Broadway Barks is an annual animal charity event held in New York City to promote the adoption of shelter animals. Founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, the event has been held every July in Shubert Alley, starting in 1999. Performers, many from Broadway shows, present adoptable cats and dogs, with the participation of many animal groups from the New York City area.
Background The event was founded in 1999 by Bernadette Peters with Mary Tyler Moore and others, who wanted to do "something for the animals" after a successful fund–raising campaign for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.Donahue, Dick. "A New Tune for Bernadette Peters" Publishers Weekly, May 8, 2008McNulty, Charles."Peters writes a new role for herself" Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2008 Performers, many appearing in Broadway shows, and other celebrities present cats and dogs from New York City and vicinity animal shelters for adoption.Blank, Matthew. "Photo Special: 'Pooches and Felines and Theatre Stars!' The Very Best of Broadway Barks! 2000-2013" Playbill, July 9, 2014, accessed November 9, 2016
Peters received a special Tony Award in 2012, the Isabelle Stevenson Award for her work with Broadway Barks.Gans, Andrew. "Broadway's Big Night! Neil Patrick Harris Hosts 66th Annual Tony Awards June 10" Playbill, June 10, 2012 On August 21, 2012, Peters and Moore received a dedicated "Ride of Fame" bus on Gray Line New York. This honor "recognizes and honors leading New Yorkers and iconic New York establishments, whom they [Gray Line] identify as 'exemplary community figures and entities by bestowing a bus in their fleet to each dedicatee.' " The bus has a "custom decal" with Moore and Peters' likenesses as well as a Broadway Barks logo.Gans, Andrew. "Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore Will Be Honored Aug. 21" Playbill, August 20, 2012, accessed November 9, 2016
The Adopt-a-thon The event has been held every July since 1999 in Shubert Alley, in the Broadway Theater District. The first adopt–a–thon was held on July 24, 1999, and benefitted five animal welfare shelters and groups: the ASPCA, Center for Animal Care & Control (CACC), Bide-a-Wee, Humane Society and North Shore Animal League. Performers including Tom Wopat, Joel Grey, Andrea McArdle, and Edie Falco participated.Szabo, Julia, "New York Pet: Peters' Pet Project", The New York Post, July 18, 1999, p. 59 During the July 2007 event, more than 100 pets were adopted, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a proclamation making July 14, 2007 "Broadway Barks Day" in New York City."Broadway Barks 9 Was A Doggone Success" Broadwaycares.orgGans, Andrew. "Broadway Barks for a Good Cause July 14; Peters and Moore Co-Host" Playbill, July 14, 2007, accessed November 9, 2016
Broadway Barks has grown over the years until, by Broadway Barks 10 held on July 12, 2008, it benefitted some 25 animal adoption and welfare groups, with presenters who included Glenn Close, Phyllis Newman, Mario Lopez, and Nathan Lane introducing the adoptable animals.Gans, Andrew. "Broadway Barks for a Good Cause July 12 in Shubert Alley" Playbill, July 12, 2008 Broadway Barks 11 was held on July 11, 2009, with the participation of and to benefit 26 animal adoption and welfare groups, including the ASPCA, BARC, and Long Island Greyhound Rescue. Many celebrity presenters attended, including Elizabeth Ashley, Michael Cerveris, David Hyde Pierce, Audra McDonald and Michael Urie.Gans, Andrew. "Cavanaugh, Creel, Everett, Foster, Janney, Lansbury, Ripley and More Set for Broadway Barks 11", Playbill, May 28, 2009, accessed November 9, 2016Photo Gallery."Broadway Barks 11 in Shubert Alley" playbill.com, accessed July 13, 2009McBride, Walter. "Photo Coverage: Broadway Barks 11 - Backstage Part One" Broadwayworld.com, July 13, 2009
