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Volunteer Profile: James Babcock One of the perks of chatting with a volunteer in the BC/EFA conference room is that together you can puzzle out his volunteer history based on the vast array of framed event posters lining the walls. If the 15 th Annual Gypsy of the Year places James Babcock on staff circa 2003, Easter Bonnet 17 confirms it. “And they haven’t been able to get rid of me since,” he adds. A Star at Collections As with so many volunteers at Broadway Cares, Jim is reluctant to cite a favorite BC/EFA fundraiser, but admits to hitting his stride during “collections.” “It’s actually a lot of fun; makes me feel like I’m part of the theatre community,” he says. Standing alongside cast members from the various shows sponsoring collection drives at the back of the house, he often finds himself mistaken for talent. For one brief moment, he’s been a Mamma Mia! chorus boy and even a flying monkey in Wicked. When he confessed to a fan at Phantom of the Opera that he wasn’t actually in the Playbill, she asked him to sign it anyway. But, perhaps his greatest brush with mistaken identity was the time Actors’ Equity Association Executive Director Alan Eisenberg congratulated him for his work on stage at a performance of Mamma Mia! before dropping a donation in his bucket. “He said, ‘You were great,” recalls Jimmy. “Hmm… I can’t remember if I corrected him.” Flea Market Fan After graduating with a BA in musical theatre history at Milliken University in Decatur, Illinois, Jimmy found work in Manhattan at a PR firm. His first roommate was Frank Conway, Associate Director of Corporate Sponsorship and Production Services at BC/EFA, who introduced him to the organization and the rewards of volunteering. Eventually, he moved into publishing and is currently an executive assistant at Smithsonian Magazine. But, despite a busy schedule, Jim always finds time to lend a hand for the cause. He’s even been known to pop up at a Gypsy fundraiser in Chicago where his boyfriend is on tour in Wicked. “(If) I don’t have monetary funds to give, my time is just as good.” Eventually, a candidate for favorite BC/EFA event emerges and it’s the annual Flea Market, held each September in Shubert Alley. “It’s the one time of the year I really spend money,” says Jimmy, recalling the time he found a costume rendering from Steel Pier. “I did my senior thesis on Kander and Ebb, so it was a great find.” But, whether collecting at matinees or foraging for treasure at the Flea Market, it’s the spirit of giving back that keeps James Babcock returning to the fold. “I love the atmosphere at Broadway Cares,” he says. “It allows me to stay in the business.”
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By Jody O’Neil