Easter Bonnet Competition Raises Funds for BC/EFA

The 29th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will be held on Monday, April 20, and Tuesday, April 21 at the Minskoff Theatre, home to Disney's long-running smash hit musical "The Lion King."

The Easter Bonnet Competition (#bwaybonnets) is a two-day Broadway spectacular that celebrates six weeks of intensive fundraising efforts by dozens of Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring productions. This season's fundraising begins Friday, March 6, at select shows and continues through Sunday, April 19.

A bevy of Broadway's best, including Kristin Chenoweth, Gavin Creel, Andrea Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Helen Mirren, Matthew Morrison and more than 200 of Broadway and Off-Broadway's most talented performers, will come together next week for the 29th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition.

Chenoweth (On the 20th Century), Miranda (Hamilton), Mirren (The Audience) and Morrison (Finding Neverland) will announce the top fundraising and best presentation awards at the Tuesday performance. Creel ("The Book of Mormon") will close the show with a new arrangement of "Help is on the Way," BC/EFA's Easter Bonnet anthem written by David Friedman. Martin, joined by Seth Rudetsky, will introduce this year's judges.

Other stars scheduled to grace the stage throughout the competition include Broadway favorites Tituss Burgess ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt") and Ann Harada; Adinah Alexander, Jen Perry and Daniel Stewart Sherman from "Kinky Boots"; Steven Boyer and "Tyrone" from "Hand to God"; Francesca Faridany and Alex Sharp from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"; Jasmine Cephas Jones, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo from "Hamilton"; Rob McClure and Nancy Opel from "Honeymoon in Vegas"; Aaron Nelson and Alton Fitzgerald White from "The Lion King"; and Micah Stock from "It's Only a Play."

The original opening number will be directed and choreographed by Rommy Sandhu and written by Stacia Fernandez and James Hindman. The show also will include a tribute to the 21 national touring productions participating in the Easter Bonnet Competition fundraising, choreographed by Charlie Williams.

Performers from participating shows sing, dance and wear strikingly creative and elaborate Easter bonnets made especially for the event. The winner of the Easter Bonnet Competition will be the company that raises the most for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Awards also are given for best bonnet design and best presentation during the performances on April 20-21.

This year's Easter Bonnet judges are The Actors Fund President and CEO Joseph Benincasa, Michael Cerveris and Judy Kuhn from "Fun Home," Corey Cott and Vanessa Hudgens from "Gigi," Robert Fairchild and director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon from "An American in Paris," Judith Ivey and Rufus Wright from "The Audience," and Nathaniel Parker from "Wolf Hall: Parts One & Two." Also joining the judging panel are Jake Perlman and Peg Wendlandt, who both won their spots by being high bidders on exclusive VIP packages at the 28th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction in September.

Productions scheduled to perform and present bonnets include "Avenue Q," "Chicago," "Hand to God," "Jersey Boys," "Les Miserables," "The Lion King," "Mamma Mia!," "NEWSical The Musical" and "On the Town." The show will include a special performance by the all-male string quartet Well-Strung, representing Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, and an Al Blackstone-choreographed number for Dancers Responding to AIDS, both programs of Broadway Cares. There also will be special presentations and bonnets by BC/EFA's affiliate organizations: ASTEP, Broadway Green Alliance, Broadway Impact, Broadway Serves and R.Evoluci�n Latina.

Last year's Easter Bonnet Competition raised $4,532,129. Since 1987, the 28 editions of this highly anticipated annual event have brought in more than $58 million.

The Easter Bonnet Competition is generously sponsored by The New York Times and United Airlines.

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 more than $250 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic and the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states.

Tickets for the Easter Bonnet Competition are available now at broadwaycares.org. Tickets are $375 for VIP orchestra; $250 priority center orchestra; $130 side orchestra and front mezzanine; $50 rear side orchestra and middle mezzanine; and $30 rear mezzanine.

The 29th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, and at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street.

For more information, visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, at facebook.com/BCEFA, at twitter.com/BCEFA, at youtube.com/BCEFAtv and at instagram.com/BCEFA.

For tickets, visit http://www.broadwaycares.org/easterbonnet2015