CURTAIN UP BROADWAY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES MORE DETAILS AND STARS FOR THE EVENTS OVER THREE DAYS IN TIMES SQUARE THAT INCLUDE:
The Broadway Block Party
Broadway Sing-Alongs
Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
Curtain Up After Dark Concerts
PLUS
The Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert hosted by Amber Ruffin and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and featuring Iconic Broadway Musicals, Broadway Plays and Special Guests
Aired Live on WABC
All Events are Live and Free in Times Square September 30-October 2, 2022
Playbill, The Broadway League, the Times Square Alliance, and Prudential Financial announce new details and talent for Curtain Up Broadway Festival, a three-day outdoor experience in Times Square presented by title sponsor Prudential Financial; sponsored in part by Wagoneer and Audible Theater, with additional support from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Music Performance Trust Fund and Hotel Edison.
Curtain Up Broadway Festival will bring Broadway to the streets of New York City in Times Square on Broadway stretching between 45th and 48th Streets. Over fifteen unique events will take place on stages in Duffy Square (7th Ave. & 46th St.) and on Broadway between 45th and 48th Streets. All interactive events and performances are live, free, and open to the public. This is the second year that Prudential is the title sponsor of Curtain Up in Times Square and is proud to be a rock of support for the Broadway community.
The three-day celebration will include the following headlining events:
The Curtain Up Broadway Festival will kick off on Friday September 30 at 2PM. This exciting mainstage event will feature speakers and special guests including music director James Sampliner, Broadway stars such as Norm Lewis (The Phantom of the Opera) and more to be announced. Fans will join the Broadway community for a celebratory countdown to the official start of the festival!
The Broadway Block Party will take place on Friday, September 30 at 5PM on Duffy Square and will invite revelers to dance and sing to classic and contemporary Broadway songs with live DJ sets from Broadway DJ Mike Borowski and guest performers including Christine Dwyer (Wicked), Matt DeAngelis (Waitress), Apollo Levine (MJ), Tracee Beazer (Frozen), Raymond J Lee (Groundhog Day), Lee Siegel (Paradise Square), and more to be announced all in the heart of New York City: Times Square.
The party continues into the night with Curtain Up After Dark concerts sponsored by Prudential. Broadway Sings: The Golden Age of Broadway will take place on Friday, September 30 at 6:30PM featuring the Broadway Sings Band and special Broadway performers T. Oliver Reid, Conrad Ricamora (The King and I), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Beautiful), Morgan James (Motown the Musical), Jeanna de Waal (Diana), Corey Mach (Kinky Boots), MK Morrissey (Mean Girls) and Allison Semmes (Motown), and band members Kartes, Colin Dean, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Yayoi Ikawa, Clyde Daley, Matthew Jermiason and Noah Vece singing under the golden setting sun. Rockers on Broadway: Live in Times Square and Benefiting The PATH Fund will take place on Saturday, October 1 at 6:30PM featuring Donnie Kehr and his band alongside special guests including Rob Evan (Jekyll & Hyde), N’Kenge (Caroline, or Change), Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys), Jen Perry (Kinky Boots), Lauren Pritchard (Spring Awakening) Max Sangerman (Smokey Joe’s Café), Bligh Voth (The Band’s Visit), Jeremy Schonfeld, Sam Behr and more on stage with Broadway and contemporary rock ‘n’ roll hits. Opportunities to donate to The PATH Fund will be made possible on audience’s mobile devices.
The Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert is a grand, outdoor event that marks the culmination of the Curtain Up Broadway Festival. Taking place rain or shine on Sunday, October 2 at 11:00 AM in Duffy Square, the concert, hosted by Amber Ruffin and Jesse Tyler Ferguson with direction by Sammi Cannold and musical direction by Daryl Waters, will spotlight marquee talent from Broadway productions and celebrate the new season on Broadway. For those who cannot attend in person, it will be broadcast live on WABC. Broadway stars from these shows will perform live: A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; A Strange Loop; Aladdin; & Juliet; Beetlejuice; The Book of Mormon; Chicago; Death of a Salesman; Funny Girl; Hadestown; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Into the Woods; The Lion King; MJ The Musical; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Music Man; The Phantom of the Opera; Six; and Wicked.
Throughout the celebratory weekend, Broadway fans will have the unique opportunity to join a wide variety of interactive experiences, events, and intimate concerts including Broadway Sing-Alongs, The Sing for Hope Piano, Playbill: The Game Show LIVE, a dance workshop with Ailey, and more.
For a full list of events, please see the event schedule below. Visit Playbill.com/CurtainUp for Curtain Up Broadway Festival details (as they are announced) as well as a special Guide to All-Things Curtain Up.
