Sunset Boulevard Leads Fundraising Winners in 31st Annual Easter Bonnet Competition

The 31st annual Easter Bonnet Competition raised a record-shattering $6,379,572 for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. It’s the single highest fundraising total in Broadway Cares history. The total was announced on April 25 by Gavin Creel, Bette Midler, and David Hyde Pierce, all stars of this season’s smash hit Hello, Dolly! The sum breaks last year’s record of $5,528,568.

The list of top fundraisers is below:

Top Overall Fundraiser

Sunset Boulevard: $509,246

Broadway Musicals

Sunday in the Park With George: $382,780

Broadway Plays

The Price: $122,114

Off-Broadway Plays and Musicals

Avenue Q: $49,485

National Tours

Wicked — Munchkinland: $348,617

The Lion King won for both best presentation and best bonnet design. Set to spoken-word poetry written and performed by cast member L. Steven Taylor, the cast of The Lion King celebrated unity by highlighting, through dance, African, Asian, Indian, and Polynesian cultures important to the show and the cast. The show's elegant bonnet, designed by Mikey Clifton, Matthew Keating, Brenda O’Brien, and Ilya Vett, emerged as an elaborate tribute to Mother Earth, "grown" onstage during the number.

Since the Easter Bonnet Competition began in 1987, the event has raised $75.2 million for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.