Broadway Barks 12 was held on July 10, 2010, and included the animal adoption and welfare groups ASPCA, BARC, Humane Society of New York and the North Shore Animal League. Among the celebrity participants were John Dossett, Alexander Hanson, Sean Hayes, Jackie Hoffman, Karen Olivo, Katie Finneran, Tony Goldwyn, Ruthie Henshall, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Beth Leavel, Judy McLane, Jan Maxwell, Tony Shalhoub and Richard Thomas.Gans, Andrew. "Peters and Moore's Broadway Barks 12 to Feature Finneran, Glover, Leavel, Young" Playbill, June 11, 2010, accessed November 9, 2016Khodorkovsky, Irina. "Photo Call:Peters and Moore Present Broadway Barks 12" Playbill, July 11, 2010, accessed November 9, 2016News Desk."Photo Coverage Preview: Broadway Barks 2010". Broadwayworld.com, July 11, 2010 In honor of the event, the lights of the Empire State Building were lit in pink, purple and yellow.Mitchell. E. "Pet Blogs" Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 11, 2010"Facebook Broadway Barks". Broadwaybarks facebook.com, retrieved July 12, 2010
Broadway Barks 13 was held on July 9, 2011.Gans, Andrew. "John Benjamin Hickey, Kerry Butler, Beth Leavel, Bebe Neuwirth Join Broadway Barks Lineup" Playbill, June 17, 2011, accessed November 9, 2016 Performers from many of the Broadway shows presented the adoptable animals: Nina Arianda and Michael McGrath (Born Yesterday); Heidi Blickenstaff, Jackie Hoffman, Bebe Neuwirth and Brad Oscar (The Addams Family); Steel Burkhardt, Matt DeAngelis, Josh Lamon, Paris Remillard and Kacie Sheik (Hair); Kerry Butler, Linda Hart and Aaron Tveit (Catch Me If You Can); Bobby Cannavale, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Yul Vázquez (The Motherf**ker With the Hat); Reeve Carney, T.V. Carpio, Jennifer Damiano, Isabel Keating and Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), Victoria Clark and Patina Miller (Sister Act), Paige Davis (Boeing-Boeing), Sutton Foster, Adam Godley, Joel Grey and John McMartin (Anything Goes), John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart), Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley and Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), Beth Leavel (Baby It's You), Judy McLane (Mamma Mia!), Will Swenson (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and William Berloni, "trainer to Broadway’s four-legged stars and behavior consultant for the Humane Society of New York.""Broadway Barks 13 Welcomes Two-Legged Stars And Their Four-Legged Friends" BroadwayCares.org, accessed July 26, 2011
Broadway Barks 14 was held on July 14, 2012. In addition to the celebrity presentation of adoptable cats and dogs, Peters autographed a new Broadway Barks calendar.Gans, Andrew. "Broadway Barks! 14 Will Feature Jeremy Jordan, Angela Lansbury, Steve Kazee, Audra McDonald and More" Playbill, June 19, 2012, accessed November 9, 2016 To acknowledge the event, Peters rang the NASDAQ closing bell on July 13, 2012.Gioia, Michael. "Tony Winner Bernadette Peters Will Ring the NASDAQ Closing Bell July 13" Playbill, July 12, 2012, accessed November 9, 2016Gordon, David. "Photo Flash: Bernadette Peters and Members of the ASPCA Ring NASDAQ Closing Bell" Theatermania.com, July 13, 2012
There were some 27 animal shelters and adoption agencies that participated, including the ASPCA, Mid Atlantic Great Dane, and Urban Cat League. Broadway and television performers presented the adoptable animals, such as Nina Arianda, Joel Grey, Megan Hilty, Anjelica Huston, Steve Kazee, Audra McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth and Ben Vereen.Gans, Andrew. "Broadway Barks! for a Good Cause in Shubert Alley July 14" Playbill', July 14, 2012, accessed November 9, 2016"Multimedia. Broadway Stars Join Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore for Broadway Barks, photos by Joseph Marzullo" , Playbill, July 15, 2012 Neuwirth jokingly remarked (in a newspaper article) "I’m the designated crazy cat lady." She has been at Broadway Barks every year to "help showcase the many cats available for adoption."Sacks, Amy. "Bernadette Peters puts her heart into pet adoption drive in Shubert Alley" New York Daily News, July 13, 2012
