The Broadway Bears
Since this is the last week of the Broadway Bears XII pre-auction, the people at BroadwayCares/Equity Fights AIDS are hoping that everyone will have a chance to see the 44 one-of-a-kind bears and learn more about them. The person in charge of the auction this year is Scott Stevens. In our conversation on Wednesday by phone, Scott was kind enough to give us permission to show you some of the bears and explain some of the details of the bears. He said that he was excited that we wanted to support the bears and the mission of the organization.
Cats
As of Saturday afternoon, the bear that has the highest bid is from CATS.
It is called Growltiger and is outfitted in an exact replica of his Broadway counterpoint. His costume is handcrafted and his tunic has been crocheted from 3 types of yarn. The bid for Growltiger stands at $5000.00
Equus
One of the featured bears this season represents the show, EQUUS. This unique work of art represents Alan, the young man in the show on one of his late-night rides. The metal skeletal horse head gives this bear a haunting look. Oh, nugget’s hooded eyes are special. They light up. The bid for Alan Strang with Nugget is $650.00 and is signed by 3 of the actors.
Starlight Express
Ashley from Starlight Express is signed by Audrea McArdle and is wearing an exact replica of the Tony-Award winning costume. Ashley represents the Smoking Car and her character is one of the female coaches that make the Twilight Express run. Her shoes?? No, Ashley wears roller skates. You could start the bidding for Ashley for $500.00
Shrek
Tim Hatley is the designer for the Shrek bear. The bear has added padding and has a very rounded mid-section. The highlight of this costume is the horned helmet he wears. It has been hand-crafted and painted silver. Be sure and check out the bushy eyebrows. Please remember that beauty is only skin-deep and start the bidding on Shrek for $500.00.
The musical Spamalot went all out when they designed and created the Sir Robin Bear. Since “musical theatre” is Sir Robin’s Grail, it is fitting that the bear is dressed to be a song-and-dance man. The detail in the costume of this bear is amazing. The teal-lined jacket is an Italian wool-gabardine and the lapels are hand-beaded with 375 peridot, green and silver beads. Handmade Swarovski-crystal and rhinestone buttons decorate the jacket front and sleeves.
Spamalot
The amazing checkerboard pattern of the vest was created with 1,076 beads and 80 Swarovski crystals. The artist was particularly careful with the shoes which are silver and white. They are also decorated with Swarovski crystals. More than 30 hours of work and love went into hand-beading the more than 1500 beads and crystals. The Sir Robin Bear has been signed by Clay Aiken and is looking forward to living in a loving home. The top bid for Sir Robin is now at $4,600.00
Last year, the Broadway Bears raised $130,878.00 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Their goal this year is to reach that total or even surpass it.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.
If you want more information on the bears or would like tickets for the Auction on February 14th, visit http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/bears.cfm
I never really thought about the time and effort that would go in to making these bears!!
They most definitely are a work of art and a work of love. Broadway Cares is an amazing organization doing wonderful work.
I hope that we will get an update on how the auction is going before the final gavel falls!!!
and a big THANKS to all who gave their time and talent into making these wonderful creations!
I have spoken with Scott Stevens when an eBay auction I won went a bit wonky. He is extremely helpful and supportive of Clay. He is totally dedicated to Broadway Cares. I just love the additional details he has provided. Dang it, I want that Sir Robin bear!!!!!
I would love to have Sir Robin Bear, but I think I’d better hold off. The mortgage company, electric company, phone company, and water company might not think it was an essential purchase! Guess I’ll wait until I hit the lottery.
Thank you for covering this. Though the auction may be seen as a bit of a competition between shows (and bears), every dollar earned in the auction will go towards helping some one who has been given a diagnosis that fills them, their family and friends with fear of an illness which has yet to find a cure. It also helps those who haven’t been diagnosed at this time, but may yet hear the words that no one would want to hear.
I am so proud of Clay being involved in this project. The bears are quite a work of art! I am hoping the Spamalot bear goes for the highest this year since it has closed. This organization also serves women health issues as well as Aids-It is a very deserving charity and I hope the bears bring in lots of money. I know I would love to have one.
Very interesting entry about the Broadway Bears! They are works of art, and the variety is amazing.
Thnx for another informative, newsworthy post at CANN!
Caro
The bears are adorable. I’m amazed at all the work and artistry that goes into them.
Loved reading about the detail and work that is involved in making these bears. Sure would love that Sir Robin bear. Hope they all bring in lots of money for this worthy cause.
Terrific article, on a great cause. I wish I could afford one of these bears, which are just fantastic. It’ll have to wait until I’m rich in another life.
I’m so glad to see so much money being raised to fight the scourge of AIDS, which has caused so much grief and misery. Hope each of these bears bring in a lot!
Broadway Bears are always so adorable! I wish there was a museum where they could be seen all at once.
I hope the auction raises a lot of money.
The bears are so cute and adorable. Sure which I had the funds to bid on one. Kudos to BC/EFA for all money they raise.
Thank you for posting the article regarding the Broadway Bears. How cute!! I hope that Broadway Cares will raise tons of money for their continued fight against aids. What a wonderful organization.
I had no idea about all the detail that goes into these bears. Over 1500 beads in the Sir Robin bear? Who knew.
Those bears are beautiful, and Broadway Cares is such a worthy cause. I wish I could see the bears close-up. Their costumes look like real works of art. I hope they bring in lots of money.
Wow, so much work and detail in these bears. All the artists are to be commended for a job very well done. I hope they surpass last years Broadway Bears fund raising by far!
