NYS Music 202​0

Tag: broadway

  • Broadway Buskers Series Takes Final Bow

    Broadway Buskers Concert Series concluded their season of live streamed performances for Broadway fans everywhere, this past October.

    Since 2018, Broadway Buskers has hosted concerts in Times Square to showcase Broadway workers’ original music in between shows. The Times Square Alliance did not let COVID-19 stop them from sharing music and good vibes with the Broadway community. From August to October, fans streamed Broadway Buskers concerts every Tuesday at 7PM.

    Broadway Buskers
    Photo via Getty Images

    The final two shows wrapped up the series with a bang. Juwan Crawley (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Aladdin), Cheeyang Ng (Eastbound, MĀYĀ), and Anthony Norman (The Prom, Chicago Med) closed the season after baby chemist (Katie Lee Hill & Travis Artz: New Amsterdam, SpongeBob LIVE on Nickelodeon; Transformers: Cyberverse, My Very Own British Invasion) and Jai’Len Josey (SpongeBob SquarePants) performed the week before. Watch Buskers performances on the Times Square Alliance’s YouTube channel.

    Broadway Buskers

    Even though the quarantine has hurt many, people are connecting virtually like never before. Songwriter and Broadway actress Jennifer Sanchez notes:

    “The most rewarding part about buskers has been connecting with the artists and the gifts of their songs. The openness and supportiveness was special…even when the virus shut it down and we all felt kind of isolated, we were able to make collaborate and music. It’s pretty magical.”

    Cheeyang Ng describes the shift to online as “challenging,” because “without the face-to-face human connection one gets when we’re doing something like that in Times Square is quite sad.” Still, having virtual concerts “means the opportunity for a wider range of people to hear some new musical theatre.” Even though Broadway is closed, programs like Broadway Buskers are making theatre more accessible than every before.

    Broadway Buskers
    baby chemist, photo by Gabriella Spiegel

    For baby chemist, their set became “hybrid show of live interview, sketch, and banter mixed with pre-recorded musical performances.” Hill said “by playing into this new hybrid format, we were actually able to create an atmosphere that was closer to the off-beat vibe of what one of our live, in-person shows is like!”

    She loves “that Broadway Buskers gives actors a platform to show another side of their artistry, giving them a chance to perform in a way you might not have heard them get to do yet in an onstage musical.”

    With these weekly shows, the Times Square Alliance has celebrated songwriters from all places and backgrounds. Audiences watched the talent the Broadway community has to offer for free. If possible, however, fans can donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to help those struggling. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has been funding AIDS treatment and creating grants to help those in need since 1988.

  • Broadway Stays Dark Until May 2021

    On March 12, all Broadway theaters went dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters hoped on opening this January, but the shutdown has been extended through at least May 30, 2021.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    A poster on Times Square advertises West Side Story at the Broadway Theater on February 7, 2020 in New York City. – Westside Story is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, directed by Belgian Ivo Van Hove. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

    On October 9, The Broadway League announced that Broadway will remain dark until next Summer. This shutdown is the longest ever in Broadway’s history. If theaters open as planned next May, shows will have been closed for 444 days, keeping thousands out of work for more than a year.

    “With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again.”

    Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League

    Before the shutdown, 31 productions were running on Broadway, including 8 new shows in previews. 8 additional shows were in rehearsals with plans to open last spring. Hangmen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Disney’s Frozen struggled greatly and closed permanently. Shows like Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s revival of The Music Man, American Buffalo, and The Minutes postponed their opening dates. The Music Man announced plans to open on February 10, 2022.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    Needless to say, the Broadway community’s fans and workers are heartbroken. The Broadway League announced that although the current opening date is May 30, individual production’s reopening dates may differ. The League suggests that “theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.”

    Amid this crisis, fans can still look forward to the 2020 Tony Awards. The show will be presented virtually, and the nominees for each category will be announced October 15.

