Over a dozen Broadway stars will join founders Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters for Broadway Barks 8!, which will take place on Saturday, July 8th in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).
The event is a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies; it is presented by Broadway Care/Equity Fights AIDS and sponsored by the ASPCA, Loews Hotels, Donna Karan, Sherpa, and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m., and celebrity presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters will take place between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (in the event of rain, Broadway Barks! will be rescheduled for Saturday, July 22 from 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.).
In addition to two-time Tony Award-winner Peters and Moore, celebrity presenters will include Lucie Arnaz (
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels);
Maxwell Caulfield (
Tryst);
Michael Cerveris (
Sweeney Todd); Victoria
Clark (
The Light in the Piazza); Georgia Engel and Bob Martin (
The
Drowsy Chaperone);
Eden Espinosa,
David Garrison, and
Carol Kane
(
Wicked);
Shuler Hensley (
Tarzan);
Christian Hoff,
Daniel Reichard,
Bobby Spencer, and
John Lloyd Young (
Jersey Boys);
Cheyenne Jackson;
Cherry Jones (
Faith Healer); Dan Lauria;
Wendie Malick (
Burleigh
Grime$); and
Sarah Paulson.
"Broadway Barks 8!" "will help many of New York City's shelter animals find permanent homes by informing New Yorkers about the plight of the thousands of "homeless" dogs and cats in the metropolitan area," state press notes. Last year's
"Broadway Barks!" attracted an audience of more than 6,000 theater fans, pet owners, and animal lovers, and featured the participation of more than 24 animal shelters from the New York City area.
Peters, who adopted her dogs, Kramer and Stella, from the ASPCA and AC&C, said "Mary and I are extremely pleased by the continued success of 'Broadway Barks!' It is rewarding to know that we are saving animals' lives and fostering a spirit of community among animal shelters and rescue groups throughout the city."
"Broadway Barks 8!" will feature a sampling of potential pets from several New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies, including A Cause for Paws, Adopt A Boxer Rescue, Angelical Cat, Animal Haven, ASPCA, AC&C, BARC, Bid-A-Wee, Bobbi & the Strays, City Critters, Humane Society of New York, Husky House, Kitty Kind, Long Island Greyhound Rescue, Loving Touch, Manhattan Valley Cat, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue, NYC Siamese Rescue, Pet-I-Care, PLUTO, Russell Refuge, Staten Island Council for Animal Welfare, Stray from the Heart, and Tigger Foundation. Representatives from these organizations will be on hand to offer educational information on spaying and neutering.
The event will also feature an auction of celebrity-autographed memorabilia. Additional auction merchandise will be available via the Internet by logging on to
www.eBay.com and using the key words "
Bernadette Peters." Proceeds from the auction and other donations received during the day will benefit the shelters and organizations attending "Broadway Barks 8!"
For more information, call (212) 840-0770, extension 477, or visit
www.BernadettePeters.com.
