More than 150 performers from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows will be part of the festivities. Among the stars slated to appear are Wayne Brady, Andréa Burns, Gavin Creel, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Laura Michelle Kelly, Judith Light, Camryn Manheim, Lesli Margherita, Leslie Odom Jr., Brad Oscar, Christopher Sieber and Brandon Uranowitz.
Want a chance to attend Gypsy of the Year? Playbill.com is giving away a pair of tickets to see the 27th Annual competition produced by Broadway Cares/Equality Fights AIDS. Upload a selfie of you with a Playbill of a Broadway show you've recently seen for a chance to win seats at the Monday, Dec. 7, 3 PM show! You have 24 hours from Friday, Dec. 4 at noon to Saturday, Dec. 5 at noon. Transportation and lodging are not provided, so you must be able to attend the performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.
Special guests for the Dec. 8 performance, in which the year's top fundraisers are announced, will be Michael Cerveris, George Takei and Julie White. Seth Rudetsky will return as host of the two December shows for the eighth time. The two performances are the culmination of six weeks of fundraising by Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies.
More than 200 of New York's most talented gypsies and their special guests will perform original skits, songs and dances. Awards will be presented for the best presentation of the two performances and for the shows raising the most money during the six-week effort.
Attendees can expect performances from the casts of An American in Paris, Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Finding Neverland, Fun Home, Hamilton, The King and I, Kinky Boots, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Company XIV’s Nutcracker Rouge, On Your Feet! and Trip of Love.
Judges for this year's event include Philip Birsh, president and chief executive of Playbill and BC/EFA's Board of Trustees treasurer; John Cariani and Kate Reinders from Something Rotten!; Veanne Cox from An American in Paris; Alma Cuervo and Ana Villafane from On Your Feet!; Telly Leung and Lea Salonga from Allegiance; Actors' Equity Association President Kate Shindle and On Your Feet! choreographer Sergio Trujillo. Also joining the panel are Lee Perlman and Gary Wendlandt, who won their judging spots by bidding on exclusive VIP packages at the 29th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction in September.
The opening number will be directed and choreographed by Al Blackstone with music direction by Ben Cohn. A special tribute to national touring productions will be directed and choreographed by Geoffrey Goldberg. Gypsy of the Year will be directed by Kristin Newhouse with Jason Trubitt serving as production stage manager. Since 1989, the 26 editions of Gypsy of the Year have raised a total of $62.4 million to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Last year, 64 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies raised a record-breaking $5.2 million.
Advance tickets can now be purchased online at BroadwayCares.org or by calling (212) 840-0770, ext. 268. VIP and Priority tickets are $375 and $250, respectively, and other tickets are available at $130, $50 and $30.
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Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $285 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.
