Early Bidding Now Open For Walk-On Roles, VIP Tickets, and More At The Broadway Flea Market (Including Bette Midler Stuff)

Broadway World
Early Bidding Now Open For Walk-On Roles, VIP Tickets, and More At The Broadway Flea Market (Including Bette Midler Stuff)
by BWW News Desk Sep. 13, 2018

Jump start your ultimate theatrical treasure hunt as early bidding opens today on dozens of auction items you can’t get anywhere except at the 32nd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction.

Broadway fans can bid on exclusive memorabilia, unforgettable onstage and backstage opportunities and more at broadwaycares.org.

Then on Sunday, September 30, the thrill of the auction continues in person when Shubert Alley is filled with theatre fans bidding on the items at the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction’s silent and live auctions. Even more Broadway treasures are in store along West 44th and West 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, where you can discover tables full of items from your favorite shows and theatrical organizations.

More than 50 tables full of Broadway memorabilia, collectible Playbills and unique gems will line the streets. Among the shows scheduled to have tables this year are Aladdin, Anastasia, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Dear Evan Hansen, Frozen, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Mean Girls, NEWSical The Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Pretty Woman, School of Rock – The Musical, Sweeney Todd, Waitress and Wicked, with a special table featuring items from recently closed shows.

The silent and live auctions offer unique items and unforgettable Broadway experiences. Select items and experiences are available for early bidding now, with auction lots continually being added. Among the initial lots up for bid are:

-Priceless walk-on roles in Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Frozen, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Pretty Woman, with more unforgettable roles in beloved Broadway shows to be announced.

-VIP house seats to see and backstage visits to meet Aladdin and the Genie, Telly Leungand Major Attaway, at Aladdin; this year’s Tony Award winners Katrina Lenk and Ari’el Stachel at The Band’s Visit; Cher, Sonny and Bob Mackie – Stephanie J. Block, Jarrod Spector and Michael Berresse – at The Cher Show; Jenn Colella and Chad Kimball at Come From Away (and kiss the cod); Taylor Trensch at Dear Evan Hansen; Caissie Levyand Patti Murin at Frozen; Mark Ballas at Kinky Boots; Laura Benanti and Harry Hadden-Paton at My Fair Lady; the “Donnas” LaChanze, Ariana DeBose and Storm Lever at Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and Michael Urie at Torch Song, with more backstage experiences to be added.

-Musical phrases handwritten and signed by Sara Bareilles from Waitress; Edie Brickelland Steve Martin from Bright Star; David Hein and Irene Sankoff from Come From Away; Jerry Herman from Hello, Dolly!; Alan Menken from Aladdin; Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Ben Platt from Dear Evan Hansen; and a extraordinary addition from Kiss of the Spider Woman, signed by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Chita Rivera. Also up for bid is a lot with the handwritten conductor’s score pages for “God, That’s Good!” from Sweeney Todd signed by Stephen Sondheim.

-Unique experiences including a guest spot with Seth Rudetsky on the wildly popular “Seth’s Big Fat Broadway” on SiriusXM’s “On Broadway” channel and two VIP house seats to Bruce Springsteen‘s sold-out Springsteen on Broadway and a Playbill signed by The Boss.

-One-of-a-kind show memorabilia autographed by Laura Benanti, Matt Bomer, Wayne Brady, Matthew Broderick, Michael Cera, Barbara Cook, Gavin Creel, Danny DeVito, Chris Evans, Harvey Fierstein, Sutton Foster, Andrew Garfield, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, Jeremy Jordan, Carole King, Nathan Lane, Bob Mackie, Kirstin Maldonado, Lindsay Mendez, Bette Midler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Helen Mirren, Bebe Neuwirth, Chazz Palminteri, Jim Parsons, Bernadette Peters, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Chita Rivera, Mark Ruffalo, Lea Salonga, Amy Schumer, Tony Shalhoub, Barbra Streisand and more.

Early bidding on silent and live auction lots will continue through Friday, September 28. Then, on September 30 at the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, silent auction lots will open every half hour beginning at 10 am for in-person bidding; the live auction begins at 5 pm. Auction favorites Jen Cody and Michael Goddard will join forces once again to co-host the silent auction.

Broadway and TV veteran Bryan Batt and the esteemed Nick Nicholson will return as host and auctioneer of the live auction.

The always popular Autograph Table and Photo Booth will welcome more than 60 actors from Broadway’s best shows. The list of participants will be announced Tuesday, September 18. The Autograph Table and Photo Booth, based on the deck of Junior’s at Shubert Alley, will be hosted by Jim Caruso, host of Jim Caruso‘s Cast Party at Birdland, and Ben Cameron, seasoned Broadway performer and host of Broadway Sessions at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Announcements regarding the Broadway Flea Market, other packages to be offered at the Grand Auction and the stars appearing at the Autograph Table and Photo Booth will be announced onbroadwaycares.org, on Facebook atfacebook.com/BCEFA, on Instagram atinstragam.com/BCEFA and on Twitter attwitter.com/BCEFA.

Last year’s Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction raised a record breaking $1,023,309. Since 1987, the 31 editions of the event have raised $13.6 million.

The 32nd Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction is sponsored by The New York Times and United Airlines.

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 $300 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis NewmanWomen’s Health Initiative and the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, at facebook.com/BCEFA, at instagram.com/BCEFA, at twitter.com/BCEFA and at youtube.com/BCEFA