goodies, from Max Bialystock's hat to Deborah Yates' opening night flowers and raise over $358,556. $200,000 of the 2001 proceeds from the combination garage sale and bidding war will go to the American Red Cross and an additional $10,000 to the Twin Towers Fund, which benefits the families of firefighters, police officers and civilians lost in the World Trade Center tragedy.

With a mid-afternoon rain driving both sellers and buyers for cover, the 15th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction still managed to bring theatre lovers one-of-a-kind goodies, from Max Bialystock's hat to Deborah Yates' opening night flowers and raise over $358,556. $200,000 of the 2001 proceeds from the combination garage sale and bidding war will go to the American Red Cross and an additional $10,000 to the Twin Towers Fund, which benefits the families of firefighters, police officers and civilians lost in the World Trade Center tragedy.

The Flea Market was in Shubert Alley and the area surrounding the Minskoff Theatre (not on 44th Street as in previous years). The Grand Auction featured TV and theatre walk-ons (including Rent and The Producers), as well as valuable autographed photographs, posters, playbills, tickets to opening nights and the final performance of The Fantasticks and costumes (some on-line bidding through BC/EFA was possible at their website). Other popular fundraisers included the Celebrity Table — where Broadway and daytime stars gathered to meet and pose with the public — and the silent auction.

2001's celebrity table, situated in the upstairs lobby of the Minskoff, featured The Producers' Brad Oscar, Roger Bart and Gary Beach, The Full Monty's Patrick Wilson, Andre De Shields, Romain Fruge, Emily Skinner and Jason Danieley, Dylan Baker, Beauty and the Beast's Bryan Batt and Steve Blanchard, Alice Ripley, Dance of Death's Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren, Stones in His Pockets' Sean Campion and Conleth Hill, Jim Dale, Burke Moses, Randy Graff, Cherry Jones, Dana Ivey, Polly Bergen, Keir Dullea, Joel Grey, Celeste Holm, Lucie Arnaz and original Phantom of the Opera star (and soon to be Dance of the Vampires star, Michael Crawford.

Shoppers could take home:

Broadway producer's Fedora signed by The Producers Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick — $250
Two packages of Ulla's Swedish Fish from The Producers's Bavarian Bier Garten — $1
Aida male or female vocal score signed by male or female cast members — $75
The Full Monty white boxers signed by the cast — $100
The Full Monty strip scene ties signed by the cast — $50
One raffle ticket for a chance to win two tickets to Mamma Mia! or The Producers — $10
Urinetown urine sample candy — $1
Glass of Urinetown lemonade — $2
Contact's opening night gift angel statuette — $75
Stones in His Pockets dressing robes won by Tony nominees Conleth Hill and Sean Campion — $250
"Pride Rock on Broadway" Lion King hardcover book — $10
Les Miserables paper props including the yellow ticket of leave — $15
Cosette's bucket from Les Miserables — $250
"Spy Kids" movie novelization signed by Alan Cumming — $50
Annie Get Your Gun Goin' Cowboy 2002 calendar — $10
Rent 2002 calendar parodying scenes from classic musicals — $25
Beauty and the Beast tavern mug used in "Gaston" signed by the cast—
Spin the Blue Man Group to win a prize (t-shirt, mouse pad, CD) — $2
Ride around Times Square with Tony 'n' Tina — $5
Campaign hats signed by the cast of The Best Man — $10
1989 July Phantom of the Opera program from L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre signed by Michael Crawford — $50

The Producers raised $20,000 at their booth with Local 829 bringing in $12,000 and the "Rosie O'Donnell Show" netting $9,000. Four tickets to the final taping of her show raised $6,000, while none other than Bebe Neuwirth took home Roy Scheider's fantasy sequence costume from "All That Jazz" for $2,200.

Also present at the Flea Market was Classial Action, classical music's AIDS fund-raising organization. In 2000, the Broadway Flea Market raised $574,000 for BC/EFA. For more information on the flea market including a list of online auction items, visit http://www.bcefa.org.