BC/EFA 2011 Flea Market Raises $547,658

Theatre fans opened their hearts and wallets Sunday at the 25th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, propelling the unrivaled outdoor event to raise an astonishing $547,658 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The all-day event, which stretched beyond its traditionAl West 44th Street location and into the Times Square pedestrian plaza on Broadway between West 43rd and 44th Streets, featured 67 tables of rare and unique Broadway memorabilia, more than five dozen celebrities at the Autograph Table & Photo Booth and 203 lots up for bid in live and silent auctions.

The inaugural edition of the event in 1987 raised $12,000. This year's total was up $70,000 over last year. The 25 editions of the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, which is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares, have raised a grand total of $9,185,327.

"It's wonderful to see so many Broadway Cares supporters and theatre fans from all over the country, and exhilarating to witness such extraordinary efforts by New York's theatre community - from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, unions, guilds, theatre offices and other theatre-related businesses - who work so hard in the weeks leading up to this event," said Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. "We all come together to sell and auction an amazing array of incredible, hand-crafted, silly, hard-to-find, tasty, remarkable and one-of-a-kind treasures, experiences, memorabilia and just plain ‘stuff,' all in an effort to help Broadway Cares fund hundreds of vital social services organizations. It truly confirms that we can care for one another - and have a heck of a good time doing it!"

This year, the 67 tables of the Broadway Flea Market collectively raised $273,886 and represented nearly every show on Broadway and several off-Broadway shows, as well many organizations within the theatrical community. The top 10 tables raising the most money this year were: Wicked with $15,367; Follies with $14,819; TDF with $11,635; Broadway Beat with $10,580; The Phantom of the Opera with $9,313; The Book of Mormon with $9,229; How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying with $9,192; Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark with $7,697; United Scenic Artists Local 829 with $7,346 and War Horse/Lincoln Center Theatre with $7,217.

The Grand Auction portion of the day included both live and silent auctions, as well as instant-experience "flash auctions," which were new this year.

The live auction included 63 "lots" and raised $201,500. The auction was masterfully executed by longtime Broadway Cares auctioneer Lorna Kelly and a new BC/EFA friend, actress Tasha Lawrence, who recently appeared in Broadway's Good People and comes from a family of auctioneers. Actor Bryan Batt (TV's Mad Men) kept the audience wildly entertained as the live auction's host.

The top-selling lot was a day at The Phantom of the Opera, including a walk-on role in the Broadway show with special costumes and make-up, which went for $10,500 to two bidders, raising $21,000 for Broadway Cares.

Other top live auction items included:
· A one-of-kind photograph of the late Elizabeth Taylor taken by Rivka Katvan backstage during the 1981 production of The Little Foxes, one of her only two Broadway performances, raised $10,000. It was autographed by the acting legend exclusively for Broadway Cares shortly before her death earlier this year.
· A set visit to two-time Emmy Award-winning best comedy Modern Family in Los Angeles, coordinated by Broadway favorite Jesse Ferguson, one of the stars of the show, which went for $10,000.
· Opening night performance and party tickets for 12 upcoming Broadway shows collectively raised $24,150, including $4,000 for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever and $3,800 for Evita.
· VIP house seats and backstage visit to the upcoming revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell went for $5,000 to two bidders, raising a total of $10,000.
· A VIP visit to the set of Saturday Night Live went for $7,500.
· Walk-on roles in Chicago, Jersey Boys, Disney's The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Memphis, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Sister Act and Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana collectively went for $24,000.

Earlier in the day, a series of half-hour silent auctions included 140 items and raised $59,365. Musical phrases handwritten and signed by Broadway composers proved most popular. The top item sold was Godspell's "Day by Day" musical phrase, written and signed by Stephen Schwartz, selling for $3,500.

A marquee photo of the recent Broadway debut of Larry Kramer's Tony Award-winning play The Normal Heart, taken by Gary Gadsen and signed by the entire cast, fetched $3,200. A limited edition poster honoring The Phantom of the Opera's designation as Broadway's longest-running show and autographed by the show's creators and stars, raised $1,580. And a classic photograph and bank check signed by legendary comedic actress Lucille Ball brought in a $1,000 donation.

The "flash auctions" introduced this year featured instant experiences with Broadway stars live on the Grand Auction stage. An appearance with actress Susan Blackwell in her wildly popular Web series "Side by Side by Susan Blackwell" raised $1,120. Singing Spamalot karaoke on stage with Tony Award-nominee Christopher Sieber went for $600, while a live serenade by Anthony Rapp, one of the original stars of Rent raised $400.

The always popular Autograph Table and Photo Booth raised $16,500 from fans who donated to Broadway Cares in exchange for autographs and photos with their favorite Broadway and television stars.

More than 60 actors donated their time to meet with fans including: Josh Gad, Nikki M. James, Andrew Rannells and Rory O'Malley from The Book of Mormon; Colin Donnell, Sutton Foster, Adam Godley and Joel Grey from Anything Goes; Patina Miller from Sister Act; Danny Burstein, Jayne Houdyshell, Ron Raines and Terri White from Follies; Nick Adams and Tony Sheldon from Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Jackie Hoffman, Brad Oscar and Roger Rees from The Addams Family, Rose Hemingway from How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Hunter Parrish, Telly Leung, Lindsay Mendez and Anna Maria Perez de Taglé from Godspell, Seth Numrich from War Horse, Judith Light and Thomas Sadoski from Other Desert Cities, as well as other stars like Bryan Batt, Charles Busch, Bobby Cannavale, Jason Danieley, Joyce Dewitt, Michael Emerson, Ana Gasteyer, Montego Glover, Jonathan Groff, Megan Hilty, Beth Leavel, Marin Mazzie, Laura Osnes, Patrick Page, Adam Pascal, Carrie Preston, Anthony Rapp, Alice Ripley and more.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS 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 BC/EFA has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

BC/EFA awards annual grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at www.broadwaycares.org.