I love that Broadway Cares does this every year. Such a fun idea. And the bears are gorgeous. I actually bid on the Spamalot bear this year but made myself stop when I remembered I am still putting my daughter through college, darn it! Keep reporting about BCEFA, if you can CANN (pun intended). They do great work!
Thank you for giving us a glimpse at the new Broadway Bears and for highlighting a wonderful organization like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. BC/EFA is an amazing organization that has helped to raise money and awareness in the fight against AIDS.
Although the Sir Robin Bear is my favourite, I love them all and one can see the love and craft put into the making of them. My sincere wish is that the fundraising goal is surpassed this year. Kudos to BC/EFA and all that work towards fighting this terrible disease .
The Broadway Bears is a great way to raise money. They’re so hard to resist. The Cats bear is my second favorite after Sir Robin. Very cute! I hope the BC/EF raises loads of money for their good work. I only wish I had a couple of thousand to spare right now.
I love all the bears and appreciate all the work that is involved in making them. I really wish I could afford to bid on the Sir Robin bear but it’s just not feasible at this time.
It’s a wonderful cause that I support fully and hope there is continued success for a very long time.
Thanks for bringing this news to us. This is a fantastic place for all the latest news and information.
What a great article on such a wonderful cause. I hope BroadwayCares/Equity Fights AIDS raises tons of money with this auction and those adorable bears. Bravo to everyone involved! Even in these difficult financial times it’s good to know that people are still working to raise money for such worthy causes and so many people are willing to contribute!
Broadway Cares is such a great charity and the bears are absolutely adorable. I hope they get lots of donations.
I put in an early bid on the Spamalot Bear..but I was “right out”….can’t wait to see what it sells for!
What I wouldn’t do to be able to afford that Sir Robin bear. What craftsmanship. And the fact that Clay Aiken signed it is awesome. Hope they all get lots of bids for BCEFA.
Wow! All of these bears are one of a kind masterpieces crafted by such talented artists. I hope they all fetch top dollar for such a worthy cause as Broadway Cares. Please let us know the results when the final bidding is over.
Boy I wish I had lots of money to donate to this worthy cause. I love all the bears … they are gorgeous. I’m in love with the Spamalot Bear!
All I will ever get to do is to look at these pictures of these bears, but they sound beautiful. Lots of work goes into each of them. I haven’t checked the Sir Robin bear’s latest bid, but I believe the last Sir Robin bear sold for the highest amount. Too bad there no little replica’s of these bears for sale at a reasonable price–even imitations would probably sell well on a website.
I like that idea! I would buy a little replica bear!
Add me to the list! I would love to have one!!
The bears are so adorable, when I went to Spamalot last spring I donated to Broadway cares and got my picture taken with Sir Robin, wish I could bid on the bear too.
The bears are so cute. I love that they will be making so much money for this worthy cause. I would love to have that Sir Robin bear. What a enjoyable blog to read about all the bears.
These bears are definitely works of art . The details are amazing . Thanks for covering this and posting the link .
The bears are wonderful works of art. So much attention to detail and overall creative energy was lavished on these adorable treasures. I want them all, but especially the Sir Robin bear from Spamalot.
Thank you for sharing the photos of these little delights. Thanks, too, for this very nice site.
The amount of work that goes into each of these bears is amazing. I hope that Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has a successful fundraisser, and that one day aids is wiped off the earth. I’d love to bid on the Sir Robin bear, but alas, cannot.
Thank you for the article on the Broadway Bears fundraiser. What a great way to help get the word out. I hope the auction brings in a lot of money for this very worthy cause.
Thanks so much for bringing us this wonderful writeup on the Broadway Bears auction. All the bears sound so beautiful, but none more beautiful than Clay’s Sir Robin. I hope it, and all the others, bring in a ton of money for this truly worthwhile charity. Isn’t it amazing how Clay finds so many diverse ways to “make a difference”?
I was just peeking at all the wonderful bears over there (LOVE Young Frankenstein and West Side Story!!! – I highly recommend everyone going and looking at them)
BUT, I noticed that the Sir Robin bear is now up to $5,100!! YAY for Broadway Cares!!!
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful cause. The bears are so cute. I love the Sir Robin Bear. I did not know how much was put into making these cute little bears.
These bears involve a lot of work! I hope they raise a lot of money for Broadway Cares. I would love to have the Sir Robin bear…does Clay come along with it? 🙂
What a great cause…I hope the Broadway Cares auction raises a lot of funds. This is great, and thank you for bringing all this information over….I would love to bid on Sir Robin…. I need to win the lottery, and share the wealth…… GO SIR ROBIN!!!!!!
Hugs,
Judy
I can’t believe all the detail that goes into making the Broadway Bears. They are truly works of art. The lucky winners will have a treasure to last a lifetime, in addition to helping a great cause.
I hope they raise tons of money.
“BUT, I noticed that the Sir Robin bear is now up to $5,100!! YAY for Broadway Cares!!!”
That’s great. I hope they raise as much or more than they did last year.
The bears are adorable and so much work goes into creating them.
Well I bid on the bear. What can I say. Who wouldn't want to take one of these guys/gals home with you!
Thanks for the info. They are soooo cute and I only wish I could of afforded one but I hope whoever wins them enjoys them as much as we do looking at them!
SIR ROBIN BEAR IS UP TO $7,500.00
WAY TO GO CLAY!!!!!!
Hugs,
Judy