The Silent Auction, which begins at 10 minutes past the hour, will conclude at the end of each hour, and winners' names will be posted throughout the day at the pick-up table. The Silent Auction will commence at 10:10 AM: Among the items included in this year's auction are Amneris' wedding dress and veil from Aida; an opening-night Spamalot poster signed by the original Broadway cast; a musical phrase from Nine, handwritten and signed by composer Maury Yeston and star Antonio Banderas; a Kenn Duncan photo of Gwen Verdon; a handwritten "George Bush Is Only For Now" musical phrase signed by Avenue Q composers Bobby Lopez and Jeff Marx; a Julius Caesar poster signed by Denzel Washington; and numerous other items.
The Grand Auction will begin at 5 PM in Shubert Alley, although bids may also be made on the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS website. This year's Grand Auction items include the cast board from Julius Caesar, signed by each of the actors; an evening at Avenue Q, including two house seats, a backstage visit, an opening-night poster signed by the cast and an answering machine message voiced by a Q character; two tickets to the record-breaking Phantom of the Opera performance on Jan. 9, 2006, and tickets to the post-performance celebration party; an onstage appearance in Wicked, Rent or Mamma Mia!; the stool that Whoopi Goldberg sat on during the revival of her one-woman show signed by the Academy Award-winning actress; and many other Broadway items.
The outdoor fundraiser (10 AM-7 PM), which raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, 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. There is a $20 charge each time one walks through the Celebrity Table line.
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 $100 million for services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
For more information on the Flea Market and other BC/EFA events, visit the BC/EFA website at www.bcefa.org or call (212) 840-0770.