“Curtain Up Broadway Festival is a celebration of Broadway and the great city of New York, and it is a perfect way to kick off a brand-new season packed with an incredible array of new shows,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “With 17 Broadway shows already scheduled to open through December, and at least that amount scheduled to open in the spring, we are in for a season jam packed with something for everyone. Broadway’s return brings a newfound vibrancy to the city and its heart, Times Square, and the Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert on Sunday, October 2, featuring some new shows, some long running shows, and recent Tony winning shows, is the perfect opportunity to honor that. WABC is broadcasting the event live and reminding us ‘there’s a little bit of Broadway in everyone!’”
“We at Playbill are extremely excited to help bring Curtain Up Broadway Festival to Times Square once again with our friends and partners at Prudential, the Times Square Alliance, and The Broadway League,” said Alex Birsh, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Playbill. “It has been invigorating to see Broadway thrive upon its return, and we look forward to celebrating the upcoming success of the 2022-23 Broadway season with our three-day extravaganza in the heart of the Theatre District. For three incredible days, Times Square takes center stage featuring an array of Broadway talent and spirited fans who will join together to revel in the artistry and influence of musical theatre and plays.”
“At Prudential, we recognize that Broadway is a vital cultural and economic driver with global reach. After the pandemic pause, Broadway’s comeback is more important than ever,” said Susan Somersille Johnson, Prudential’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Prudential has always rallied to help people and communities, and we are committed to being an unwavering rock of support to keep the lights of Broadway shining bright and bring the magic of the arts to everyone.”
“Broadway has been back for just over a year now and we have seen its impact on Times Square and the city which is a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate with our partners at Playbill, The Broadway League and Prudential with Curtain Up Broadway Festival,” said Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance. “We are regularly seeing over 400,000 people in Times Square and we know that includes audiences, artists and backstage folk making their way to shows throughout Times Square and we encourage them all to enjoy our amazing restaurants, hotels, retailers and other live entertainment venues.”
“We’re thrilled to join The Broadway League, Playbill and the Times Square Alliance to celebrate the talent and shows that make NYC the creative capital of the world,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “The Curtain Up Broadway Festival is a joyous event taking place in the heart of NYC, Times Square, over three days, and is bookended by our signature Broadway in the Boros series, which kicks off in Brooklyn on September 16 and ends on Staten Island on October 14.”
“The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund is proud to support Curtain Up Broadway Festival, a wonderfully unique three-day celebration of Broadway’s triumphant return. There is nothing more fun than free, live concerts featuring the music and performers from so many current and new musicals. Welcome back!” Dan Beck Trustee, Music Performance Trust Fund.
Event organizers will continue to follow the city, state and federal COVID-19 guidelines and will inform the public of any changes to the event protocols or schedule.
Join the conversation about Curtain Up Broadway Festival by following @Playbill, @TimesSquareNYC, and @BroadwayLeague and using #CurtainUpBway.
For photo and video assets from Curtain Up 2021 please click here.
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CURTAIN UP BROADWAY FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The three-day celebration will include the following events below. For a full, detailed listing of events taking place, please visit Playbill.com/CurtainUp.
*Performers are subject to change.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Event: Official Curtain Up Kick-Off Celebration
Time: 2:00-3:00 PM
Location: Mainstage on Duffy Square
Curtain Up Broadway Festival kicks-off with guest speakers from Playbill, The Broadway League, the Times Square Alliance, and title sponsor Prudential, with special guest speakers. Performances will be part of the event by Broadway Stars Norm Lewis (The Phantom of the Opera) and more to be announced, under the direction of music director James Sampliner. The event will ignite excitement on the mainstage and include a celebratory countdown to the official event start!
Event: CHICAGO Sing-Along
Time: 3:00-3:30 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Hotcha! We’re playin’ songs fast and loose from the musical CHICAGO, currently celebrating 25 years on Broadway! Audiences can sing-along to their favorite songs and all that jazz in the heart of Times Square.
Event: WICKED Sing-Along
Time: 3:45-4:15 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
We couldn’t be happier to have pianist Paul Losel lead a WICKED sing-along. Audiences can sing-along to the show’s thrillifying songs in the heart of Times Square!
Event: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Sing-Along
Time: 4:30-5:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Join special guests from the three-time ‘Best Revival’ Award-winning production of Little Shop of Horrors, as they lead audiences in a sing along of songs from the show!
Event: The Broadway Block Party
Time: 5:00-6:30 PM
Location: Mainstage on Duffy Square
Join Prudential, Playbill, and the Times Square Alliance as they celebrate the kick-off to Curtain Up Broadway Festival. Times Square will “ignite the night” with THE BROADWAY BLOCK PARTY – a large-scale street party that invites revelers to dance and sing to classic and contemporary Broadway songs and performances in the heart of New York City: Times Square. Guests will experience a celebration like no other, while entertained by Broadway DJ Mike Borowski, guest performers Christine Dwyer (Wicked), Matt DeAngelis (Waitress), Apollo Levine (MJ), Tracee Beazer (Frozen), Raymond J Lee (Groundhog Day), and Lee Siegel (Paradise Square). #BwayBlockParty.
