Putting WArmth into the Holidays

BY ANGELA BARBUTI

The lights on Broadway shine a little brighter this holiday season, as the casts of some of its most beloved shows are donating their coats to help those in need in our city. The Broadway Coat Drive was assembled on behalf of “Good Morning America’s” Warm Coats and Warm Hearts by Broadway mom Tammie Cumming. She came up with the idea in 2010 after her son’s show, “Billy Elliot,” promoted the charity on the morning show, but did not have their own means to collect coats. “And I thought, ‘It would probably be one of the easiest things to do, to coordinate the Broadway shows to do a coat drive,’” she explained.

Former Broadway kids from shows like “Mary Poppins”, “South Pacific” and “The Lion King” serve as the drive’s ambassadors, organizing and executing the entire process. This year, five shows are on board — “The Lion King,” “Matilda,” “Kinky Boots,” “Beautiful” and “On Your Feet.” As for the future, Cumming hopes that one day the effort can expand to include audience members bringing coats to the shows. “I would like it to be an annual event just like Broadway Barks and Bernadette Peters. I would like people to think, ‘It’s wintertime; there goes Broadway’s young performers who are leading this effort that they do every year to help New York City.’”

How did your partnership with Warm Coats and Warm Hearts come about?I have a son who was on Broadway in “Billy Elliot” and what they did for publicity was the show turned up on “Good Morning America’s” Warm Coats and Warm Hearts Drive to be spokespeople. The show, to my knowledge, didn’t really have a coat drive, but the kids were there promoting it. Then we started with it the very next year, where we actually contacted the shows and asked if they would like to be a part of the coat drive and then rounded up Broadway actors. We tried to give the ones in the shows opportunities to do things, but a lot of times they’re so busy working on publicity for their show, rehearsing and performing, that they don’t have as much time. So we said, “What about the kids who are aging out of the roles?” It gives them a continued role in the Broadway scene, to do something helpful and to feel connected. That’s how it began.

Tell us about the ambassadors. This year I have eight. They are from previous shows. Some of them are doing some acting now. It’s a lot of work and not just a role that they have on a piece of paper. They have to help solicit the participation of the shows. And then they have to help get the boxes ready and get on a schedule and make sure they are in communication. It really is a good training tool for when they go out into the world and have to work. They have to be on a schedule with the stage manager for when they are supposed to pick up. There has to be a posting to announce when there will be a photo shoot according to union rules. They have to make sure to pick up the coats on their scheduled days, be at the photo shoot. It’s a lot of responsibility. I check in a lot with them, but I really do try to designate some of that authority to them and let them have that responsibility and feel what it’s like to do that. So really, it is their coat drive; I’m just helping to facilitate the process. When they say they want to be an ambassador, I will ask them, “What does it mean to you to be in this role?” And they give me some written sentences about why it’s important and why they want to be a part of this. And I think to articulate what they mean and why they should be selected, is a very good experience for them as well.

Where do the coats go? Our last coat drive was tremendously successful; we had more than 300. Last time, they were all brought to “Good Morning America.” We gave a lot of coats, but usually there is a second batch of 20 more coats or something. Then we will give those directly to Burlington, who is actually the recipient. From what I understand, the coats donated from the area will go to the area first and then within the state. So it’s local first, and then it goes beyond. This really is a national effort. I have to tell you, some of the coats that are donated, it’s an impressive group. People are not giving their hand-me-down coats that’s been handed down four times and really ready to go to the trash. I’ve seen some beautiful designer coats come in and thought, “The people who are giving are really kind.” I think there is a lot of thought and care that goes into the quality.

What is your vision for the future of the drive?I would love it to get bigger and I need to think of a better way where audience members can actually bring the coats. And I’ve been asked this question before, but I can’t figure out how to do the workload of collecting them and where it would be. Because it’s not a simple solution in New York City with space, theaters and unions. But it could be a lot bigger.

To learn more, visit @BrdwayCoatDrive on Twitter

To learn about the national effort, visit www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/warm-coats-warm-hearts-drive