Australia is a terrifying place. It’s filled with giant spiders, marsupials of all shapes and sizes, and crocodiles that absolutely want to eat you. For those who make it out alive, a trauma bond for life is nigh guaranteed. The rest of us got to see that bond play out in real time on November 26, when Aussie queen Nicole Kidman donated $100,000 to Broadway Cares during a curtain call for The Music Man led by her countryman Hugh Jackman. Jackman, who plays Harold Hill at the Winter Garden Theatre, is currently leading the charge after each performance to accrue donations to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. It’s customary for participating Broadway shows to spend six weeks over the holidays asking their audiences for donations, but it is less customary for a movie star to offer up 100 grand.
In a video that Jackman posted on social media, you can see the cast of The Music Man in full showman mode asking for measly sums of $19,000 (poor behavior), before an Australian accent rings out from the back of theater. “A hundred,†says a voice unmistakably belonging to Nicole Kidman. The cheering begins before she can even say “thousand.†“That’s Nicole Kidman!†one audience member says. And it is! She then walks down to the stage with a leisurely yet well-performed stroll. “I love you, I love Broadway, and I love what they do at Broadway Cares,†Kidman says. “But I also want to say the show is extraordinary.†She walks away wearing Hugh Jackman’s hat. “I’ve known Nic for almost 30 years,†Jackman says. “I’ve worked with her. I can tell you this is not a surprise to me; she’s one of the most generous souls I know.†The biggest revelation here should not be Jackman calling her “Nic,†but let’s be honest, that’s adorable. It’s that Aussie connection, you knaur?