The stars and creators of the acclaimed Deaf West Broadway revival of the coming-of-age musical Spring Awakening, including Austin P. McKenzie, Andy Mientus, Sandra Mae Frank, are the latest to join the lineup for BroadwayCon.
The Spring Awakening panel is scheduled for Jan. 22 from 1-2 PM. Also participating will be Katie Boeck, Alex Boniello, Daniel N. Durant, T.J. Kearney, Spencer Liff and Krysta Rodriguez.
Playbill has partnered with BroadwayCon to present the event created by theatre lovers for theatre lovers. Melissa Anelli, Stephanie Dornhelm and original Rent star Anthony Rapp conceived the event.
Running Jan. 22-24 at the New York Hilton Midtown, BroadwayCon will give theatre fans an all-access experience featuring performers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, writers, designers, producers and a vast array of influencers who make Broadway happen.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to work with major players from the Broadway community, including Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli and casting director Bernard Telsey.
Here's a look at what's in store:
Beginner Dance Workshop: Hairspray. Held Jan. 24 from 10:30 AM to noon, it will be led by Broadway cast member Carla J. Hargrove.
Intermediate Dance Workshop: Newsies. Held Jan. 22 from 6-7 PM, it will be led by Newsies' Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli.
Advanced Dance Workshop: Hamilton. Held Jan. 23 from 10-11 AM, this hip-hop dance session will be led by Hamilton associate choreographer and dance captain Stephanie Klemons.
Audition Workshop: Led by Broadway casting director Bernard Telsey, who has cast Wicked, Rent, Hamilton, The Wiz Live!, Grease Live and "Smash," this workshop will take place Jan. 24 from 9-10:30 AM.
All workshops are free with any BroadwayCon ticket, but space is limited. To attend you must submit an application at broadwaycon.com/workshops.
Additional panels include:
"Something Wonderful: A Look Behind The King and I," which will include director Sher, choreographer Christopher Gattelli, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound designer Scott Lehrer, scenic designer Michael Yeargan and costume designer Catherine Zuber. Ted Chapin, president and executive director of Rodgers & Hammerstein, will moderate the 2-3 PM panel on Jan. 22.
Mic Drop! How BroadwayCon Came to Life and What to Expect at the Theatrical Event of the Season
Original cast members of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning Jonathan Larson musical Rent will reunite to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the landmark show on Jan. 22. Currently confirmed to appear are Tony Award nominees Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin-Vega, Rapp (one of BroadwayCon's co-founders), Fredi Walker and Rodney Hicks, alongside choreographer Marlies Yearby and original conductor Tim Weil.
The weekend will also feature Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with co-stars Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff and Christopher Jackson. Fans can expect to catch them as part of the Jan. 22 opening events.
Special events include a Fun Home panel, featuring book writer and lyricist Lisa Kron, along with director Sam Gold and cast members Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone and Emily Skeggs; as well as "OBSESSED! Live Disaster! Edition," in which the show's creator and star, Seth Rudetsky, will be joined by fellow cast members Roger Bart, Faith Prince, Kerry Butler and Jennifer Simard for a special live edition of the popular Playbill video series.
Also participating in the weekend are Broadway siblings Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jeremy Jordan, Krysta Rodriguez, Lesli Margherita, Stark Sands, Alex Brightman, Ryann Redmond, Nick Adams, Paige Davis, Alice Ripley, Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Sawyer Nunes, Sam Poon, Taylor Richardson, Ripley Sobo, Natalie Weiss, Rebecca Luker, Billy Porter, Joshua Safran, Ann Harada, John Johnson, Hal Luftig, Arielle Tepper Madover, Daryl Roth, Barbara Whitman, Bernard Telsey, Skylar Astin, Susan Blackwell, Jenn Colella, Gavin Creel, Matt Doyle, Tamika Lawrence, Telly Leung, Michael McElroy, Andy Mientus, Seth Rudetsky, Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltzberg, Dan Lipton, David Rossmer, Laurence O'Keefe, Susan L. Schulman, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Peter Filichia, Stacy Wolf and Paloma Young.
The three-day event is packed with star-studded events and special musical moments. Fans can expect a number of high-profile cameos from Broadway favorites during the Jan. 22 MainStage opening musical that will feature an original song from the writers of First Date and the upcoming 17 Again musical. "We're going to kick off the MainStage Programming at full throttle, in a way only a Broadway convention can do—with a fully staged mini-musical!" MainStage director David Alpert said. "We have an amazingly talented cast, a live band, and surprise cameos, all to welcome everyone to the convention. We've enlisted Broadway writers Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner to compose a new song for the event, and are also working with YouTube sensation Tessa Netting, who happens to write amazing parodies."
The first two batches of tickets released for BroadwayCon sold-out within hours. All VIP tickets for the anticipated three-day event have sold out, with only a limited amount of full-weekend general passes still available. Fans can still take advantage of a limited amount of individual day passes for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Here's a breakdown of the remaining ticket options:
A $250 full-weekend general pass will provide access to all BroadwayCon programming (panels, performances, keynotes, discussions and more), as well as guaranteed spots at Grand Ballroom events, special guest autographs and more. This pass also includes the official program book (printed by Playbill!), a registration swag bag and access to the BroadwayCon Marketplace.
The $95 Day Pass provides day-only access to BroadwayCon programming (panels, performances, keynotes, discussions). This pass also includes the official program book (printed by Playbill!), a registration swag bag and access to the BroadwayCon Marketplace.
A $50 Explorer Pass will grant admission to the BroadwayCon Marketplace, allowing curious theatre lovers to browse through a host of vendors, shop for merchandise from Broadway shows and more.
For tickets, full details on participation options and special hotel rates for the convention, visit BroadwayCon.com.
