Broadway Bears featured on NBC's "Weekend Today" this Sunday

The eighth annual BROADWAY BEARS auction to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will be featured on NBC's "Weekend Today" this Sunday, February 13th between 7:30AM & 8:00 AM. (WNBC; NY: Ch 4; check local listings outside of NY). BROADWAY BEARS host Bryan Batt (Beauty and the Beast, Jeffrey and La Cage Aux Folles) and producer Scott Stevens will show-off 8 bears from this year's cast of 40 one-of-a-kind BROADWAY BEARS, each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing some of the theater's most legendary performers and/or performances.

THE BROADWAY BEARS VIII auction takes place on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 W. 42nd St). Once again, many of THE BROADWAY BEARS will be autographed by the stars they represent, such as Glenn Close, Sean Combs, Hugh Jackman, Billy Joel, Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Vanessa Redgrave, Linda Ronstadt, and Stephen Sondheim , among others.

Tickets for a private reception beginning at 6:00 PM are $150 and include a VIP advance preview of all the bears to be auctioned, reserved priority seating, and open bar. General admission tickets (unreserved seating) are $35, and also include open bar. Doors open at 7:00 PM for all general admission ticket holders, and the auction begins at 8:00 PM.

Reservations may be made by calling BC/EFA at (212) 840-0770, extension 268. For those who cannot make it to the auction, but nonetheless want to take part in all the excitement, live telephone bidding will also be available as are pre-registered fixed bids by calling (212) 840-0770, extension 228. Internet bidding is available by visiting www.BroadwayCares.org.

The entire Broadway Bears VIII collection can be previewed online at www.BroadwayCares.org