www.broadwayworld.com: Thousands of Broadway fans, countless theatrical treasures and dozens of Broadway stars lit up New York City’s Theater District - and ushered in a record-breaking fundraising total - when the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction returned Sunday, September 22, 2024.
5 comments:
I loved looking at all the photos attached to this article. It is so amazing to have a place and venue where Broadway lovers can meet up and raise money for a good cause. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is, and has always been, one of the leading organizations in support of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has greatly impacted communities around the world and taken so many lives. In the US, it has deeply impacted the arts community. We lost so many young creatives, actors, writers, and other artists. The work that the BC/EFA does is so important and it is amazing how much money they raise each year. Creating a space to celebrate theatre and give back to the struggling members of our community is a beautiful thing to do and represents all that we stand for as theatrical artists.
This is such an exciting event, and I'm sure it would be awesome to attend. Being able to go and buy merch and souvenirs from your favorite shows, as well as meet some of your favorite actors out on the street would be an awesome experience. It's great to see that they keep breaking records and raising more money each year. I liked to see the statistics behind it, and exactly how much money was raised through each fundraising technique. I thought it was really cool to see that they were selling props that were used in shows and signed by the actors who used them. I can imagine a little kid winning that and being so excited, treasuring it forever. It's really great that they are able to do this fundraiser yearly, I'm sure it makes a big impact in the community in a lot of different ways.
Living and growing up so close to New York City, I have always really wanted to go to the Broadway Flee Market. Not to mention that the Broadway Flee Market raises money for an incredible cause. They raised 1,421,675, 'shattering the record set last year', and they donate the money to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS which is absolutely incredible. They always sell really cool things from current and closed broadway shows. This year I really wanted some of the props from The Notebook, which they did sell but I was many miles away, but maybe next year! Throughout the past 38 Broadway Flee Market, over $20.2 million dollars has been raised. This is a super cool annual event to support a really great cause, and I really hope that I can make it next year. If I were to go, I’d visit Les Mis, Sweeney Todd, and The Notebook! They sell a lot of stuff from closed shows as well so I would definitely take a look there too!
I like reading how Broadway attempts to give back to others because often articles are about shows struggling with money and the whole operation being a suck-fest of greed, cutting corners, and worker abuse. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the sauce of these articles and forget the good theatre can generate for causes outside of the entertainment industry. I hope this event reduced some waste generated by theatres’ habit of throwing everything away to the four winds after a show closes or something is no longer usable on stage. I think it would be cool to have areas auctioning off behind the scenes work too like copies of renderings, miniature model pieces, drafting posters, etc for people interested in the DP side of things as well. I hope the money does actual good for the people the fundraiser is aiming to help and I think overall it’s a clever event.
Personally, I’ve thought of this as a great fundraiser for theatre as so many pieces go into a show and are rarely used again and sit in warehouses untouched and unloved. Clearly, I’m not the only one or the first. It is also great that this money is used to support charities and artists who make theatre possible. The continued fight against HIV and AIDS is a great tribute to those who were ravaged by it in the film and theatre industry even as others in the world marginalized and accosted them. The photos of all the memorabilia and happy people being able to enjoy the pieces that made up the elaborate productions is a great sight to see. The support of the stars from Broadway also draws in the crowds to increase the support that is given to the event. Hopefully the event can continue to bring in money to all of the artists and causes that the flea market supports.
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