Event: Curtain Up After Dark
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Presented by Prudential, Curtain Up After Dark welcomes Broadway Sings: The Golden Age of Broadway. Join the Broadway Sings Band and special Broadway performers T. Oliver Reid (Hadestown), Conrad Ricamora (The King and I), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Beautiful), Morgan James (Motown the Musical), Jeanna de Waal (Diana), Corey Mach (Kinky Boots), MK Morrissey (Mean Girls) and Allison Semmes (Motown), and band members Kartes, Colin Dean, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Yayoi Ikawa, Clyde Daley, Matthew Jermiason and Noah Vece as they present a concert filled with Broadway songs under the golden setting sun. With hit Broadway songs “jazzed up”, audience members will help choose the next song using their mobile devices!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
Event: Ailey’s Revelations dance workshop
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Location: Mainstage on Duffy Square
Everyone can dance with Ailey! Join the processional through Duffy Square as Ailey’s West African drummers and dancers lead New Yorkers of all ages to the Curtain Up mainstage, where you’ll learn modified excerpts of Alvin Ailey’s masterwork, Revelations. Participants are asked to wear comfy clothing.
Event: KINKY BOOTS Sing-Along
Time: 11:15-11:45 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Bring your glam, glimmer and vocal energy to Times Square to sing along with a cast member from Kinky Boots to celebrate Broadway’s Fan Favorite songs including music from the Kinky Boots catalog!
Event: Belt It Out On Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
Time: 12:30-2:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential (Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Join Prudential all weekend at Belt It Out On Broadway, a series of Dueling Piano show-downs held right in Times Square. From specially themed programs featuring Broadway stars to spirited sing-alongs where audience members choose the tunes, rollicking good fun will be yours for the asking. This session will star pianists Michael McAssey and Mark Hartman.
Event: Playbill: The Game Show LIVE!
Time: 1:00-1:30 PM
Location: At Mainstage on Duffy Square
Join us in Times Square as Broadway Stars as they take part in the first-ever live Playbill: The Game Show – where theatre’s brightest stars prove how much they know about Broadway! Watch as Broadway participants Julia Murney (Wicked), Nic Rouleau (The Book of Mormon), and Shereen Pimentel (West Side Story) test their knowledge of all-things Broadway in a fun and fast-paced game, hosted by Christopher Sieber (Company).
Event: Audible Theater Concert
Time: 3:00-3:45 PM
Location: Mainstage on Duffy Square
Audible Theater makes outstanding performances and powerful storytelling available to millions globally. Audible hosts and produces a wide variety of live performances at the Minetta Lane Theatre, Audible’s creative home for live performances in New York. Audible adapts these live shows for audio and creates Audible Original plays made expressly for the listening experience.
Event: Belt It Out On Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
Time: 4:00-5:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential (Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Join Prudential all weekend at Belt It Out On Broadway, a series of Dueling Piano show-downs held right in Times Square. From specially themed programs featuring Broadway stars to spirited sing-alongs where audience members choose the tunes, rollicking good fun will be yours for the asking. This session will star pianists Michael McAssey and Drew Wutke.
Event: “One Night Only: – A Benefit Concert for The Entertainment Community Fund
Time: 5:00-6:30 PM
Location: At Mainstage on Duffy Square
Join stage stars and celebrities for a one-night-only celebration of Broadway, benefitting The Entertainment Community Fund. Directed by Bryan Campione and Corey Mach, with musical direction by Joshua Stephen Kartes, the concert will invite audiences in Times Square and online to share in song and celebration; all while raising money to support the Fund’s mission of fostering stability and resiliency and providing a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Special guests to be announced shortly.
Event: Curtain Up After Dark
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Location in Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Presented by Prudential, Curtain Up After Dark welcomes Rockers On Broadway: Live in Times Square, benefitting The PATH Fund. Join Broadway’s Donnie Kehr and his band as they rock the stage with Broadway and contemporary rock-n-roll hits, alongside special guests including Rob Evan (Jekyll & Hyde), N’Kenge (Caroline, or Change), Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys), Jen Perry (Kinky Boots), Lauren Pritchard (Spring Awakening) Max Sangerman (Smokey Joe’s Café), Bligh Voth (The Band’s Visit), Jeremy Schonfeld, Sam Behr with additional support from managing director Cori Gardner. The concert’s band members include Kehr, Gary Bristol, Gary Seligson, Hidayat Honari, John Putnam, Behr, and Jay Leslie. Audiences can get in on the action and choose songs during the show by donating to The PATH Fund on their mobile devices.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
Concert: Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM; rain or shine
Location: Mainstage on Duffy Square
A grand, outdoor event that marks the culmination of Curtain Up Broadway Festival, this concert, hosted by Amber Ruffin and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, with creative direction by Sammi Cannold and musical direction by Daryl Waters, will spotlight marquee talent from Broadway productions, showcasing the new Broadway season. This concert will also be airing live on WABC. Broadway stars from these shows will perform live: A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; A Strange Loop; Aladdin; & Juliet; Beetlejuice; The Book of Mormon; Chicago; Death of a Salesman; Funny Girl; Hadestown; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Into the Woods; The Lion King; MJ The Musical; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Music Man; The Phantom of the Opera; Six; and Wicked.
