Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is an amalgam of two similar philanthropic unions: The Actors’ Equity and The Producers’ Group. The Actors’ Equity is a union of professional actors, actresses, and stage managers in America; The Producers’ Group is a union of producers. BC/EFA was created in October of 1987, but before then it was the “Actors’ Funds’ AIDS Initiative” (1987) “Broadway Cares”(1988). The “Actors’ Funds’ AIDS Initiative” was led by the Equity and “Broadway Cares” was created by The Producers’ Group (The Producers’ Group gave money to many different organizations, including the Equity). The two organizations merged in May of 1992, creating Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
BC/EFA’s grant money goes mainly to two sources:
1. The Actors’ Fund of America - there are five major programs at the Fund which aid performing artists dealing with HIV, AIDS, and other HIV-related illnesses.
2. The National Grants Program - the NGP makes grants two times a year to hundreds of smaller, community-based AIDS service programs all over the United States.
BC/EFA receives most of its money through the Annual Events that it hosts throughout the year.
1. Broadway Bares -
Broadway Bares is an annual event where well known Broadway stars perform parodies of well known musicals, such as Wicked and Avenue Q. The performers in Broadway Bares are all professional singers and dancers, and obviously take joy in showing-off their bodies and talents. Broadway Bares earned a total of 654,000 dollars in 2005.
Puppet "Rod" and Actor Barrett Foa are surrounded by the Broadway Bares dancers. Picture from "www.broadwaycares.org"
2. Nothin’ Like A Dame -
Nothin Like A Dame is another annual event, this time presenting the most famous female names on Broadway. With such performances as “I Enjoy Being A Girl” and “Luck Be A Lady”, Nothin’ Like A Dame earned 300,000 dollars for the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative this year.
LUCK BE A LADY TONIGHT! Picture from "www.broadwaycares.org"
3. Easter Bonnet Competition -
The Easter Bonnet Competition combines all the fun of those super-cool Easter hats with the ingenuity and creativity of some of Broadway’s most talented costume designers. The casts of some of Broadway’s biggest shows (The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Lion King, La Cage Aux Folles, etc.) create and model their creations, based on their respective musical. The bonnets are judged, based on the amount of fund-raising their hat collected, and a winner is announced! (The Phantom of the Opera in 2005). Total amount earned - 2,849,066 dollars.
The Altar Boyz with their rockin' Jesus inspired hat. Picture from "www.broadwaycares.org"
4. Gypsy Of The Year -
The Gypsy Of The Year is a tribute to the chorus members of Broadway shows. Members of these casts create and choreograph a completely original number to perform, which is judged by how much money each performance earns. Last year’s winner with 362,918 dollars was Wicked. The total amount earned from the 2004 performance equaled 2,754,631 dollars.
The cast of Wicked performs a Britney Spears parody. Picture from "www.broadwaycares.org"
BC/EFA also hosts many events for the community (to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS). On August 4th, the cast members from RENT (the movie) performed on the Today Show, singing Seasons of Love
and What You Own
. The cast of RENT has raised $2,268,339 in the past nine years for BC/EFA.
The cast of RENT poses after singing on the Today Show. Picture from "www.broadwayworld.com"
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also earns money by holding auctions which sell anything from teddy bears that look like characters from musicals to autographed posters. These auctions can earn any amount of money, depending on how well they do.
And, of course, major contributions come from corporations, such as Continental Airlines, The New York Times, and Target.
To date, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised 51,239,250 dollars.
I chose to study Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS first of all because musical theatre is a passion of mine, and BC/EFA deals directly with Broadway's biggest musicals. Also, I think that because BC/EFA works to raise money and awareness for those who suffer from AIDS and HIV, the work they do is so important, and has the potential to make a lot of progress. Finally, I chose to write about BC/EFA because I think it's really neat how they can raise so much money from each event...they can raise millions of dollars in one night just by doing their job (performing). The work that Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is very admirable, and that is why I wrote about it.
The information on this website came from "www.broadwaycares.org" and "www.broadwayworld.com"