Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition Raises Record-Breaking $4.5 Million

The 28th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition, which featured a host of stars including Idina Menzel, Denzel Washington, Bryan Cranston and Fran Drescher, raised a record-breaking $4,532,129 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The event has raised over $58 million for the organization since it began in 1987.

The event, held at Minskoff Theatre on April 21 and 22, featured original presentations, songs, dances and bonnets designed by the companies of Broadway productions. 57 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies participated in six weeks of fundraising. Menzel, Washington, Cranston and Drescher, who were introduced by Of Mice and Men stars James Franco, Chris O’Dowd and Leighton Meester, announced the final tally of donations at the conclusion of the competition.

The company of The Lion King took home the top honor of best presentation, with After Midnight securing the runner-up spot. The special award for bonnet design was presented to the company of Once. The top fundraising award went to Kinky Boots, which raised $284,170. The full totals are as follows:

Broadway Musicals
Top Fundraiser: Kinky Boots - $284,170
First Runner-up: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - $208,697
Second Runner-up: Cinderella - $206,941
Third Runner-up: The Book of Mormon - $181,065

Broadway Plays
Top Fundraiser: All the Way - $186,424
First Runner-up: Mothers and Sons - $100,102

National Touring Shows
Top Fundraiser: The Book of Mormon – Latter Day Company - $405,009
First Runner-up: Wicked – Munchkinland Company - $277,109
Second Runner-up: The Book of Mormon – Jumamosi Company - $209,023
Third Runner-up: Wicked – Emerald City Company- $182,704

Off-Broadway
Top Fundraiser: Avenue Q - $28,577
First Runner-up: Heathers - $24,363

Also joining in the celebration and competition were Rory O’Malley, Michael Riedel, Newsies kids Luca Padovan and Zachary Unger, Mothers and Sons playwright Terence McNally and star Tyne Daly, Kim Zimmer, Joe Carroll and fellow Cinderella cast members, Nathan Madden, Phoebe Pearl, Violet’s Sutton Foster, BC/EFA Producing Director Michael Graziano and Executive Director Tom Viola. This years’ judges included Gregg Barnes, Christopher J. Hanke, Carly Rae Jepsen, Michael McKean, Jim Norton, Patrick Page, Annie Potts and Anthony Rapp, in addition to Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction winners Eric Forst and Peg Wendlandt.