Fundraising Begins Tonight Ahead of 33rd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition

Starting tonight, casts, crew members, and volunteers in theater lobbies across the country will be soliciting donations for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS ahead of the 33rd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition (#BroadwayBonnets), scheduled for Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23.

Every dollar dropped in one of the iconic #redbuckets will help provide lifesaving medication, healthy meals, emergency financial assistance, and more to the most vulnerable among us. A $10 donation covers one HIV test at a health clinic. A $50 donation provides 20 nutritious meals delivered to home-bound individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other debilitating illnesses. In exchange for a donation, audiences at many shows can receive autographed posters, theater programs, and other memorabilia or one-of-a-kind experiences, including backstage tours and meet-and-greets.

The following Broadway and off-Broadway shows are scheduled to begin their appeals this weekend: Aladdin, Anastasia, Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, The Cher Show, King Kong, The Lion King, Mean Girls, Merrily We Roll Along, and Wicked. Joining the effort next week will be Dear Evan Hansen, Fiddler on the Roof – in Yiddish, Frozen, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, My Fair Lady, The Phantom of the Opera, Pretty Woman, The Prom, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Waitress. More shows will be added throughout the six-week campaign.

In celebration of their fundraising efforts, performers from Broadway, off-Broadway, and national touring companies will share original songs and skits, as well as their unique bonnet designs, for two afternoons at the Minskoff Theatre, home to Disney's The Lion King. Performances begin at 4:30pm on April 22 and 2pm on April 23. Awards will be presented to the best presentation and best bonnet design across both performances and to the top fundraisers from the preceding six weeks.

This year's Easter Bonnet Competition special guests and celebrity judges will be announced later.