Event: Belt It Out On Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Belt it Out on Broadway Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
(Times Square bet, 45th and 46th Streets)
Join Prudential all weekend at Belt It Out On Broadway, a series of Dueling Piano show-downs held right in Times Square. From specially themed programs featuring Broadway stars to spirited sing-alongs where audience members choose the tunes, rollicking good fun will be yours for the asking. This session will star pianists Mark Hartman and Drew Wutke!
DAILY
Event: Sing for Hope Piano Concerts and Free Play
Time: Check Daily Schedule
Location: Broadway between 47th and 48th Streets
Located on Broadway between 47th and 48th Streets, guests can take photos, play a tune or two or enjoy a concert on Playbill’s Sing for Hope Piano! Special guest pianists Rachel Kaufman (Speakeasy Magik), Steven Jamail (Born For This) and Kevin Winebold will take to the keys, playing contemporary and classic Broadway tunes for all to enjoy. Performance schedules will be posted daily at the Sing for Hope piano. For more information on Sing for Hope, visit their website.
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Playbill
Founded in 1884, Playbill is an internationally known trademark synonymous with theatre and is a symbol of the arts. Playbill Magazine is distributed to every Broadway theatre, most Off-Broadway theaters, and regional theaters and fine arts institutions in over 24 cities across the country. The company’s website, Playbill.com, debuted in 1994 and continues to be the most trusted source of theatre news and information on the web, reaching nearly 2 million unique users per month. Playbill Online boasts the popular subsidiaries The Playbill Store, the online-only store for theatre fans; PLAYBILLder, the make-your-own Playbill site; and Playbill Jobs, the premiere job marketplace for the Broadway industry. Playbill Travel was introduced in 2011, focusing on chartering Broadway-themed cruises and additional vacations worldwide. The newest division, Playbill Events, curates and produces in-person and virtual events annually for audiences worldwide.
The Broadway League
The Broadway League (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in nearly 200 markets in North America and internationally. Each year, League members bring Broadway to upwards of 30 million people in New York, on tour across the U.S. and Canada, and around the globe. The Broadway League’s newest category of membership, League Fellows, affords access and benefits to upcoming professionals who represent a diversity of background, ethnicity, experience, and views. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry.
Key League programs and resources include Kids’ Night on Broadway®, The Jimmy Awards®, Stars in the Alley®, Viva Broadway, Black to Broadway, Internet Broadway Database® (ibdb.com), Broadway.org, SpotlightonBroadway.com, Commercial Theater Institute (with TDF), as well as numerous conferences and forums for our members. Broadway Bridges®, is aimed at giving every New York City public high school student the opportunity to see a Broadway show before graduation. TheatreAccessNYC (co-produced with TDF) is the one-stop website of accessible Broadway performances for theatregoers with disabilities. Broadway.org is the League’s official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC, on tour, and internationally.
For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com or follow @BroadwayLeague on Twitter and visit us at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague. Follow @Broadway on Instagram for more Broadway content.
Broadway theatres are filled with an exciting array of new and classic musicals and plays, providing the perfect experience for every audience. Great seats are available at every price point and are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices. It’s always the perfect time to see a show. Broadway performs every day of the week at multiple curtain times to accommodate every schedule.
Times Square Alliance
The Times Square Alliance works to improve and promote Times Square – cultivating the creativity, energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture, and urban life for over a century. Founded in 1992, the Alliance keeps the neighborhood clean and safe, promotes local businesses, manages area improvements and produces major annual events with partners including New Year’s Eve, Solstice in Times Square and Taste of Times Square. As the custodians of Times Square, the Alliance works every day to improve the quality of life for the neighborhood residents and businesses while driving economic growth in New York City. www.TSQ.org
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a global financial services leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com.
The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) was established in 1948 as a nonprofit independent public service organization whose mission includes contributing to the public knowledge and appreciation of music, as well as making music a part of every child’s life experience. Headquartered in New York City, the tax-exempt MPTF, operating under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies of the day. Today the MPTF is a vital organization that brings music to the public and supplements the income of musicians, all at no cost to those receiving this precious gift of music.
