20th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR Raises Over $3 Million For Broadway Cares

The 20th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION announced a total of $3,061,000 had been raised by the 63 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Since 1989, the 20 editions of GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION have raised a combined total of $35,730,000 to benefit BC/EFA. This year the Jersey Boys - Chicago raised the most money of any show this period with $220,000. 

THE GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION is the culmination of a period of intensive fundraising where New York's most talented "gypsies," chorus members from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, join in a competition/variety show as six weeks of intensive fundraising by the community come to a close.

This year's GYPSY OF THE YEAR featured on-stage presentations by 15 companies including: 13; August: Osage County; Equus; Grease; Gypsy; Hairspray; In The Heights; Mamma Mia!; Naked Boys Singing; Rock of Ages; Monty Python's Spamalot; South Pacific; The Lion King; The Little Mermaid and The Marvelous Wonderettes.

GYPSY OF THE YEAR favorites Jen Cody and Don Richard returned as ‘Little Sally' and ‘Officer Lockstock.' The cast of [title of show] Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Susan Blackwell returned to Broadway for a special appearance, presenting the show's final number.

Broadway personality Seth Rudetsky (The Ritz, host of Sirius Satellite Radio's "Seth's Big Fat Broadway") served as this year's host. He was joined by Tyne Daly and Jonathan Hadary, the hosts of the first GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION that took place at the St. James Theatre on November 28, 1989. 

Rudetsky, Daly, and Hadary were joined by Christine Baranski (Boeing, Boeing), Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray), and John Lithgow (All My Sons) and for the presentation of the afternoon's awards. 

This year's celebrity judges included: Elizabeth Ashley (Dividing The Estate), Paige Davis (Boeing, Boeing) and her husband Patrick Page (A Man For All Seasons), Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera), Kate Mulgrew (Equus), Peter Sarsgaard (The Seagull), and BC/EFA major donors Dr. Harold Brody, Marion Duckworth Smith and Kendall D. Ward.

The show's opening number "The Gypsy Robe" - featuring 5 of the legendary Gypsy Robes -  was directed and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, created by musical director Ben Cohn and lyricist Nathan Tysen and featured 24 Broadway's gypsies as they parodied "La Vie Boheme" from  Rent and "Brand New Day" from The Wiz.

Two of Broadway's current musical revivals used their respective presentations to imagine what if the family of Sarah Palin decided to come to Broadway. The cast of Gypsy wondering what if Sarah Palin herself decided to take over the role of Rose, while Grease featured  Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol as the possibly pregnant teen Rizzo singing "There Are Worst Things I Could Do".

The cast of Broadway's Mamma Mia! developed their own plan to dominate Broadway with a presentation called "Mamma Mia Presents: Mamma Mia Presents" where several major Broadway shows  were allowed to use the classic ABBA song catalog in their shows to hilarious effect.

Ensemble members from The Lion King continuing their GYPSY OF THE YEAR tradition by presenting a stunning dance piece entitled "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" that featured six dancers performing breathtaking feats around an over-sized dinner table.

The cast of Equus featured star Daniel Radcliffe performing an original song, written by Mr. Radcliffe, entitled "The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Neigh" that included the show's "horses" dancing and cavorting with their young star.

For their last appearance at a BC/EFA event, Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman welcomed Hairspray cast members past and present including Matthew Morrison and Marissa Jaret Winokur in the anthem "I Know Where I've Been" lead by four actresses who played Motormouth Maybelle on Broadway: Charlotte Crossley, original cast member Mary Bond Davis, Jennifer Lewis and Darlene Love.

Monty Python's Spamalot also welcomed cast members past and present for their farewell appearance for a medley of "Forget Your Troubles Come On Get Happy and featured the show's ensemble leading a thrilling tap break and culminated in many former Spamalot cast members including Jonathan Hadary, Martin Moran, David Hyde Pierce, and Christopher Sieber joining them for the show's iconic "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life".  

The show closed with the cast of the recent Broadway musical [title of show] - Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jeff Bowen and Larry Pressgrove presenting an original number entitled "My First Time" which featured the cast discussing their first time seeing a Broadway show. Hunter Bell sang sections from the first show he saw: Annie, while Susan Blackwell delivered portions of the closing monologue from Angels in America, the first show she saw on Broadway. 

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $150 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses.

BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors' Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic at The Aurora in NYC, The Dancers' Resource and two supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations yearly.

THE GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION is sponsored by:
Continental Airlines, the official airline of BC/EFA, The M•A•C AIDS Fund, The New York Times

For more information, visit: www.BroadwayCares.orgFundraising

Full List of Winners:

Broadway:

3d Runner Up- $125,942.00 Hairspray

2nd Runner Up- $140,552.00 South Pacific

1st Runner Up- $172,301.00 Wicked

Winner- $203,747.00 Equus

The $203,746 raised by the cast of Equus, enthusiastically lead by stars Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffths, is the most raised by a Broadway play in the history of BC/EFA fundraising.

National Tours: - 17 National tours raisied 1.2 million dollars

2nd Runner Up $161,869.00 - Wicked Los Angeles

1st Runner Up $178,500.00- Wicked Chicago

Winner for tours - $220,000.00 Jersey Boys Chicago

A special award was given for the top fundraising Off-Broadway company.  This year it was The Marvelous Wondrettes with $17,824.

Talent Portion:

1st Runner Up for Best Onstage Presentation - Equus

Winner of the Gypsy Of The Year - The Lion King

Grand Total Raised $3,061,148