Mary Testa (as Annie) and the cast of 42nd Street welcomed every closed and currently running show (as well as Times Square denizens like the Naked Cowboy) to join their chorus line, in hopes of tapping away with 40,000 feet.
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.
Gary Beach and Roger Bart host the Dec. 3 and 4 events at the Palace Theatre, slipping in and out of their stage personas, Roger Debris and Carmen Ghia.