The star-packed event will immerse attendees in a theatrical experience that promises reunions of favorite shows, original musical programming, celebrity panels, talkbacks, a theatrical marketplace, fan meet-ups and more.
Set to take place Jan. 22-24, 2016, at the New York Hilton Midtown, BroadwayCon will give fans an all-access experience with performers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, writers, designers and more.
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.
Over the next two months, Playbill.com will roll out news detailing BroadwayCon programming, star participants, special events, and need-to-know guides that will help attendees make the most of this unique experience.
From the stars and creators of Hamilton, original cast members from Rent, Spring Awakening, The Secret Garden and Side Show, to the creative teams and producers behind Next to Normal, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kinky Boots, Clybourne Park, The Normal Heart and "Smash" – BroadwayCon has something for every type of theatre lover.
Here's a look at the talent announced so far:
Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who stars as the ten dollar founding father, will be joined at BroadwayCon by co-stars Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs and Jonathan Groff. Fans can expect to catch them as part of the Jan. 22 opening events.
Also participating in the weekend are Broadway siblings Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Alice Ripley, Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Sawyer Nunes, Sam Poon, Taylor Richardson, Ripley Sobo, James Monroe Iglehart, Rebecca Luker, Courtney Reed, Billy Porter, Joshua Safran, Ann Harada, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, 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, Jason Tam, Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltzberg, Dan Lipton, David Rossmer, Laurence O'Keefe, Ted Chapin, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Peter Filichia, Stacy Wolf and Paloma Young.
With 90 percent of tickets to BroadwayCon already sold, a limited amount of weekend/general passes and single-day passes are still available. All VIP experience passes have sold out.
"Tickets always tend to go fastest in the last few weeks before an event, and for BroadwayCon they've started to fly," Anelli said. "There more than 100 hours of programming to delight, educate and inspire, and we're hard at work crafting the kind of fan-centric atmosphere that has made our events feel like home to so many thousands of people over the years. We're also filling the event with all sorts of exciting moments that only theatre fans could appreciate, and can only be fully experienced by being there in person."
Here's a breakdown of the various tickets:
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 $125 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.
Panels and talkbacks in the works include "Creating a Cast Recording," "Why Our Favorite Shows Close," "The History of Theatre and Social Change," "Producing 101," as well as a Main Stage with programming that spans behind-the-scenes stories from classic shows, to talkbacks with stars, Broadway-themed game shows and more.
"BroadwayCon is going to be a theatre-lover's dream come true," said Philip S. Birsh, Playbill President and CEO. "Fans will not only be able to meet their favorite stars and the backstage folks who make it all happen—but they’ll spend the weekend with like-minded people and make new friends. The great thing about theatre is that it's a communal experience. BroadwayCon builds on that in exciting new ways. Playbill is delighted to partner with Mischief Management to bring fans and members of the theatre community together for this one-of-a-kind event where they can engage on a whole new level."
"Playbill is an indispensable force in the theatrical world, which it has been serving for more than 130 years," Anelli said. "From the moment we started talking with them, we recognized a natural ally, and like-minded spirit. Playbill's expertise and ties to the Broadway and theatre community will help ensure BroadwayCon speaks to the heart of every fan. We have already been working with them for several months and are confident this partnership will mean even greater opportunities for fans while retaining the pure enthusiasm that led us to create this event in the first place. It just isn’t a Broadway show without a Playbill, and it wouldn't be a Broadway convention without them either!"
BroadwayCon co-creator Rapp said the event will be "much more democratized" compared with other large-scale conventions like ComicCon and added that "part of the mission is to be charitable. We want this to be a way that theatre artists can directly interact with fans. We're all human beings, and we're all part of this community together. Beyond one-on-one interactions, we want to give up-close-and-personal experiences of the shows from panels, too."