  • Radial Park brings Broadway Theater to the Drive-in

    Although the coronavirus pandemic has left Broadway shut down until next year, the Friends of Hallets Point and Stark Production have teamed up to introduce Radial Park, a drive-in theater in Queens with a Broadway twist.

    radial park
    Photo by Tricia Baron

    Starting this month, Hallets Point Play has begun to offer Broadway experiences, from big screen movies to full scale live productions. Radial Park’s first show, a live production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, officially opened this month. An 11-piece orchestra brings this show to life along with talented actors Ali Ewoldt (Les Miserables National Tour and Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera Broadway, and The King and I Regional Tour and Broadway) and Derrick Davis (The Phantom of the Opera National Tour, The Lion King National Tour). Ice cold beverages and movie theater snacks are available.

    Radial Park is taking extreme measures in order to maintain their guests’ safety. All have their temperature checked upon entry, and can choose a glow in the dark wristband to make others aware of his or her comfort level: green bracelets for go, yellow for being cautious, and red to tell others not to come near. Fans can enjoy the show from their own cars, but those without vehicles are welcome to rent a socially-distanced picnic table complete with a boombox for audio. There are COVID “lifeguards” on duty all night to ensure that everyone practices social distancing.

    radial park
    Ali Ewoldt as Christine in Phantom. Photo by Tricia Baron.

    “The Durst Organization is thrilled to host such a creative concept from Stark Productions,” said Helena Rose Durst, Principal at The Durst Organization. “Radial Park will provide a unique live entertainment experience that we are all craving during these difficult times, but in a safe and responsible way.” The Durst Organization also holds 20 tickets each performance for Astoria Houses residents. A portion of sales goes to Friends of Hallets Point, a nonprofit organization that improves the community life and beauty of Hallets Point.

    “As the saying goes, ‘The show must go on!’” commented Jeremy Shepard, Stark Production Group Founder and President. “We are thrilled to be able to be presenting Broadway at the drive-in and are grateful to our partners, Friends of Halletts Point and the Durst Organization, for making it all possible.” Radial Park is personal to Shepard, and he hopes that it can help lighten New Yorkers’ spirits during quarantine. “I chose Broadway because it has been a part of my life for the last 10 years,” he says. “It seems a shame it is shut down when we all need it the most. Can’t wait to see you at Broadway at the drive-in!”

    radial park

    Starting this weekend, a full screening of Purple Rain will run until October 25. Audiences will watch the film along with nine live numbers performed by the Radial Park Band, American Idol Finalist Aaron Marcellus, Broadway’s Nick Rashad, and Burroughs and Grammy award nominee, Lenesha “Sister” Randolf.

    Tickets are available for Phantom of the Opera and Purple Rain now. Prices are per car (up to 5 people) or per picnic table (up to 4). Sign up for Radial Park’s mailing list and don’t miss news and exclusive offers.

  • Broadway Buskers Concert Series Returns Virtually

    The Times Square Alliance’s annual Broadway Buskers concert series will pick up again virtually this year starting on July 21 and stream every Tuesday at 7pm until October 27. 

    broadway buskers

    Since its start in 2018, Broadway Buskers has brought Broadway actors and composers’ original work to NYC by hosting live performances in Times Square times so that audience members and Broadway workers could watch before heading to a show. While in-person concerts are out, theatre fans can still watch these weekly concerts to experience the talent the Broadway community has to offer. 

    Tons of familiar faces will be featured over the coming weeks: Rachel Potter (The Addams Family, Evita, Wicked) and Heath Saunders (The Great Comet, Alice By Heart, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert) on July 21, Melissa Li & Kit Yan (Interstate, MISS STEP, Cancelled) and Ben Wexler (Washington Square, 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant Winner) on July 28, Lauren Elder (Mary and Max, Hair, Side Show) and James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Chicago) on August 4, Joey Contreras (Love Me, Love Me Not, Break from the Line, Joyride) and Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change, If/Then, Come From Away) on August 11, and additional performers to be announced. The concerts will be streamed every Tuesday at 7PM until October 27. 

