Gypsy of the Year Competition Held Dec.17 & 18; Saget, Testa & Hoffman Host

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is pleased to announce the 19th Annual Gypsy of the Year Competition will take place on Monday, December 17 (4:30 PM) and Tuesday, December 18 (2 PM) at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street). The Gypsy of the Year Competition, which will be hosted this year by Jackie Hoffman (Xanadu), Bob Saget (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Mary Testa (Xanadu) is produced by and benefits BC/EFA.

This year's Gypsy of the Year Competition will be one for the history books as BC/EFA will create a special opening number in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original Broadway production of West Side Story.

The number, a medley of songs from the show, will feature two time Tony Award winner, Chita Rivera (Anita) and her original West Side Story co-stars including Mickey Callan (Riff), Carol Lawrence (Maria), Ken LeRoy (Bernardo), Jamie Sanchez (Chino) and Reri Grist (Consuelo) who debuted the now classic ballad "Somewhere."

They will be joined by cast members from the run of the 1957 landmark production including: Genii Charnin, Harvey Evans, Marilyn D'Honau, Alan Johnson, Gene Gavin, Ronnie Lee, George Marcy, Liane Plane, Martin Charnin, Grover Dale, Bill Guske, Ed Kressley, Sandy Leeds, Tony Mordente, Carole D'Andrea, Frances Davis, Lowell Harris, Julie Oser-McLeod, Noel Schwartz, and Gina Tricones. These legendary gypsies will be joined by gypsies from currently running shows.

The original production of West Side Story, produced by Robert E. Griffth and Harold Prince, conceived and directed by Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim opened on September 26, 1957 ran for 732 performances, closing on June 27, 1959.  Robbins won the Tony Award for Best Choreography.

The Gypsy of the Year opening number, which will recreate the original Jerome Robbins choreography, is being staged and directed by Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Ben Cohn.

The Gypsy of the Year Competition is the event of fall theatre season as the New York theatrical community gathers to see "gypsies," chorus members from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, participate in a competition/variety show known as the Gypsy of the Year Competition. The competition is traditionally the culmination of intense fundraising efforts made by the theatrical community. During the recent Broadway work stoppage, many Broadway shows' fundraising efforts were interrupted.

Ticket information: VIP and Priority tickets ($350 and $200) and other tickets ($110/$40/$20) can be purchased online at www.BroadwayCares.org, in person at BC/EFA, 165 West 46th Street, Suite 1300, by phone at (212) 840-0770, or at the door the day of the event.

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 $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV and other related illnesses.

For further information, please call (212) 840-0770 ext. 268. The Gypsy of the Year Competition is sponsored by: Continental Airlines, the official airline of BC/EFA, The MAC AIDS Fund, The New York Times. For more information, visit: www.BroadwayCares.org

Gypsy of the Year Logo from www.BroadwayCares.org