It's Fundraising Season! How Each Broadway Show is Raising Money for BC/EFA This Spring!
By: Nicole Rosky Apr. 03, 2018
The theatre community has been fervently signing posters, Playbills and props in preparation for the six weeks of dedicated fundraising that culminate in the 32nd annual Easter Bonnet Competition (#BroadwayBonnets) on Monday, April 23, and Tuesday, April 24.
Have your wallet at the ready, because many theatre lobbies in New York City and beyond will be filled with casts, crew members and volunteers accepting donations with Broadway Cares' signature #redbuckets in hand. Every dollar dropped in a bucket will help provide lifesaving medication, healthy meals, emergency financial assistance and more to the most vulnerable among us. A $10 donation covers one HIV test at a health clinic. A $50 donation provides 40 nutritious meals in a soup kitchen for the most vulnerable among us.
Additionally, audiences at many shows can purchase autographed posters, Playbills and other memorabilia or one-of-a-kind experiences, including backstage tours and meet-and-greets, in exchange for a donation. What items and special experiences has each show made available for fundraising season? We've got a full list below!
ALADDIN
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed window card
-'Never had a chef like me' aprons
-Jafar T-Shirt
-'What's wrong with a woman running the kingdom?' Ladies T-Shirt
ANASTASIA
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed Playbills
-Signed posters
The Band's Visit
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed window card-$60
-Signed Playbill- $40
The Book of Mormon
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed show poster
-Backstage tour led by Dave Thomas Brown and Cody Jamison Strand
A Bronx Tale
For sale at the theatre:
-Magnet with Sonny's face (Nick Cordero) that says, "Now youse can't leave"- $10
-Signed Playbill- $20
-Apron with with "Do you now how to make sauce? - $40
-Signed show poster- $60
-Baseball signed by Chazz Palmenteri with his father's quote: "The Saddest Thing in Life is Wasted Talent"- $100
For auction:
-A chance to win two tickets to the show, airfare, hotel accommodations, and dinner with Chazz Palmentari at his restaurant. Includes one-of-a-kind opening night show poster signed by the entire creative team, including Robert De Niro. Click here to enter!
COME FROM AWAY
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed Playbill- $40
-Signed poster- $100
For auction at the theatre:
-Signed "Moose-head" pillow-Signed Vanity Fair magazine with cast photo from February 2017
Dear Evan Hansen
For auction at the theatre:
-The "Evan" cast (at some performances)
Hamilton
For sale at the theatre:
-Full company signed poster- $250
-Full company signed posters w/ Lin-Manuel Miranda signature- $500
-Signed Playbill- $100
-Limited edition notebook for Women's Month- $40
THE LION KING
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed poster
-Backstage tour
-Photos with Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Rafiki and the Young Cubs (on a rotating basis)
-Face-painting for kids on matinee days (courtesy of the Lion King makeup artists)
-Broadway Cares table items: beaded animals, bangles and easter eggs made by women in South Africa
For auction:
Walk On opportunity - You will feel the love the night you join the marvelous Broadway cast of Disney's The Lion King onstage for one unforgettable walk-on performance. Click here to enter!
Once on This Island
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed poster
-Backstage tour with Alex Newell and Lea Salonga
The Phantom of the Opera
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed poster - $60
-Luggage tag - $5
-Tote bag - $10
-Used prop notes from the show (letters from the Phantom to various characters) - $20
-Monkey music box signed by the Phantom - $500
The Play That Goes Wrong
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed Playbill-$20
-Signed poster- $40
-Buttons with quotes from the show -$10
-The "Backstage Experience"-$200 and up
School of Rock
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed drumsticks- $50 for one/$80 for two
-Signed guitar picks- $20
-Signed poster- $50
-Signed Playbill- $30
-Picture with Dewey and 2 kids onstage post show- $250
For auction:
For $10 you can enter the chance to win a trip to NYC for 4 people to see SOR and get a meet and greet after the show. There are also some swag prizes for people that don't win the big prize. Click here to enter!
Other:
The Koala Bears (Justin Collette, Brandon Niederauer, Raghav Mehrotra, and Jersey Sullivan) will play a concert at Bar 9 on April 11 (8:30-11pm) to raise money for the cause. Click here for tickets!
For sale at Bar 9:Original Cast Black poster with ALW signature- $500
Original Cast Black Playbills- $100
Get the band to play your favorite song- $500
Used Guitar String Bracelets- $50
Koala Bear Poster- $50'
SpongeBob Squarepants
For sale at the theatre:
-Signed Playbill
-Signed poster
-Beach balls
Wicked
For sale at the theatre:
-Autographed poster
-Guitar string bracelets
-2018 Wicked calendar
-Backstage tour with Jye Frasca or Martin Moran (at select performances)
In celebration of their fundraising efforts, performers from Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies will share original songs and skits, as well as their unique bonnet designs, for two afternoons at the Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street, New York City), home to Disney's The Lion King. Performances begin at 4:30 pm April 23 and 2 pm April 24. Awards will be presented to the best presentation and best bonnet design across both performances and to the top fundraisers from the preceding six weeks.
This year's Easter Bonnet Competition special guests and celebrity judges will be announced later this spring.Since 1987, the 31 editions of the Easter Bonnet Competition have raised more than $75.2 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Advance tickets to Easter Bonnet Competition can be purchased online at broadwaycares.org or by calling 212.840.0770, ext. 229. VIP and Priority tickets are $375 and $250, respectively, and other tickets are available at $130, $50 and $30.
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