Alex Newell as Asaka
NEW YORK—Twice a year for around seven weeks, the Broadway community makes an appeal after every performance for an incredible organization called Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. What started as raising money for AIDS research and treatment has branched out into something even greater.
Broadway Cares began raising funds in 1988, and has been going strong since. If you find yourself watching a Broadway show in the spring or fall, chances are, someone will be holding a red bucket at the exit prepared to take your cash, check or credit card information (all donations are tax-deductible, by the way).
Millions of dollars have been raised over the last 30 years, funding not just AIDS organizations, but over 450 social service agencies all over the United States and Puerto Rico. Broadway Cares has also been … “taking care of our own” within the entertainment industry via the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Friedman Health Center of the Actors Fund.
Over at our theater, we have a few incentives to hopefully get people to donate: we have red “Mama Will Provide” fans signed by Alex Newell, show posters signed by the entire cast, and on certain nights a few of us do backstage tours or talk-backs, all in the spirit of giving. It also gets a bit competitive between the different shows, as every play or musical tries to raise the most money.
We began collecting funds on March 9, and will continue until April 23.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is an organization dear to my heart. I was first introduced to it in 1991 during my run in “Miss Saigon,” and over the course of the run, our show (and the rest of the theater community) lost a number of our own to this dreaded disease.
To donate and learn more about this, visit broadwaycares.org.
Amazing ‘swing nation’
I’m constantly amazed by understudies and swings, who continue to show their skill and heart whenever they step in for an actor who’s ill or injured.
In the original production of “Miss Saigon,” there was only one female swing, Sylvia Dohi, who covered all of the female ensemble (and had covered some of the men in emergencies), and did so for the musical’s entire 10-year run.
For “Flower Drum Song,” Sally Hong stepped into each ensemble member’s track on numerous occasions, doing it deftly without skipping a beat. In “Allegiance,” we had two ladies and two gents taking care of every ensemble track (Belinda Allyn, Manna Nichols, Sam Tatsuo Tanabe and Owen Johnston II were our superheroes).
On our “Island,” each one of our swings (Aurelia Williams, Loren Lott, Tyler Hardwick and dance captain T. Oliver Reid) has played every single ensemble role they currently cover.
Tonight, T. stepped in for one of the ladies’ ensemble tracks for the first time (no cross-dressing required; he played the role as a man).
When the announcement was made, I had a feeling this would be a very exciting evening. And boy, was it ever! He didn’t miss a single thing, and his being able to do what he does meant that we could tell our story, and our audience would enjoy the show.
I’m such a fan of this man and all that he does. He’s nothing short of a superhero. He might not don a cape or mask, but he saves us—and we’re truly grateful.
To all of Broadway’s swing nations, you’re incredible!