BC/EFA's Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction Raises $496,380

The 22nd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction held yesterday Sunday, September 21, raised a grand total of $496,380 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA).

Since its debut in 1987, which then raised $12,000, the 22 editions of The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction have raised a grand total of $7,758,752 for BC/EFA.

The Flea Market and Grand Auction is an annual outdoor fair in which Broadway, Off-Broadway and other members of the theatrical community donate and sell their wares to benefit BC/EFA. The event also included the Celebrity Table, where celebrities gathered throughout the day to sign autographs and pose for photos in exchange for donations. The climax of the day was the Grand Auction in which truly unique and priceless items are auctioned off live to the highest bidder.

This year, there were 70 tables stretched across Shubert Alley and West 44th Street which raised a collective $258,680. The booth that raised the most money this year was the booth hosted by "Broadway Beat" which raised $17,133. The show booth that raised the most money was Wicked which raised $11,474.

Highlights at the tables this year included Spring Awakening and "Weeds" star Hunter Parrish working his show's booth and then making a surprise appearance at the Celebrity Photo Booth with his Spring Awakening costar Alexandra Cocha; the entire cast of [title of show] selling merchandise at their booth; and "Ugly Betty" star Judith Light walking through the crowds seeing what unique theatrical memorabilia she could find.

Other unique items being sold included: Spamalot's environmentally conscious organic cotton t-shirt with the famous Monty Python saying, "I'm Not Dead Yet" alongside an image of the planet and the Broadway Bares booth, which sold costumes and set pieces from last summer's "Alice in Wonderland" themed edition.

Broadway and daytime stars made appearances on the patio at Junior's for the Autograph Table and Celebrity Photo Booths, which was emceed by Jim Caruso and Scott Nevins and raised $10,350. Dozens of stars donated their time and support to the tables including: Loretta Ables Sayre, Amanda Baker, James Barbour, Hunter Bell, Laura Benanti, Michael Berresse, Susan Blackwell, Richard H. Blake, Heidi Blickenstaff, Justis Bolding, Jeff Bowen, Malan Breton, Tituss Burgess, Andréa Burns, Danny Burstein, Kerry Butler, Mario Cantone, Matt Cavenaugh, Kathleen Chalfant, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Janet Dacal, Ewa Da Cruz, Merle Dandridge, Trent Dawson, John Driscoll, Marj Dusay, Melissa Claire Egan, Jennifer Ferrin, Felicia Finley, Gregg Germann, Mandy Gonzalez, Bailey Hanks, Van Hansis, JacqueLyn Hardy, Harriet Harris, Neil Haskell, Rodney Hicks, Christian Hoff, Victorya Hong, Jayne Houdyshell, Christopher Jackson, Robin de Jesús, Derek Keeling, Brian Kerwin, Michael E. Knight, Ilene Kristen, Aaron Lazar, Beth Leavel, Norm Lewis, Priscilla Lopez, Rebecca Luker, Chris March, Madeleine Martin, Alli Mauzey, Brianne Moncrief, Julia Murney, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Newman, Karen Olivo, Jenny Powers, Larry Pressgrove, Lynn Redgrave, Sean Ringgold, Tony Roberts, Marcy Rylan, Marnie Schulenberg, Marian Seldes, Jake Silbermann, Kevin Spirtas, Robin Strasser, Chrishell Stause, Kaycee Stroh, Caitlin Van Zandt, and Patrick Wilson.

This year's Silent Auction which was hosted by Michael Goddard and Felicia Finley, included 80 items and raised $34,700. Some of the highlights included: a door panel from the musical Rent at the Nederlander Theatre which featured and was autographed by Jesse L. Martin (which went for $2,500), a musical phrase of the song "One" from A Chorus Line which was written and signed by Marvin Hamlisch ($1,850), and an autographed photo of the four original Broadway leads from Jersey Boys taken backstage at the August Wilson Theatre ($1,500).

This year's grand auction which featured longtime BC/EFA auctioneer Lorna Kelly and Broadway actor John Bolton (Curtains) featured 58 "lots" which raised $173,000. The top-selling lot was a pair of house seats to Spamalot and a backstage tour hosted by "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken (which fetched $10,000), a walk-on role in the hit musical Wicked ($8,500), and a walk-on role in the international hit musical Mamma Mia! ($6,250).

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fund raising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American theater community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of this community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it's founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $150 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, or HIV-related illnesses.

For more information, please visit BC/EFA online at www.BroadwayCares.org