Free Programming Pride Weekend: June 23 – 24
Playbill and the Times Square Alliance are PROUD to partner on and announce today an exhilarating Pride In Times Square list of free events on NYC Pride Weekend, June 23 – 24, 2023. With top-stage and screen celebrities, Broadway/Off-Broadway productions, local Times Square business promotions, Pride Piano Bar sessions, live DJ sets, a TNB2S+ Pride celebration, a Drag Pride celebration, the return of last year’s The Big Broadway Disco, and more, Pride in Times Square promises to be an exciting celebration and a great addition to New York City’s celebration of Pride right at the Crossroads of the World. But before you step out into the fun and revelry that comes with any Pride event, consider some self-care first so you can look your best while among the best. Try a non-invasive skin tightening treatment to help you look and feel younger. Once you’re done, you’ll be photo-ready for all of the special occasion photo ops.
Then, on Sunday June 25, 2023, the Playbill Pride Float returns to the NYC Pride March, supporting their partner Heritage of Pride (Pride NYC). Including customized double decker buses from some of the events’ sponsors, the Pride March participation helps to round out an amazing weekend of diversity, equity, education, and celebration.
Pride In Times Square is sponsored by American Express, ViiV Healthcare, and Audible Theater, with additional support from Hotel Edison, The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Open Jar Studios, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity and NYC Unity Project.
PRIDE MAIN STAGE!
Pride in Times Square’s main stage will celebrate dynamic voices in the community, and support the continued fight for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all. Special guests, concerts, surprise performances and more will take the stage on Friday June 23rd and Saturday June 24th. A list of events is below.
THE BIG BROADWAY DISCO
For the second year in a row, Playbill and Times Square will celebrate Pride like never before. Times Square will “ignite the night” with THE BIG BROADWAY DISCO – a large-scale street party that invites revelers to dance through Times Square to classic and contemporary Broadway songs and performances – all with a disco flare and performed in the heart of New York City: Times Square. With the Playbill Pride Float acting as a focal point for the night, guests will experience a Pride celebration like no other, while entertained by DJ’s, performers, dancers, fabulous costumes, and more on Saturday June 24th beginning at 5:00pm. #BwayDisco
PRIDE PIANO BAR
Pride 2023 will host, in the heart of Times Square, the Pride Piano Bar! Audiences will be able to take photos with the one-of-a-kind designed piano and stay for piano sing-along performances and piano concerts throughout both days, led by top-Broadway musicians and performers. A list of events is below.
INTERACTIVE PRIDE INSTALLATIONS
Pedestrians and audiences in Times Square will have the opportunity to connect with Pride in Times Square sponsors American Express, ViiV Healthcare, and Audible Theater with exciting and interactive Double Decker Buses, acting as anchor points for audiences to explore on Friday June 23rd and Saturday June 24th. Select buses will then become part of the NYC Pride March on Sunday June 25th down 5th Avenue.
TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE BUSINESS & SOCIAL PROMOTIONS
The Times Square Alliance will celebrate the best of the neighborhood’s Pride discounts, deals, giveaways, and special menu items from local businesses all month long. Special offers will appear at TSQ.org/PrideDeals from Times Square restaurants, shops, shows, and attractions that celebrate and support the most colorful month of the year. Plus, experience #SignsOfPride in Times Square with displays of Pride flags and rainbows on screens and billboards throughout the Crossroads of the World.
SLATED PRIDE IN TIMES SQUARE MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES
(Performances are rain or shine with times & participants subject to change.)
FRIDAY JUNE 23RD
2:00-2:30PM – Pride Kick Off Celebration
A taste of the Saturday Disco, the event will have singers and speakers helping to kick off the event. James T Lane and L Morgan Lee, our hosts, will welcome all and help to countdown to confetti start.
2:30-3:00pm – The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Pride Celebration
Special performers, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, and Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, will join Pride in Times Square to present NGLCC/Grubhub Community Impact Grant Program funds to NYC-based LGBTQ+ and allied bars and restaurants.
3:30-4:15PM – ViiV Healthcare presents: “Celebrate You!”
ViiV Healthcare celebrates the choices that make us all unique. It’s time to embrace-not-erase. Audiences in Times Square will experience an amazing line up of proudly queer talent, here to celebrate and support our queens everywhere.
5:15-7:00PM – “Anthems of Pride” presented by American Express
A long-standing supporter of Broadway, American Express will present the first “Anthems of Pride” concert on the Playbill Main Stage. Theaters across the globe have been recognized as safe spaces for generations and “Anthems of Pride” will celebrate the deep-rooted relationship between the LGBTQIA+ community and Broadway. Cast members from long-running classics and new smash-hit productions sponsored by American Express, including & Juliet, Hamilton, SIX, Some Like It Hot, Shucked, and more will perform in this inaugural celebration of musical anthems from the Pride community.
SATURDAY JUNE 24TH
11:15AM-12:00PM – Spotlight On: TNB2S+ Songwriters
Breaking the Binary Theatre and director JJ Maley showcase the work of some of the brightest transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ (TNB2S+) composers writing in the theater today.
12:30PM-1:30PM – Pride in Times Square Presents: The NYC Gay Men’s Chorus (Title and Copy Changing)
The NYC Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates Pride with a concert of songs performed in the heart of New York City: Times Square!
5:00-7:30PM – Second Annual Big Broadway Disco
Playbill and Times Square will “ignite the night” with the second-annual BIG BROADWAY DISCO – a large-scale street party that invites revelers to dance the night away to classic and contemporary Broadway songs and performances – all with a disco flare and performed in the heart of New York City. Guests will experience a Pride celebration like no other, while entertained by DJ’s, performers, fabulous costumes, and more on Saturday June 24th beginning at 5:00pm. #BwayDisco.
SLATED PRIDE PIANO BAR PERFORMANCES
(Performances are rain or shine with times & participants subject to change.)
FRIDAY JUNE 23RD
12:15-1:00pm & 1:15pm-2:00pm – The Playbill Pride Mix
2021 Richard Rodgers Award-winning pianist Brandon James Gwinn shares in song and celebration on the Pride Piano Bar Stage!
3:00-3:30pm – Eric Krop in Times Square
Eric Krop (Broadway: Godspell, TV: FOX’s I Can See Your Voice) shares original songs and stories, celebrating Pride in Times Square.
4:15-4:45pm – The NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity Presents the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Pride Kick Off
Members of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity, the Unity Project, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and more kick-off the inaugural year of Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Pride! SYEP is launching this initiative to connect young people who identify as LGBTQIA+ with supportive, welcoming summer jobs and career experiences. The kick-off for this exciting new program will include songs, stories, and guest speakers!
SATURDAY JUNE 24TH
12:00-12:30pm – Lianah Sta. Ana – Songs from “Performing Filipina”
Lianah Sta. Ana (Broadway: Miss Saigon, Nat. Tour: Waitress) shares songs and stories from her musical, Performing Filipina, celebrating Pride in Times Square.
1:30-2:00pm – Billy Recce in Times Square
Billboard Charting and award-winning composer, singer/songwriter, and playwright Billy Recce (Little Black Book, A Musical About Star Wars) and his merry band of misfits share his bawdy brand of songs and queer musical theatre chaos in celebration of Pride in Times Square.
4:30-5:00pm –Zoe Sarnak and Friends
Jonathan Larson Award-winner Zoe Sarnak (The Lonely Few) and friends share Zoe’s original songs and stories celebrating Pride in Times Square.
Additional Saturday Piano Bar Concerts To Be Announced
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