Broadway is ready to bounce back from this year and a half closure, the curtain rising on many shows returning in the coming weeks. With two shows already open and many on the horizon, The Broadway League today has launched This is Broadway, a historic initiative to welcome theater lovers back to Times Square following the industry’s 18-month shutdown.
“This is Broadway brings together the joy and excitement we all feel for this art form and the rebound of New York City. Broadway reopening means 97,000 workers returning to their jobs and the insatiable desire for live performance back on stage,” says Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “I am so thankful for all the work that went into creating this moment of unity and I look forward to all theater fans seeing a show this fall!”
This is Broadway is the result of unprecedented partnerships between theater owners, myriad behind-the-scenes professionals, and industry competitors to create a unified comeback campaign that shouts to the world “Broadway is BACK!” and celebrates an international art form that is quintessentially American.
Kicking off the campaign is an anthemic short film that celebrates all of Broadway. With a voiceover by Oprah Winfrey, the film features stars including Hugh Jackman, Bruce Springsteen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Billy Porter, Angela Lansbury, Ethel Merman, James Earl Jones, and Denzel Washington, to name a few. The film includes footage from 99 Broadway shows, 735 actors, and one dog, highlighting the rich history of Broadway, and the exciting new shows yet to come.
This is Broadway initiative also will include a comprehensive theatre site, a Broadway ticket contest through Audience Rewards, a lighting of the Empire State Building with Chicago stars Ana Villafañe and Bianca Marroquín, and the Curtain Up! festival, a free three-day festival that will include interactive experiences, panels, live concerts, and performances culminating in a concert celebrating the entirety of the Broadway industry in the heart of Times Square.
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.