    Ben Cameron returns as the curator and host, and for the second year, the Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) co-curates with queer, trans, and BIPOC artists from the MTF community. While the concerts are free, viewers are encouraged to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund and the Broadway Advocacy Coalition. 

    Watch the Broadway Buskers concerts on Tuesdays at 7PM from July 21-October 27 at TSQ.org/BroadwayBuskers or on Facebook.

    Broadway Buskers

    Tune in on August 4th at 7pm ET for Lauren Elder (Mary and Max, Hair, Side Show) James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Chicago) and Nathan Salstone (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child OBC)

    and on August 11th at 7pm ET for Joey Contreras (Love Me, Love Me Not, Break from the Line, Joyride), and Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change, If/Then, Come From Away).

    The August 18th performance will feature a Next to Normal  mini-reunion with performances from both Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer.

    Looking ahead to September, Adam Pascal, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist‘s Alice Lee, and more, will take the virtual stage in September.

    Broadway Buskers continues Tuesday evenings at 7pm ET through October 27 at Additional performers will be announced at a later date.

  • Weird Al doesn’t throw away his shot with “Hamilton Polka”

    Just one day after the musical’s release on Disney+, Weird Al Yankovic uploaded a comedic mashup video to go along with his 2018 “Hamilton Polka.”

    weird al hamilton

    Parody artist Weird Al is famous for his mashup polkas of famous songs. His first polka, “Polkas on 45,” was released in 1984. Weird Al has continued to make polkas throughout the decades using each generation’s music. His most recent is “NOW That’s What I Call Polka!,” which was released in 2014 and features songs by Miley Cyrus, One Direction, Daft Punk, and more.

    The single was released in 2018 as a part of the Hamildrop series, where different artists made remixes of Hamilton content throughout the year. Miranda has been a fan of Yankovic since he was a kid, and hearing the song was a dream come true for him. He and Weird Al have been good friends for some time, and Yankovic describes Hamilton as “maybe the greatest piece of art [he’s] ever seen,” so he pulled out all the stops to make sure that the “Hamilton Polka” was perfect. 

    The “Hamilton Polka” is Weird Al’s third polka to use songs by only one artist. “The Hot Rocks Polka” features songs only by The Rolling Stones, and his “Bohemian Polka” mashes up Queen’s famous “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The “Hamilton Polka”  still made history as being the first time Yankovic used multiple songs by one artist but from just one album. 

    He features some of the most popular songs from the show, including: “Alexander Hamilton,” “Wait For It,” “The Schulyer Sisters,” “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” “You’ll Be Back,” “The Room Where It Happens,” “Right Hand Man,” “Guns and Ships,” “Washington On Your Side,” “Non Stop,” “History Has its Eyes On You,” and “My Shot.”

    Even with the songs’ uniformity, Weird Al manages to stay true to his style and add silliness to the single. The comically edited lip syncs of the video feature the 2016 cast of Hamilton performing Weird Al’s vocals. The actors’ dancing and blocking for each song is shown, finishing with the cast’s final bow.

  • PBS Airs Broadway Shows to Keep Theatre Alive

    As a part of their Broadway at Home series, PBS will be bringing theatre to people at home by broadcasting She Loves Me, Present Laughter, In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams, Much Ado About Nothing, and The King and I on a weekly basis starting July 24 and ending August 21. 

    broadway PBS
    Photo by Joan Marcus.

    Since the Broadway shutdown was extended to 2021, many are still finding ways to keep theatre alive. Following the Disney Plus release of Hamilton, on Fridays this summer, PBS will broadcast some past Broadway favorites. She Loves Me will kick the series off on July 24 at 9PM ET. The musical features Tony award winner Laura Benanti and Tony nominee Zachary Levi. This 2016 revival of the 1963 show was the first ever Broadway show to be livestreamed. The next week, Noel Coward’s Present Laughter will air July 31 at 9PM ET. This comedy follows a self-obsessed actor as he deals with women who want him, crazed playwrights, twists, and his impending mid-life crisis. 

