Tom Viola News

Red Buckets in the hands of dedicated volunteers, actors and theater staffs will once again pop up in theater lobbies in New York City and across the country as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' eagerly anticipated tradition of in-theater fundraising returns tonight, October 20, 2023.

In 2017, Tony-nominated actress Jessica Hecht and producer Jenny Gertsen, founded the campfire project, an program that travels to refugee spaces to impart arts-based wellness to displaced communities around the globe. Read our interview with Hecht and actress Maura Tierney from their latest program in Uganda.

 This fall, the Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) celebrates its 15th year as an industry-wide initiative that educates, motivates, and inspires the entire theatre community and its patrons to adopt environmentally friendlier practices on Broadway and beyond.

Get all the details about the upcoming Gingold Theatrical Group 2023 Golden Shamrock Gala, where Dr. Wilma Bulkin Siegel, Dr. Brian R. Saltzman, and Ethan E. Litwin will be honored. Mark your calendars for October 29, 2023, and join us at Robert Restaurant for an unforgettable evening of celebration.

A bevy of Broadway’s brightest stars joined forces earlier this week for NextGen Spotlight, a concert directed and hosted by actor Jelani Remy (Back to the Future) for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ NextGen Advocates. In this video, check out highlights from the show!

Learn about Broadway Cares' generous emergency grant to assist victims of the recent Hawaii wildfires. Find out more about the relief efforts and how they are supporting those affected by the devastating natural disaster.

See photos and video of Alan Cumming and other talented performers at the Fire Island Dance Festival, an incredible event that shattered fundraising records.

The 25th annual BROADWAY BARKS, Broadway's dog and cat adoption event, took place in Shubert Alley on Saturday, July 8, 2023, hosted by Bernadette Peters, satirist and animal lover Randy Rainbow, and featured a special appearance by Josh Groban. Check out photos here!

Twenty limited-edition Al Hirschfeld prints – signed by the iconic stage and screen stars featured in the image – are now available for auction, with all proceeds to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.

The Pleasure Park may be closed, but the extras continue! Earlier this week, neon lights and thrilling heights filled the night as nearly 200 of NYC’s sexiest dancers and special Broadway guests delighted two standing-room-only audiences at Broadway Bares: Pleasure Park. Check out exclusive backstage portraits of this year's special guests, lead strips, top fundraisers and creative team!

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, known as “the philanthropic heart of Broadway,” famed Broadway cabaret/supper club 54 Below and a number of resident groups are among the latest members of the growing ‘No Times Square Casino’ Community Coalition.

The 76th Annual Tony Awards have officially begun! As winners take the stage this evening, stay tuned to BroadwayWorld as we bring you full text of all of the acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the humorous, and everything in between.

For two decades of excellence, a concert like this was an embarrasment of riches and a right proper production.

Harlem Stage holds its 2023 gala on June 5. Taking place at the landmark Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Avenue), the event kicks off the organization’s year-long 40th anniversary celebration, which will feature performances from many of the celebrated artists whose careers the organization has helped to launch, and will provide a platform for today’s most compelling emerging artists to break through.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that Jerry Mitchell will receive the 2023 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in recognition of his outstanding dedication and contributions to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) and for more than three decades of volunteer service through the arts. 

The theater community rallied together once again with spirited skits, dynamic dance and brilliant bonnets as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ Easter Bonnet Competition returned April 24 and 25, 2023. The performances celebrated in-theater Red Bucket appeals that raised $3,601,355 for meals and medication, health care and hope for those who need them most.

The Phantom of the Opera is quickly approaching its final performance at the Majestic Theatre, where it will conclude its epic 35-year run on April 16. Over the weekend, the show made its final fundraising appeal for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Executive Director Tom Viola writes about the epic night here.

A free concert featuring some of today's most illustrious young vocal artists comes to Carnegie Hall this May! The Gerda Lissner Foundation, in association with the Liederkranz Foundation, presents An Enchanted Evening: Lieder/Song, Opera, Operetta and Zarzuela.

Across the country, bands of volunteers will once again fill theater lobbies starting tonight with iconic #Red Buckets in hand for the spring return of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in-theater fundraising.

Go inside The Drama Bookshop as author Michael Kushner celebrates the release of his new book, 'How to Be A Multi-Hyphenate in the Theatre Business: Conversations, Advice, and Tips from Dear Multi-Hyphenate'. See photos from the event!