18th Annual Gypsy of the Year Raises Almost $3 Million
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 06, 2006
The 18th Annual "Gypsy of the Year Competition" announced a total of $2,992,800 had been raised by the over 50 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS beating last year's total of $2,972,721.
To date, the 18 editions of the competition have raised a combined total of $28,764,000 to benefit BC/EFA.
This year, the Broadway production of The Color Purple raised the most money of any show this period with $194,500. Jersey Boys was the fourth runner up with $133,250, The Phantom of the Opera the third runner up with $153,800, The Drowsy Chaperone the second runner up with $185,900, and Wicked the runner up with $192,900.
Special awards were given for the top fundraising Broadway play, Off-Broadway company, and touring company. This year the top fundraising play was The Little Dog Laughed with $44,330, The Clean House took the Off-Broadway award for raising $26,700 and Wicked - Chicago Shiz Company took the touring prize for raising $175,000.
The results of this year's presentation awards were: (first runner up tie) The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, with The Color Purple as the winner.
Jonathan Hadary and Marin Mazzie (Spamalot) hosted this year's event with Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens) and Martin Short (Fame Becomes Me) joining them onstage during the awards presentation.
This year's celebrity judges included Cynthia Nixon, Jill Clayburgh, Marian Seldes, and choreographer Christopher Gattelli.
Highlights from this year's presentations included the cast of Hairspray with star Diana DeGarmo presenting "Hairspray 2.0," the cast of Beauty and The Beast performing a number called "(We Are Working on That)" with Marla Mindelle giving a hilarious rendition of Pocahontas' "The Colors of the Wind," The Color Purple performing a moving combination of vocals and dance entitled "When, Where, Why Will I Go?," and the cast of The Times They Are A-Changin' performing "Thou Winter Wind" a number created by production star Michael Arden and Chase Brock. Audience members got a surprise look at the cast of The Little Dog Laughed when stars Tom Everett Scott, Julie White , Ari Graynor, and Johnny Galecki showed up wearing only towels (a reference to the play's nude scene) and then bared all to a screaming crowd.
Two renowned theatre composers took the stage and gave the audience touching and heartwarming performances. Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman ( Fame Becomes Me) presented "And Now A Word From Mark." During "Gypsy of the Year" fundraising, Shaiman auctioned off his songwriting skills to the highest bidder. During the presentation, he performed a touching song that been "commissioned" as a tribute to a woman who had taken her daughter to the theatre despite financial hardships. Another beloved composer, Tom Jones ( The Fantasticks) performing a funny tribute to the Off-Broadway community called "Mr. Off-Broadway."
The competition's opening number "The Genesis of The Gypsy" created by Broadway gypsies Lance Horne, Lorin Latarro, and Jason Rhodes featured Jay Johnson (The Two and Only) as "The Explorer" and Capathia Jenkins (Fame Becomes Me) as "The Queen of the Gypsies" offered a look at the creation of the Broadway gypsy.
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 theatrical community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since it's founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $100 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, or HIV-related illnesses.
For further information, please call (212) 840-0770 ext. 268.
For more information, visit: www.BroadwayCares.org .
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