“Hamilton” Helps Rochester

The national touring company of ‘Hamilton,’ through Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, raised money that will help Trillium Health. Credit: Joan Marcus.

Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, the Broadway community has played a leading role in raising awareness and money to help people affected by the disease.

Trillium Health has had a long relationship with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which raises money from theater audiences and others for grants and other donations to community organizations for people living with HIV.

After each recent performance of Hamilton at the Auditorium Theatre, cast members asked patrons for donations as part of a national drive. All told, 30 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies this fall are raising money that helps grass-roots organizations. Donations from around the country are pooled, and Broadway Cares makes grants to nearly 500 organizations, including 120 in New York — and Trillium is one of them.

The amount of the grant hasn’t been determined, but it will go into Trillium’s patient assistance fund. The money helps subsidize food, transportation, rent and other programs for the people we serve.

Lane Beauchamp, director of communications for Broadway Cares, said its strictly voluntary for companies to participate. Before COVID, cast members used to go into the lobby and pass the hat. If you gave a certain amount, you could receive an autographed poster or some sort of show merchandise. But for the safety of the cast, donation stations were installed at exits, or the patrons could use a QR code and give online.

More than 38,000 people attended Hamilton’s nearly two-week run. Their donations will be part of the funds that are shared around the country. Last year, Broadway Cares distributed nearly $9 million from these nationwide drives.

“We are so grateful and appreciative of both the company of ‘Hamilton’ and the people in Rochester who saw the show and found it in their hearts to give,” Lane said to me.

Since its founding around 1990, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has donated more than $100,000 to Trillium that has been used in one way or another for patient care. Last year, Broadway Cares gave a $7,500 grant.

Trillium Health, and Community Health Network before it, has had a nice relationship with Broadway Cares. The attention from having cast members of a Broadway show stand on stage and talk about HIV/AIDS does two things. It obviously yields dollars. But the other thing is the goodwill that comes from having people say good things about you from the stage after a theatre production. Talking about HIV in the theatre helps chase the stigma. And some people in the audience may not be familiar with Trillium, so that’s good education for what we do.