Broadway Bets is moving to the Edison Ballroom on May 18, bringing Broadway’s official game night out of its long-time home at Sardi’s Restaurant and into a new room for poker, prizes and show business names. The Broadway Cares fundraiser will feature a Texas Hold ’em tournament for players at every level, with guest passes set aside for people who want to watch the action and try casino games for fun.
The guest list is led by Christopher Abbott, a 2026 Tony nominee for Death of a Salesman, alongside Ben Ahlers, Hank Azaria, Patrick Ball, Isa Briones, Don Cheadle, Robert Creighton, Nicholas Christopher, Hannah Cruz, Andy Frankenberger, Christopher Innvar, Christiani Pitts, Erik Seidel, Mark Strong, Sam Tutty, Edred Utomi and Patrick Wilson. Wilson is listed as The Lost Boys producer, while Broadway productions represented with tables include Beaches, A New Musical, Death Becomes Her, Dog Day Afternoon, Every Brilliant Thing, Oedipus, Ragtime, Schmigadoon! and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Broadway Cares announced the return earlier this year, and the move gives the annual event a different setting without changing its purpose: a night built around Broadway people raising money for Broadway Cares. The mix of performers, poker pros and theater industry figures has always been part of the draw, and this year’s lineup keeps that formula intact while adding a larger event space.
The prizes make the final table matter. The 10 players who reach it will compete for rewards that include a cross-country private jet flight on Aero, one week at the Secret Villas in Key West, a catered dinner party for 12 by Sweet Hospitality Group and a whiskey tasting at The Macallan. The evening’s bar sponsor is Titaníque, and tournament directors Mark Shacket, Brett Sirota and Alex Wolfe are overseeing the game night.
Broadway Bets was built as Broadway’s official game night and benefits Broadway Cares, with founding co-chairs Robert E. Wankel and the late Paul Libin attached to the event from the start. Moving from Sardi’s to the Edison Ballroom marks the most visible change this year, but the deeper point is the same one that has always driven the night: Broadway’s social calendar and its fundraising machinery are still joined at the table.
