Broadway Shows Will Be Part of Macy's Parade
By Andrew Gans
19 Nov 2007
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Kerry Butler in Xanadu
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| photo by Paul Kolnik | The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will not be affected by the current stagehands strike. That is, the four Broadway shows originally scheduled to be part of the annual parade — Xanadu, Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein and Legally Blonde — will perform as planned.
A Macy's spokesperson confirmed that the four shows will be part of the annual parade on Thursday, Nov. 22. Because the broadcast utilizes television stagehands, who are not striking, rather than theatre stagehands, the performances can go on as scheduled.
Cast members from Legally Blonde are scheduled to perform "What You Want," while the Mary Poppins company will offer "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Xanadu will perform a medley of tunes — including "All Over The World," "Magic" and "Xanadu" — and the cast of Young Frankenstein will sing "Transylvania Mania." The Radio City Rockettes will also perform.
As previously announced, the parade will kick off with "Making Magic," a new tuned penned by Michael Feinstein with lyrics by Bill Schermerhorn, Macy's creative director. Members of Camp Broadway, the theatre arts education company, will perform the song.
Also of interest to theatre fans: Spring Awakening's Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff will belt out "Give My Regards to Broadway" atop the M&M's Chocolate Candies on Broadway float. That theatre-themed float will feature the M&M's characters taking lead roles in Broadway productions: Green is Elphaba in Wicked, Orange and Yellow star in A Chorus Line, Blue is the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, and Red is Spamalot's King Arthur.
The original Christine Daae in London and Broadway's Phantom, Sarah Brightman, will be dressed as a Pirate Queen and will sing "The Journey Home" on the Jolly Polly Pirate Ship; "Hairspray" film star Nikki Blonsky will perform "You Can't Stop the Beat" on the American Classic Malt Shop float; The Drowsy Chaperone's Bob Saget will be interviewed high above Manhattan in a helicopter tracing the parade route for viewers; and Feinstein and Tony winner Anika Noni Rose will perform another Feinstein-Schermerhorn song, "Give Me the Key to This Wonderful City," aboard the History Channel's New York Tin Toy float.
The 81st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is set for Thursday, Nov. 22 from 9 AM-noon. The parade is broadcast nationally on NBC-TV.
The parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West of Manhattan's Upper West Side. It will then make its way down Broadway through Times Square before taking final bows at Herald Square and ending at 7th Ave and 34th Street. For more information and a few helpful tips for those who are ready to brave the weather and crowds, visit www.macysparade.com or call the Macy's Parade Hotline at (212) 494-4495.
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