STAGE TUBE: Watch Highlights from BC/EFA's 2016 Easter Bonnet Competition!

By: Apr. 28, 2016
BC/EFA
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The 30th annual Easter Bonnet Competition, celebrating six weeks of fundraising by 58 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies, raised a record-shattering $5,528,568 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the largest grand total from either an Easter Bonnet Competition or Gypsy of the Year fundraising campaign in Broadway Cares history. The show featured a surprise performance by rock legend Stevie Nicks, two top awards to Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton, and more than 230 of the best actors, singers and dancers in New York. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you highlights of the big night!

The staggering grand total was announced Tuesday by Christian Borle (Something Rotten!), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Fully Committed), and Jennifer Hudson (The Color Purple).

This year's Easter Bonnet Competition (#BroadwayBonnets) was presented April 25 and 26 at the Minskoff Theatre, home to Disney's The Lion King. The production featured 17 extravagant, handmade bonnets presented by some of Broadway's most popular shows.

Borle, Ferguson and Hudson also presented awards for the best presentation and best bonnet design. The company of Hamilton took top presentation honors for transforming their opening number into an homage to Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Miranda chillingly portrayed the "demon barber of Fleet Street" as his fellow cast members retold the dark, twisted tale.

The company of Fun Home was runner-up for turning West Side Story's "Gee Officer Krumpkee!" into a plea to Miranda to write a show for them. But they ultimately realized that they could control their own destinies by creating roles for themselves, just as Miranda has done.

The award for bonnet design went to the company of An American in Paris for its two-sided bonnet of an exploding smartphone, created by Billy Hipkins, Veanne Cox, Christy Morton, Shannon Rugani, Kelly Saxon, Jeffrey C.Sousa and Tory Trowbridge.

Last year's event brought in a then-record $4,711,386. Since the Easter Bonnet Competition began in 1987, the event has raised more than $68.8 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.



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