Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ Spring Fundraising Competition, which saw 45 Broadway, Off-Broadway, and national touring shows raise funds through audience appeals over a six-week period, brought in a whopping $4,702,394.
The fundraising total was announced by Gavin Creel, J. Harrison Ghee, and Andrea McArdle April 30 at Hats Off to You, an intimate event for members of Broadway Cares’ Visionary Circle, Angels Circle, NextGen Network, and Colleen Dewhurst Legacy Society. Performers included Creel, Ghee, McArdle, Lorna Courtney, Jordan Fisher, Ben Platt, and Katie Rose Clarke, the latter performing David Friedman's "Help Is on the Way," which has ended every spring fundraising season event since 1995. Thayne Jasperson directed and choreographed the evening with musical supervision and arrangements by Will Van Dyke.
READ: Broadway Cares' Post-Show Red Bucket Fundraising Is Back
Historically, the spring fundraising effort culminated in the Easter Bonnet Competition. Beginning this year, the in-theatre fundraising appeals taking place in the spring and fall (#RedBuckets) will both be celebrated at Red Bucket Follies, the December variety show at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Tickets will be available to the public to join the theatre community for the annual celebration.
Money raised from the recent spring fundraising, which included nightly audience appeals collected via Red Buckets, will provide nourishing meals, vital health care, and hope for people in need across all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
The Spring Fundraising Competition top fundraisers were:
Broadway
Top Fundraiser: Merrily We Roll Along – $448,446
1st Runner-up: Sweeney Todd – $428,386
2nd Runner-up: Moulin Rouge! The Musical – $238,962
3rd Runner-up: Hadestown – $178,706
4th Runner-up: & Juliet – $176,584
Off-Broadway
Top Fundraiser: Little Shop of Horrors – $105,237
1st Runner-up: Titanique – $48,041
2nd Runner-up: The Play That Goes Wrong – $25,844
National Tours
Top Fundraiser: Moulin Rouge! The Musical – $188,858
1st Runner-up: Frozen – $161,622
2nd Runner-up: Mamma Mia! – $157,350
3rd Runner-up: Wicked | Munchkinland – $151,513
4th Runner-up: Beetlejuice – $140,000
Shows that also participated in the fundraising included Broadway’s & Juliet; Aladdin; Appropriate; Back to the Future: The Musical; A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; The Book of Mormon; Chicago; Days of Wine and Roses; Hadestown; Hamilton; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Kimberly Akimbo; The Lion King; Merrily We Roll Along; MJ; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Notebook; The Outsiders; Six; Spamalot; Sweeney Todd; Water for Elephants; The Who’s Tommy; and Wicked; Off-Broadway’s Little Shop of Horrors, The Play That Goes Wrong; and Titanique; and the national tours of Aladdin, Beetlejuice, Company, Frozen, Funny Girl, The Girl from the North Country, Hadestown, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, MJ, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire, Six, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,and Wicked.
Since they began in 1988, the Spring Fundraising efforts have raised more than $100 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Broadway Cares is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.
