Photos: Inside DREW & DANE'S 32ND ANNUAL FESTIVITY Supporting Broadway Cares

On Monday evening, Broadway had its holiday season kick-off at Sony Hall with Drew & Dane’s 32nd Annual Festivity, Five Golden Rings, inspired by the 2024 Paris Olympics and reflecting the incredibly strong bonds and resilience of the Broadway community. See photos of the show.

The show began with a tribute honoring Tom Viola, Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, who is retiring at the end of this year after leading the organization for 36 years.  Speakers included Joe Benincasa, President and CEO of the Entertainment Community Fund and video tributes from BD Wong, Christy Altomare, Darius de Haas, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and Karen Mason.

Performers included Kevin Spirtas (The Boy Next Door), Brad Weinstock (Aladdin), Jordan Boatman (Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors), Lauren Elder (Hair), MOIPEI, Kelli Rabke (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Evan Alexander Smith (Back to the Future), Nicole Henry (The Bodyguard), and Dez Duron (Maybe Happy Ending).

Christina Bianco provided a video greeting for the Festivity from Edinburgh, Scotland, where she is kicking off the UK tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Drew Desky and Dane Levens of Drew & Dane Productions said, “We could not be more delighted to celebrate our 32nd Annual Festivity and ring in the holidays by raising funds for such an impactful and compassionate organization as Broadway Cares.  As Tom Viola continually says, “What we do together makes a difference.”  We continue to be inspired by the legacy he has built at Broadway Cares.  We are also incredibly grateful to all the performers in the Broadway community who donated their time to make this enduring tradition a joyous success.”  https://www.drewanddane.com/

What started as a small holiday dinner with five friends on the Upper East Side has now turned into one of BC/EFA’s largest holiday fundraisers with over two hundred guests at a sit-down dinner and show at one of New York’s premiere venues, Sony Hall.

The dinner and show were a benefit supporting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. https://broadwaycares.org.

Photo Credit:  Michael Hull

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