    On August 7 at 9, PBS will broadcast In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams. The film documents the stories of composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of In the Heights as they prepare for their opening night in 2008. It is about the difficulty of going out and achieving dreams when all odds are stacked against you. Although writing a show about a mainly Hispanic neighborhood in NYC may have been risky, it certainly paid off. In the Heights took home 4 Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Score of a Musical.  Its film adaptation will be released summer 2021.

    For the first time, PBS will show a Shakespeare in the Park show–Much Ado About Nothing from 2019. Danielle Brooks and Grantham Coleman star in this Shakespeare comedy directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon and choreographed by Tony nominee Camille A. Brown. Much Ado About Nothing will air on August 14 at 9. 

    Danielle Brooks and Grantham Coleman. Photo by Joan Marcus.

    PBS wraps the series up on August 21 at 9 with Rogers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. The 2015 revival of this 1951 classic won the Tony for Best Musical Revival. This production was recorded during its 2018 run and stars Tony award winners Ruthie Ann Miles and Kelli O’Hara, who won for this performance as Mrs. Anna in The King and I in 2015. 

    The shows will also be available for streaming on all station-branded PBS platforms, and all PBS station members will be able to watch the shows on Passport. Check your local PBS station for more information. 

  • This Darkness has got to give: Music Venues in July across New York State

    It is now July 2020, the fifth month with minimal, if any, live music performances throughout New York State, let alone the country. Our venues are not yet open, but as the threat of COVID-19 decreases, parts of New York will enter Phase 4 and beyond, with the hope that live music will return, even if gradually.

    While we may be stream weary, the prospect of live music is a motivator for many, and staying safe is the key given that New York and much of the Northeast are faring better than other areas of the country.

    Photo by Buscar Photo

    From viewing these photos taken during mid-late June, we can see the presence of the Black Lives Matter protests that spanned all 50 states. In all corners of New York there were protests, particularly in New York, protests that continue to push for defunding of the NYPD.

    Working with 13 photographers to document more than 60 venues in 20 cities across New York State, NYS Music presents the second edition of our monthly series that looks at the current state of our beloved venues. When the venues reopen, we will share photo documentation recording the changes over time in all corners of the state.

    Immense thanks goes out to all photographers and venues who are taking part in this monthly series. We’ll start this month in the Capital District, with a drone montage from Zach Culver, covering the venues we long to return to, sooner, rather than later.

    Manhattan and Brooklyn – photos by Joseph Buscarello

    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
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    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
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    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)

    Hudson Valley – photos by Mickey Deneher

    Saranac Lake – photos by Pete Mason

    Long Island – photos by Andrew Camera

    Rochester – photos by Brian Ferguson

    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadieux

    Manhattan – photos by Jamie Huenefeld

    Utica – photos courtesy of The Stanley Theatre

    Port Chester – photos by Chad Anderson

    Ithaca – photo by Casey Martin

    Lake Placid – photos by Pete Mason

    • Paul White Memorial Band Shell
    • Palace Theatre

    Long Island – photos by Rob Tellerman

    Tarrytown and Peekskill – photos by Steve Malinski

    Buffalo – photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

  • Broadway Shutdown Extended to January 3, 2021

    On June 29, The Broadway League announced that the Coronavirus shutdown would remain effective for Broadway theaters for the remainder of 2020. 

    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    On March 12, The Broadway League closed NYC’s shows after Governor Cuomo placed restrictions on mass gatherings. The theaters were supposed to only stay closed for a month. However, due to the ever-present threat of COVID-19, the date was pushed back several times. Now, shows will not be opening until January 3, 2021. 

    Broadway has gone dark before. Shows have been closed many times for strikes in 1919, 1964, and 1975, and all shows were closed for several days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This hurt shows financially so much that several were not able to reopen after the shutdown ended. However, Broadway has never been closed this long before.

