Streep, Jay-Z et al. Donate Signatures to Benefit BC/EFA

Meryl Streep, Hugh Jackman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jay-Z join a host of legendary stars of stage and screen who have lent their signatures to Audemars Piguet (O-de-mar Pee-gay) timepieces to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The event entitled "Time to Give" is an historic collaboration between renowned Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet and the Tony Awards and will culminate in a live, invitation-only auction (conducted by Christie's) and cocktail reception at New York's Four Seasons Hotel on Monday, May 17th.

Each watch will be a one-of-a-kind creation featuring the celebrity's signature visibly recreated on the back or side of the timepiece making them highly collectible by watch aficionados and celeb fans alike. Starting on May 3rd, the collection can be viewed and bid on by the public at charitybuzz.com, the leading destination for online charity auctions, at www.charitybuzz.com/audemarspiguet. The public is also invited to view the collection at Audemars Piguet's New York City flagship boutique at 65 East 57th Street May 3rd through 17th. Opening bids starting at $2,500. The total retail value of the collection by Audemars Piguet exceeds $1 million.

The celebrities who have lent their signatures to Audemars Piguet watches include some of the biggest names on Broadway: Antonio Banderas, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Edie Falco, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelsey Grammer, Sean Hayes, Neil Patrick Harris, David Hyde Pierce, Hugh Jackman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jay-Z, Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Cyndi Lauper, John Lithgow, Sienna Miller, Bebe Neuwirth, Cynthia Nixon, Chita Rivera, Anika Noni-Rose, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, and Vanessa Williams.

A highlight of "Time to Give" includes a men's and women's Royal Oak Offshore 57th Street watch each signed by Daniel Radcliffe and Scarlett Johansson and designed specifically to commemorate Audemars Piguet's New York "moment" - their partnership with the Tony Awards and new flagship boutique on East 57th Street.

Francois-Henry Bennahmias, President & CEO of Audemars Piguet North America says, "Audemars Piguet has a love affair with New York City and Broadway. It is an honor for us as a company to be able to recognize the incredible talent of The Great White Way while raising awareness and money for Broadway Cares."

"Audemars Piguet has been a wonderful supporter of the Broadway community and we are truly honored to have them as a partner in the Tony Awards once again this year," said Alan Wasser, General Manager of Tony Award Productions. "The "Time to Give" event will not only celebrate the best of Broadway and the Tony season, but will also benefit a very worthy cause - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS."

For the second year, Audemars Piguet is the official red carpet sponsor of the 64th Annual Tony Awards, which will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 13, 2010.

"Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is most grateful to partner with The Tony Awards and Audemars Piguet on "Time to Give", said Tom Viola, Executive Director of BC/EFA, and recipient of this year's Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. "The extraordinary talent of the Broadway community, so magnificently represented each year at The Tony Awards, is matched only by their generous embrace of those in need. I salute Francois-Henry Bennahmias and thank Audemars Piguet for so graciously creating 27 gorgeous one-of-a-kind timepieces that will undoubtedly raise a great deal of money and forever mark this moment in time."

In addition to the Tony Awards, Audemars Piguet regularly collaborates with well-known personalities and is committed to far-reaching projects. Audemars Piguet has partnered with Quincy Jones and The Quincy Jones Foundation, President Bill Clinton and The Clinton Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Jay-Z's S. Carter Scholarship Fund, as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's charity After-School All-Stars on Limited Edition timepieces. Through these alliances, a portion of the monies raised benefits these charitable organizations.

Founded in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet in the Swiss village of Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet is the oldest Manufacture of Haute Horlogerie still in the hands of its founding families. Perpetuating a legacy based on three fundamental values: tradition, excellence and creative daring, particularly in the field of complex watch mechanisms, Audemars Piguet holds a record number of world firsts. The brand encompasses complex mechanical watches, Haute Joaillerie creations, as well as a line of jewelry. In addition to the new 57th Street flagship in New York City, Audemars Piguet has a second boutique location in Bal Harbour Shops, Bal Harbour, FL. www.audemarspiguet.com.

This year marks the 64th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom. It will be the 13th year that the historic Radio City Music Hall is home to the Tonys. The Tony Awards which were founded in memorial to Antoinette ("Tony") Perry, the American Theatre Wing's chairperson and are the highest honor in the Broadway community. The ceremonies are presented by Tony Award Productions, which is a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys in 1947. The 2010 Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in a 3-hour telecast on CBS. For more information on the Tony Awards, visit www.tonyawards.com.

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 over $175 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

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, The Dancers' Resource and three supportive housing residences.

BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide. For more information visit: www.BroadwayCares.org.

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