With theaters closed, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS needs funding now more than ever. They lost their traditional post-show fundraising opportunities, but heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Tonight, fans of ABC’s daytime soap operas All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital got to relive highlights from live shows performed between 2005 and 2011 in New York City, the shows themselves originally fundraisers for the same cause. Over the course of those seven years, $1.85 million was raised for the organization that helps theater workers in need. In ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway, fans got to relive these performances or experience them for the first time.
Archival footage from these performances were strung together to create a program that lasted slightly more than two-hours, featuring a special introduction from another ABC daytime star, Whoopi Goldberg from the set of The View. Throughout the program, viewers were encouraged to make a donation to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and during this window, all donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Dream Alliance. Visit broadwaycares.org/abcdaytime to learn more.
Hosted by Cameron Mathison, best known as Ryan Lavery on All My Children, fans of ABC’s daytime soap operas got to experience new messages and conversations from the stars of their favorite shows while seeing live performances that the majority of their TV viewers never got to see. Other stars that joined the host for segments between acts included Susan Lucci (Erica Kane, All My Children), Kristen Alderson (Starr Manning, All My Children), Brittany Underwood (Langston Wilde, One Life to Live), Jason Tam (Markko Rivera, One Life to Live), Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos, General Hospital), Steve Burton (Jason Morgan, General Hospital), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline Williamson, One Life to Live), Kelly Ripa (Hayley Vaughan, All My Children), Kassie DePaiva (Blair Cramer, One Life to Live), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal Carey, All My Children), Kathy Brier (Marcie Walsh, One Life to Live), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay Rappaport, One Life to Live), Hillary B. Smith (Nora Hanen Buchanan, One Life to Live), Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, General Hospital) and Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer, General Hospital).
Below is a list of performances included in the special:
- “9 to 5” from 9 to 5, performed by Kristen Alderson, Melissa Archer, Brandon Barash, Kasie DePaiva, Bobbie Eakes, David A. Gregory, Natalie Hall, Mark Lawson, Jason Tam
- “Winning Isn’t Everything” performed by Susan Lucci
- "She Isn't You" from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever performed by Vincent Irizarry
- “Broadway Baby” from Follies performed by Kristen Alderson
- “Too Darn Hot” from Kiss Me Kate performed by Jason Tam
- “That’s Life”/”Maybe This Time” from Cabaret performed by Eva La Rue
- “This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde performed by Mark Lawson
- “You Make me Feel So Young” danced to by Finola Hughes
- “Happy Not to Be in Love” performed by Walt Willey
- “Show Off” from The Drowsy Chaperone performed byEden Riegel
- “Dreamgirls” from Dreamgirls performed by Jeffrey Carlson, Kasie DePaiva, Bobbie Eakes, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Susan Lucci
- “Someone Like You” from Jekyll and Hyde performed by Renée Elise Goldsberry
- “If Ever I Should Leave You” from Camelot performed by David A. Gregory
- “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from Grease performed by Brittany Underwood
- “Addicted to Love” performed by Tonya Pinkins
- “Cellblock Tango” from Chicago performed by Kristen Alderson, Melissa Archer, Kasie DePaiva, Hillary B. Smith, Brittany Underwood, Bree Williamson
- "But the World Goes 'Round" from And the World Goes ‘Round performed by Bobbie Eakes
- “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” from Promises, Promises performed by Kassie De Paiva
- “That’s All” performed by Bradford Anderson
- “Trouble” performed by Tika Sumpter
- “You’re Timeless to Me” from Hairspray performed by Anthony Geary and Steven DeRosa
- “I Wanna Be a Rockette” from Kicks: The Showgirl Musical performed by Kathy Brier
- “Daytime Queens” (“Dancing Queens”) from Mama Mia performed by Chrishell Stause, BethAnn Bonner, Hillary B. Smith, Susan Lucci
- “Unchained Melody” performed by Catherine Hickland
- “It Ain’t the Meat, It’s the Motion” performed by Hillary B. Smith
- “Dentist” from Little Shop of Horrors performed by Brandon Barash
- “Fever” performed by Susan Lucci
- 2011 Check Presentation Ceremony
Copyright Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Whether you’re a fan of ABC daytime soap operas of the past and present (General Hospital is the only one currently running) or a theater fan, ABC Daytime: Back on Broadway provided two-hours of theatrical entertainment at no cost, but donations are strongly encouraged. While not everyone has much to give, every little bit counts during these hard times and with Dream Alliance matching every dollar, $5 becomes $10 and it only goes up from there.