With a little help from Hold-Me-Touch-Me (The Producers' Madeline Doherty, a long-time Les Miz cast member), Les Miserables is able to transform their show into a Mel Brooksian Oy! Miz complete with a big chorus number "Revolution" (to the tune of "The Inquisition" from "History of the World") and the young Cosettes in grey wigs with walkers. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS raised $2,037,922 in their fall fundraising campaign, and a good deal of thanks goes to the new hit ABBA musical. The dancing queens and kings over at the Winter Garden brought in $174,088 for BC/EFA, topping The Producers ($144,331), 42nd Street ($143,515), The Phantom of the Opera ($125,355) and The Lion King ($124,325).
Broadway's Dance of Death raised the most for a play, $62,705. The Off-Broadway competition resulted in a tie: $17,500 for both tick, tick...BOOM! and perennial winner Naked Boys Singing!.
The Naked Boys had more to celebrate — their skit, "Shed Your Pants," sung to The King and I's "Shall We Dance?" was runner-up for Gypsy for the Year. The Lion King, whose chorus boys and girls strutted to a dance music rendition of "America," took home the honor of being named Gypsy of the Year.