Broadway Barks 15 was held on July 13, 2013.Gans, Andrew. "Victoria Clark, Billy Porter, Andrew Rannells, David Hyde Pierce and More Will Join Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters for Broadway Barks!" Playbill, June 20, 2013, accessed November 9, 2016 Peters and Harvey Fierstein (substituting for Moore, who could not attend) co-hosted. David Hyde Pierce, Sigourney Weaver, Andrew Rannells, Jane Lynch, Billy Porter and others presented the adoptable animals.Alk, Nell. "Dogs and Cats Take Center Stage in Times Square" The Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2013 Among the 27 shelters represented were Bobbi and the Strays, City Critters, The Humane Society of New York, Husky House, KittyKind, Loving Touch Animal Center, Manhattan Valley Cat Rescue, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, NY Pet-I-Care, Pet ResQ, P.L.U.T.O. Rescue (Pet Lovers United Together as One), Russell Refuge, SaveKitty Foundation, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, Stray from the Heart, Tigger Foundation and Urban Cat League."Barks 2013" broadwaycares.org, accessed July 2013
Broadway Barks 16 was held on July 12, 2014,Gans, Andrew. "Broadway Barks 16 Sets July Date" Playbill, June 9, 2014, accessed November 9, 2016 with hosts Peters and James Franco.Gordon, David. "Bernadette Peters, James Franco, Zach Braff, and More Go to the Dogs at Broadway Barks 16" theatermania.com, July 12, 2014 Presenters included performers from many shows on Broadway appeared, including Bullets Over Broadway, Matilda The Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Cinderella, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Aladdin, Rocky and Of Mice and Men (and many more). Performers included Zach Braff, Bebe Neuwirth, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Will Swenson, and Danny Burstein.Hetrick, Adam and Gans, Andrew. "Audra McDonald, Andy Mientus, Sierra Boggess, Lena Hall and Zach Braff Set for Broadway Barks 16" Playbill, June 23, 2014, accessed November 9, 2016
Broadway Barks 17 was held on July 11, 2015, in Shubert Alley, with Peters as host and special guest host Andrew Rannells. Many shelters participated, including ASPCA, Adopt a Boxer Rescue, Animal Care and Control of NYC (AC&C), Animal Haven, Anjellicle Cat Rescue, BARC (Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition), Bideawee, Bobbi & the Strays, Humane Society of New York (HSNY), Manhattan Valley Cat Rescue, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue, P.L.U.T.O. Rescue (Pet Lovers United Together As One), Sean Casey Animal Rescue, Stray from the Heart, Tigger Foundation and Urban Cat League.Gans, Andrew. "Bernadette Peters and Andrew Rannells Will Host Broadway Barks Celebrity Participants Announced" playbill.com, June 29, 2015 Presenters included Sierra Boggess, Christian Borle and the cast from Something Rotten, and Michael Cerveris and the cast from Fun Home.Marzullo, Joseph. "See Broadway's Best Cuddle With Some Amazing Pooches at Broadway Barks 17, Hosted by Bernadette Peters and Andrew Rannells" Playbill, July 12, 2015
Broadway Barks 18 was held on July 30, 2016, with Gloria Estefan as guest co-host with Peters.Gans, Andrew. "Bernadette Peters and Gloria Estefan Will Host Broadway Barks" Playbill, June 22, 2016Gans, Andrew. "Additional Stars Announced for Broadway Barks" Playbill, July 25, 2016 Performers from most of the shows on Broadway presented the adoptable cats and dogs, from Beautiful and The Humans to Waitress and Wicked, and included perennial presenter Bebe Neuwirth.Baron, Tricia. "Bernadette Peters, Gloria Estefan, Sean Hayes, and More Celebrate Broadway Barks" theatermania.com, July 31, 2016