The Rosie O'Donnell Show Benefit Raises Over $600,000 for The Actors Fund

A star-packed lineup of talent helped bring back the Emmy-winning Rosie O'Donnell Show on March 22 as a livestreamed benefit for The Actors Fund. The special return episode, which appeared exclusively on Broadway.com and Broadway.com's YouTube channel, helped raise over $600,000 for the 138-year-old organization to provide assistance in the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Erich Bergen produced the event, which was directed by Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek and hosted by O'Donnell.

The evening featured performances and appearances by some of the biggest names in entertainment, all participating live from the comfort of their own homes. The night began with original Rosie O'Donnell Show music director John McDaniel performing a rendition of "We Need a Little Rosie" to the tune of "We Need a Little Christmas" from Mame and continued with Shoshana Bean singing "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl, Tituss Burgess lending his voice to "The Glory of Love" from Beaches, Kristin Chenoweth singing "Taylor the Latte Boy" (which she had performed during her first appearance on Rosie's show in 1999), Gavin Creel performing "You Matter to Me" from Waitress after revealing he likely has COVID-19, Darren Criss singing "Being Alive" from Company, Gloria Estefan offering up "There's Always Tomorrow," Jordan Fisher performing "For Forever" from Dear Evan Hansen and Neil Patrick Harris doing a magic act with his children.

The night continued with Patti LuPone performing "A Hundred Years From Today," Nat King Cole's "Smile" and a tease of "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife, Audra McDonald and Will Swenson also singing "Smile," Katharine McPhee and David Foster performing Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," Alan Menken offering a medley of his hit songs, Matthew Morrison singing "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book and "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Song of the South, Kelli O'Hara performing "Take Me to the World" from Evening Primrose, Lauren Patten singing "Ironic" from Jagged Little Pill, Ben Platt lending his voice to Adele's "Make You Feel My Love," Billy Porter singing "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd, Lea Salonga live from Manilla singing "Reflection" from Mulan, Adrienne Warren live from her bathtub performing "Simply the Best" from Tina and Barry Manilow finishing the night with a medley of his hit songs including "Daybreak," "Can't Smile Without You," "Copacabana" and "I Made It Through the Rain."


Throughout the event, O'Donnell interviewed a starry slate of guests including Laura Benanti, Nate Berkus, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Erivo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Harvey Fierstein, Judith Light, Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy Pope, Randy Rainbow, Chita Rivera and Miranda Sings.

Additional video appearances included Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber wishing each other a happy birthday, as well as messages from Uzo Aduba, Skylar Astin, Beth Behrs, Michael Gladis, Annette Bening, Alexandra Billings, Andrew Burnap, Miguel Cervantes, Brandon Victor Dixon, Matt Doyle, Sutton Foster, Morgan Freeman, Christopher Jackson, Veronica Jackson, Jeremy Jordan, Andy Karl, Orfeh, a tap-dancing Jane Krakowski, Lorin Latarro, Lorna Luft, Rob McClure, Bernadette Peters, Andrew Rannells, Anika Noni Rose, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley, Jordin Sparks, Elizabeth Stanley, Ali Stroker, a hula-hooping Marisa Tomei, Aaron Tveit, Leslie Uggams, Frankie Valli, Ben Vereen and Jessica Keenan Wynn. 


In an interview with O'Donnell during the special, Actors Fund Chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell shared his gratitude. "Rosie, thank you so much for making this happen; you, Erich and your team, everybody. This is a gathering place for not only people we love to watch perform but many of them are our friends, and to see everybody doing this for The Actors Fund together is incredible."

The Actors Fund's services remain available for everyone in the performing arts and entertainment community. These services include the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center, The Career Center, Housing Resources, Addiction & Recovery, HIV/AIDS and Senior Services, Counseling and Emergency Financial Assistance, as well as The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

To make a tax-deductible donation to The Actors Fund, visit give.actorsfund.org/Rosie. And re-watch the special below.