BROADWAY BLOOMS
It’s Broadway in the Bronx … at “The Orchid Show: On Broadway,” an exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden featuring orchid arrangements that evoke legendary theaters of the Great White Way. More than 300 different orchid varieties are featured in displays interpreting the proscenium arch of the Walter Kerr Theater and the lobby chandelier of the 42nd Street Theater. The promenade recreates a column-lined backstage area of the New Amsterdam Theater where “Mary Poppins” is now playing. Moth, Pansy and Cane orchids cover the columns, creating a tunnel-effect for viewers. Besides the floral arrangements and an audio tour of orchid facts and lore, the Library Gallery is displaying more than 30 of the iconic “Nina” drawings of legendary caricaturist Al Hirschfeld and there are Broadway Cabaret performances on weekends.
Spiderman actor Reeve Carney shows off his namesake teddy bear
BROADWAY BEARS
Meanwhile, back down near Times Square, a week to the day after the Oscar was awarded for outstanding movie costumes, Broadway costumes were saluted—with prizes going to the highest bidder—in the annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids Broadway Bears auction.
More than two dozen teddy bears donated by the North American Bear Company modeled costumes from Broadway shows. Amanda from “Private Lives” was resplendent in bias-cut blue sequins, while “Hello Dolly” Levi was wearing her conservative sailor costume. Jennyanydots from “Cats” was decked out in a ribbed “cheetah” fur coat. From “The Merchant of Venice,” Shylock wore a three-piece waistcoat suit and a star of David watch fob. Wearing a bright red bow tie, the Pee Wee Herman bear was accompanied by other “stuffed” members of his cast. Reeve Carney, the actual Spiderman, showed up to drum up higher bids for his namesake bear (neither one sported a band-aid), although Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’s outfit was splotched with an appropriate red stain.
If you squeezed his hand, the bear from “Rock of Ages” sang a line from the show in the recorded voice of the actor who plays him (and his tailor revealed that “Rock” is being filmed right now—with Tom Cruise in the movie cast—and yes, he’ll be singing). A witch from “Wicked,” Jerry Lee Lewis from “Million Dollar Quartet,” Morticia from “The Addams Family” and St. Jimmy the Goth from “American Idiot” all made appearances.
When the bidding was over, the lovely pink silk organza-clad Liza Doolittle doll, signed by Julie Andrews, brought the highest bid of $14,000; all told, more than $100,000 was raised by the amazingly inventive group that is one of the nation’s leading non-profit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations.
