BC/EFA's EASTER BONNET COMPETITION Set for April 22 & 23, Fundraising Begins Tonight

Starting tonight, theatre lobbies across the country will be filled with casts, crew members and volunteers fundraising with iconic #redbuckets in hand, culminating in the 33rd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition (#BroadwayBonnets) on Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, 2019. The event is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Every dollar dropped in a bucket will help provide lifesaving medication, healthy meals, emergency financial assistance and more to the most vulnerable among us. A $10 donation covers one HIV test at a health clinic. A $50 donation provides 20 nutritious meals delivered to homebound individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other debilitating illnesses.

In exchange for a donation, audiences at many shows can receive autographed posters, Playbills and other memorabilia or one-of-a-kind experiences, including backstage tours and meet-and-greets.

Ten Broadway and Off-Broadway shows are scheduled to begin their appeals this weekend: Aladdin, Anastasia, Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, The Cher Show, King Kong, The Lion King, Mean Girls, Merrily We Roll Along and Wicked. Next week, Dear Evan Hansen, Fiddler on the Roof - in Yiddish, Frozen, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, My Fair Lady, The Phantom of the Opera, Pretty Woman, The Prom, To Kill a Mockingbird and Waitress will be among those joining in the fundraising efforts. More shows will be added throughout the six-week campaign. Last year, 62 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national tours raised $5.7 million during the Easter Bonnet Competition fundraising.

In celebration of their fundraising efforts, performers from Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies will share original songs and skits, as well as their unique bonnet designs, for two afternoons at the MinskoffTheatre (200 West 45th Street, New York City), home to Disney's The Lion King. Performances begin at 4:30 pm April 22 and 2 pm April 23. Awards will be presented to the best presentation and best bonnet design across both performances and to the top fundraisers from the preceding six weeks.

This year's Easter Bonnet Competition special guests and celebrity judges will be announced later.

Since 1987, the 32 editions of the Easter Bonnet Competition have raised $80.9 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Tickets to Easter Bonnet Competition can be purchased online at broadwaycares.org or by calling 212.840.0770, ext. 229. VIP and Priority tickets are $375 and $250, respectively, and other tickets are available at $130, $50 and $30.