    Much like the 9/11 shutdown, Broadway shows are being deeply hurt by this inactivity today. Hangmen and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? will not be able to open in 2021. 31 productions were running in March, with 8 new shows in previews that were scheduled to officially open later this year. The Minutes, American Buffalo, and the long anticipated revival of The Music Man starring Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman announced that their opening dates would be postponed. The Lincoln Center Theater and the Roundabout Theatre Company have released new Spring dates for their upcoming works. 

    Via gaylesbroadwayrose.com

    “The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal,” says Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League Thomas Schumacher. “Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience. The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so. One thing is for sure, when we return we will be stronger and more needed than ever.”

    The theaters are expected to open with rolling dates starting on January 3, 2021. All tickets before this date are being refunded or exchanged. In the meantime, Broadway fans can watch the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton on Disney+, which will be available for streaming on July 3.

  • Disney+ Releases Trailer for Hamilton

    Disney + has just released their trailer for Hamilton: An American Musical which will be available for streaming on July 3.

    hamilton trailer

    First produced Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2015, Hamilton then moved to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway later that year. The show’s music, lyrics, and book were written by the musical’s star, Lin Manuel-Miranda based off of Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is most famous for presenting America as it was in the 1700s, but in today’s light. Every character save King George is played by a BIPOC to highlight the diversity of America today.

    Hamilton took Broadway by storm and the hype has not yet let down. Due to the show’s popularity, tickets continue to be expensive: at one point, a premium seat went for $1,150. However, the show is famous for their memorable lottery, the #Ham4Ham, when lucky winners are given front row tickets for only $10, or one Hamilton. Fans have been anticipating the release of this recording for years, as Lin Manuel-Miranda confirmed that the show would be recorded in a tweet in 2016. The release of this high-quality recording makes Broadway more accessible to people who cannot experience it live for themselves.

    Hamilton was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony awards, and won 11 in total, including best musical, best book, and best score, as well as Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) winning best actor, Daveed Diggs (Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) awarded best featured actor, and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler) receiving the Tony for best featured actress. Many other members of the cast were nominated for Tonys, and they can all be seen in the original Broadway cast recording on July 3. 

    This is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s second Broadway show. In The Heights, a story about a predominately Hispanic neighborhood community living in Washington Heights, had its Broadway debut in 2008 also at the Richard Rogers Theater and was nominated for 13 Tonys and won 4, including best musical. In the Heights has just been adapted into a feature film as well, with Anthony Ramos (who plays John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton), playing the lead role of Usnavi. In the Height, previously scheduled for release June 2020, will now be released on June 18, 2021.

    Hamilton will be available to stream on Disney+ on July 3.

  • A Step Towards Reform for Broadway

    With the recent murders of African-American men and women like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, several BIPOC Broadway workers–actors and crew members alike–have begun to speak out against the racism which plagues Broadway and other theatre communities all across the country. Many, like writer and actor Griffin Matthews, have expressed that they are tired of the relentless racism which exists on Broadway, and reform is on the way.

    broadway reform

    Even in the time of this global halt, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition will hold a three-part forum for the African-American members of the Broadway community. The forum will be held over three days: June 10, 11, and 12. 

    Day one is dedicated to healing, where all will be welcome to share any experience in which they have been forced to deal with racism in the theatre industry. Day one is intended to be a safe space of only African-American people. Day two is for listening; African-American industry professionals will tell their experiences and look towards breaking the bias held in white allies and encouraging those allies to look inward and examine this bias. Day three, which is an extension of day two, is centered around accountability. Broadway’s inherently racist building blocks will be examined, and the group will discuss building a better Broadway which is truly more inclusive. 

    This forum is not only to be a means of support for countless African-American Broadway workers, but will hopefully force Broadway to begin to recognize its roots in racism and rebuild the system in a more honest way. Registration for each online event is available now.