Broadway Bets

Monday, May 18
6:30 pm Cocktails & Food
7:30 pm Tournament begins
The Edison Ballroom
240 West 47th Street, NYC

A glittering mix of Broadway insiders and powerhouse companies from across entertainment and beyond will ante up for a night of competitive cards and industry buzz at Broadway Bets.

This year, the stakes will soar as multiple Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning producer and philanthropist Thomas S. Perakos is the first-ever presenting sponsor of Broadway Bets. His pioneer multi-year commitment of more than $1 million marks a milestone investment focusing exclusively on funding for health care, health insurance, mental health support, counseling and emergency assistance for all members of the Broadway and theater community during their critical times of need. 

Broadway Bets moves to New York City’s historic Edison Ballroom. Doors will open at 6:30 pm with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by the 7:30 pm tournament kickoff. Every Broadway Bets ticketing level includes a delectable menu from Chopped champion Mina Newman and an open bar.

A slew of this Broadway season’s buzziest shows will be represented with tables: Beaches, a New Musical; Dog Day Afternoon; Every Brilliant Thing; Oedipus; Ragtime; Schmigadoon!; The Fear of 13 and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). And the ship of dreams will be docking at the Edison, as the evening’s bar sponsor – complete with custom branded barware – is Titanique.

Going “all in” as Full House table sponsors are 321 Theatrical Management, AKA, The Araca Group, ATG Entertainment, Foresight Theatrical, John Gore Organization (Broadway Across America, Broadway.com), Kikis Family Foundation, LDK Productions, Jennifer Melin Miller, McDermott Will & Schulte, The Nederlander Organization, Neuberger Berman, Satisfi Labs and Broadw.ai, PRG, Proskauer Rose LLP, RCI Theatricals, The Road Company, RoadCo Entertainment and Sony Music Masterworks, Secret Villas of Key West and The Heslin Family Trust, Segal Consulting, Serino Coyne, The Shubert Organization, SINE Digital, SpotCo, Sweet Hospitality Group, TodayTix, Universal Theatrical Group, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Withum.

Two-pair half-table sponsors are Actors’ Equity Association, Campus, Captivate, Disney Theatrical Group, Independent Presenters Network, Littler Mendelson, Macallan,The New York Times, Schultheis & Panettieri LLP, Situation Group and WME.

Broadway stars, industry insiders and theater fans alike will come together at Broadway Bets to rub shoulders with the who’s who of Broadway in an electrifying evening of poker. Whether they’re seasoned pros or first-time players, guests will test their poker faces in an exhilarating Texas Hold ’em tournament – all for the chance to claim the coveted title of Broadway Bets champion. 

A limited number of non-tournament party passes offer an expanded insider’s view of the action, complete with cocktails, food, more casino games than ever before and prime opportunities for industry networking.

Perakos’ transformative support, in partnership with The Perakos Family Cares Foundation, will focus on wellness, health care and health insurance, mental health support, counseling and emergency assistance for all members of the Broadway and theater community during their critical times of need. Perakos is a co-producer on a wide-ranging slate of celebrated productions across Broadway and beyond, including the currently running Buena Vista Social Club, Broadway’s upcoming Giant, which won the 2025 Olivier for Best Play, as well as the West End’s Sinatra The Musical, coming this June, among many others.

Broadway Bets’ tournament directors are Mark Shacket, partner at Foresight Theatrical, Brett Sirota, co-founder and partner at The Road Company, and Alex Wolfe, general manager at Foresight Theatrical.

The founding co-chairs are Robert E. Wankel, chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization and president of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees, and the late Paul Libin, executive vice president emeritus of Jujamcyn Theaters and president emeritus of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees. 

Last year’s edition of Broadway Bets, which raised a record $546,500, found Jeffrey Korn, a partner in the litigation department at law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, facing off at the final table against Audrey Federici, an actor and opera singer. Surrounded by a cheering crowd, Korn bested Federici with a pair of deuces. Across its eight editions, Broadway Bets has raised $2.7 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Bets is made possible by City National Bank, the official bank of Broadway Bets; United Airlines, the official airline of Broadway Cares; and The New York Times.