Many took part in the festivities and the opportunity of finding Broadway treasures during this year’s Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction in New York City.
By Jennifer Vazquez
Observer Correspondent
The streets of the Big Apple were bustling with Broadway fans this past Sunday, Sept. 23, as people participated in the 26th annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction.
Those not familiar with this one-of-a-kind, yearly, exciting and fun event are missing out…big time!
The day was marked by thousands of Broadway and theater fans roaming in Times Square, Shubert Alley and along West 44th Street searching for authentic, unique and rare keepsakes. Everything from lost cast recordings to signed posters and Playbills, rare costume and set design sketches to props –in short you have the wonderful and great possibility of coming across anything and everything that has ever formed part of a theatrical performance.
This high-spirited and lively event also hosted games, giving everyone the opportunity to win Broadway show tickets, free dinners and various other mementos.
The main event of the festivities, however, is the grand auction. This year, with no exception, it proved to be a grand success! A clock that adorned the stage at this year’s Tony Awards –the equivalent of the Academy Awards for those in the Broadway community –signed by Broadway’s elite was one of the auctioned items. The chance to go behind the scenes to the set of television shows like Smash!, NCIS: Los Angeles, Saturday Night Live and Modern Family were also “items” auctioned off. Tickets and VIP nights to Broadway shows –both currently running and future –were auctioned off as well.
One of the biggest surprises, and money grabbers, was the chance to sit in, as a judge, alongside theatrical and acting greats, like James Gandolfini, Nina Arienda, Bebe Neuwirth and Estelle Parsons (just to name a few), as part of the Gypsy of the Year and Easter Bonnet Competitions. This once-in-a-lifetime chance for theater lovers ended up being a neck-toneck auction with two women constantly out-bidding each other. Just when you thought there was no end to the final bid, one of the women decided to bid $7,000! The other woman ceased raising the “bid” bar. However, the auctioneers gave the second participant the chance to match that same bid. She happily jumped at the opportunity. In short, the chance to form part, as a judge, in both these competitions was auctioned off to the two women for the total sum of $14,000!
Not only is the day a guaranteed sensational time but the proceeds from the flea market, auction, games and donations will go to aid a remarkable cause and organization –Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS. This organization is the nation’s leading industry-based non-profit fundraising and grant making organizations dedicated to AIDS. However, BC/EFA is also a major supporter of various programs at The Actor’s Fund, including The HIV/ AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, the Al Hirschfeld Free Clinic and the Dancer’s Resource, among others.
Last year, the event raised, roughly $550,000. However, since its inception 26 years ago, the Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction netted over $9.1 million!
This year’s day-long event will also prove to be a success as a multitude of people showed up to take in the great and unique Broadway life.
After all…Broadway is where dreams are made!
