Broadway Bears Raises $127,000 For BC/EFA

Broadway Bears XI, which was held at B.B. King’s on February 17, raised $127,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The event was hosted by Bryan Batt with Lorna Kelly reprising her role as auctioneer. Christine Pedi and John Tracy Egan performed the opening number for the event.

Forty specially-made bears, each dressed in original, handmade costumes representing the theater’s most legendary characters, were auctioned. Top bids for bears were the $17,000 Spamalot bear signed by Clay Aiken and David Hyde Pierce; the $9,000 Lion King bear signed by Tom Alan Robbins; the $8,000 Cyrano bear signed by Jennifer Garner, Kevin Kline, and Daniel Sunjata; the $5,000 Little Mermaid bear signed by Sherie Rene Scott; and the $5,000 Wicked bear signed by Idina Menzel.

Broadway stars who dropped by to lend their support to the event included Gavin Lee, Linda Balgord, Stephanie J. Bloch, Sebastian Arcelus, Jose Llana, Sara Gettelfinger, Bill Ryall, Peter Gregus, and Jennifer Smith.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayCares.Org.