New auction lots and virtual guests have been announced for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, which will once again take to the streets of New York City’s theatre district October 3. Theatre lovers will be able to participate both in person and online.
This year’s in-person event will line Shubert Alley and West 44th and West 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. Among the shows that will be represented with merchandise are Aladdin, Beetlejuice, Freestyle Love Supreme, Frozen, Hadestown, Hamilton, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Mean Girls.
The live auction, co-hosted by Dear Evan Hansen's Will Roland and Sky Lakota-Lynch, will take place at 5 PM ET in the Times Square pedestrian plaza between 45th and 46th Streets. The first lots now available for pre-bidding include:
- Private Zoom conversations with David Byrne, André DeShields, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Patti LuPone, Rob McClure and more, along with VIP tickets to see their respective Broadway shows this fall
- Tony Awards won by lighting designer Jules Fisher for Dancin’ and Pippin
- Handwritten musical phrases from Beauty and the Beast, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen and more, signed by composers Alan Menken, David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Justin Paul and Benj Pasek
- Virtual meet-and-greets with Kristin Chenoweth, Ben Platt, and more
- Limited-edition Al Hirschfeld prints autographed by Cher, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Bruce Springsteen, Patrick Stewart, and more
The fan favorite Autograph Table and Photo Booth moves online again this year with one-on-one video chats with Broadway favorites. The video chats, handled through the Looped app, will begin at 11 AM and continue to 4 PM ET. (Reserve slots now here.) The first round of participants include Patrick J. Adams (Take Me Out), Shoshana Bean (Waitress), Nadia Brown (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Ben Crawford (The Phantom of the Opera), Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!), Jennifer DiNoia (Wicked), Claybourne Elder (Company), Drew Gehling (Waitress), Thayne Jasperson (Hamilton), Jenny Jules (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton), Eva Noblezada (Hadestown), Lindsay Pearce (Wicked), L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King), and Nik Walker (Ain’t Too Proud).
Throughout the day, silent auctions will be held in Shubert Alley, hosted by Todd Buonopane and Jennifer Cody. Every 30 minutes between 10 AM and 4 PM, new sets of memorabilia will be offered for in-person bids. Among the items currently up for auction are:
- Bette Midler-autographed, hand-painted hula girl Gucci handbag
- Autographed I Love Lucy script from 1956, signed by Desi Arnaz
- The Phantom of the Opera Playbill from 1988, signed by Michael Crawford
- Stephen Sondheim-signed Sunday in the Park with George 2017 Broadway cast recording CD
- “The New Divas” feature from Time Out New York magazine signed by Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Donna Murphy and Tonya Pinkins
Every dollar donated in person and online will go toward helping those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication, emergency financial assistance, housing, counseling, and more. Last year’s virtual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction raised $316,282. Since 1987, the 34 editions of the beloved annual event have raised more than $15 million.
All Broadway Cares staff and volunteers working the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will be fully vaccinated and wearing masks. Everyone visiting the event is encouraged to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Proof of vaccination and face coverings will be required for the live auction. The in-person event also will follow all other CDC, state, and local COVID-19 safety protocols in effect at the time.
For more information BroadwayCares.org.
