BROADWAY BEARS XII 'Bear A Day On BWW' For BC/EFA: Day 5 - HAIRSPRAY!

Broadway's cuddliest friends kick off a new year with the 12th annual BROADWAY BEARS auction on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 West 42 St.), in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Sure to out-do last year's collection, 40 one-of-a-kind BROADWAY BEARS - each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing some of the theater's most legendary performers and/or performances - will be put up for auction.

BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a daily sneak peek of some of the wonderful creations that await you at BROADWAY BEARS XII, you "can't stop the beat" with the "Broadway Bear" from HAIRSPRAY!

Edna Turnblad
HAIRSPRAY
2002
Signed by: Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Mitchell
"You can't stop the beat" - and you certainly can't stop the bear - who wears an amazing re-creation of Edna Turnblad's finale costume. Her fabulous red lace dress is an exact replica of the one she designed for herself (by way of William Ivey Long...), now that she's wandered beyond the boundaries of McCall's largest pattern size. Like the Broadway original, Edna Bear's full, shapely figure has been created with spandex - and padding on her hips and breasts. Her floor-length, sleeved, modified sheath was cut from with the same ornate fabrics used to create Broadway Edna's own costume. A red metallic with small gold crosses woven in has been covered with a (lightly) hand-beaded red-and-gold filigree-lace. (Over 10 hours of labor went into the hand-beading alone!) The scoop-neck, short-bodiced gown flares out at the hem with several kick-pleats and is generously decorated with matching bows and rosettes. Her garnet necklace and bracelet are (handmade) miniature homages to Edna's own. She's lush-lashed, red-lipped and coiffed with a fabulous French twist red wig. On her feet - handmade t-strap heels painted in various colors of red, gold, pink and black, and spattered with gold dust. She's bold, she's beautiful - and she's been "waiting in the can" to make her big entrance! P.S., that 40"-high, iconic "Ultra-Clutch" can comes with!!
ORIGINAL DESIGNER: William Ivey Long (Tony Award)
BROADWAY BEAR CREATED BY: VITA BUSCEMI

This year's BROADWAY BEARS auction celebrates its 12th year with a stellar cast of cele"bear"ties representing recent Broadway hits like A Chorus Line, A Man For All Seasons, Avenue Q, Billy Elliot: The Musical, Boeing-Boeing, Equus, Gypsy, Hairspray, In The Heights, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Legally Blonde, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Shrek The Musical, South Pacific, Spamalot, Spring Awakening, Wicked, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein, along with bears from Broadway classics like Beauty And The Beast, Camelot, Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mame, My One and Only, Peter Pan, The Producers, The Sound of Music, Starlight Express, State Fair, West Side Story, The Who's Tommy, The Wiz, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. 

North American Bear Co., Inc. has again graciously donated the "bare" bears which were then handed over to top Broadway design teams who meticulously research, design, fit, sculpt, shoe, armor, hat, paint, dress, nip, tuck, tattoo, bejewel and feather the "bare" bears into true one-of-a-kind works of costumed theatrical art.

TICKETING INFORMATION

· VIP Tickets $150 each include an exclusive private preview of the Broadway Bears along with a cocktail, hors d'oeuvres and dessert reception from 6PM to 8PM as well as reserved priority seating for the Auction

General Admission Tickets $35 each which include a cocktail and dessert reception and display of the Broadway Bears from 7PM -8PM as well as unreserved seating for the Auction

Reservations may be made by calling BC/EFA at (212) 840-0770. For those who cannot make it to the auction, but want to take part in all the excitement, live telephone bidding will also be available as are pre-registered fixed bids by calling (212) 840-0770, extension 268.

Internet bidding is available by visiting www.BroadwayCares.org.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes and other critical illnesses across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $150 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses.

BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors' Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic at The Aurora in NYC, The Dancers' Resource and two supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations yearly.

THE BROADWAY BEARS XII is sponsored by
The New York Times, Continental Airlines, North American Bear Co., Inc

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

To see the 'Broadway Bear' from Day 1, click here. For Day 2 visit here. Day 3 and 4 can be found here and here.