The Press Release:
BroadwayCon has unveiled a first look at its programming schedule for BroadwayCon 2021. The BroadwayCon 2021 schedule features two days packed with events curated with Broadway’s biggest fans, performers, and creators in mind. BroadwayCon 2021 will be held online April 17-18, 2021 from the comfort and safety of your own living room. Free and upgraded passes are available now at BroadwayCon.com/digital-passes.
This first preview of the schedule features 30 hours of free MainStage programming, with additional session details to be added in the coming weeks. From fan-favorite programs like the BroadwayCon Blizzard Party Line and BroadwayCon Feud to backstage stories from stage managers to contests like Star To Be, Cosplay, and the annual Lip Sync Battle, BroadwayCon 2021 brings the community together for a weekend of fun and celebration. With an upgraded paid pass, attendees will also be able to access additional hours of bonus content, exclusive sessions, and more.
In partnership with Situation, the fourth annual BroadwayCon Industry Day will also return on Friday, April 16. Streaming for free, Industry Day welcomes those in the theatre industry or who are interested in learning more to join us for discussion on the state of the industry over the past year and look forward to brighter days ahead. For more information, visit BroadwayCon.com/IndustryDay.
Schedule highlights include:
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
BroadwayCon Industry Day, In Partnership with Situation
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM*
Join us for the fourth annual BroadwayCon Industry Day, virtually and for free this year! Whether you’re an industry professional or an interested fan, this event is for you! We’ll take a look back at 2020, what we’ve learned, and how we’ve coped. And we’ll look forward to brighter days ahead for the theatre industry and for all fans of Broadway. Reserve your seat now for these empowering, uplifting, and forward-thinking conversations with Broadway Industry leaders.
Free registration separate from BroadwayCon. Please visit BroadwayCon.com/IndustryDay for more information.
SATURDAY, APRIL 17
Backstage Stories with Broadway’s Stage Managers
10:30 AM*
Stage Managers are the communication hub of any production; they schedule rehearsals, take the notes, call the cues, and maintain the Broadway shows you love. Stage managers from shows like Moulin Rouge!, Aladdin, Hadestown, The Lion King, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark will share the joys, challenges, bumps, and curveballs they experience while ensuring your favorite Broadway shows run smoothly!
Musicals & Mental Health: How Broadway Performers Are Coping During the Pandemic
2:00 PM*
The last year has been a trying period for mental health and we are without the solace found in live, in-person theatre. Like us, our favorites from the Broadway stages have been struggling to navigate this time. Join Broadway actors and psychologist Dr. Alisa Hurwitz as they discuss emotional health during the pandemic, what they have done to cope without the normalcy of performing, and what it will mean to return to live theatre.
BroadwayCon Star To Be
6:30 PM*
It’s our fifth annual talent competition! Share in the excitement of our finalists as we share their performances and crown the winner!
BroadwayCon Game Night
7:15 PM*
Imagine Lesli Margherita and Sierra Boggess going head to head to name that tune, Kerry Butler trying to show off her drawing skills during Pictionary, the entire audience chanting an attendee’s name, and even a marriage proposal. The BroadwayCon Game Night gets even wackier each year. You don’t want to miss what we’ve got up our sleeves this time!
BroadwayCon Cabaret
8:00 PM*
We’ve come a long way since 2016, when Krysta Rodriguez took this entire timeslot and gave us a one-of-a-kind solo act. But still, you never know what you’ll see at the annual BroadwayCon Cabaret.
SUNDAY, APRIL 18
How to Be An #ArtsHero
1:00 PM*
Join Eden Espinosa in conversation with the co-founders of Be An #ArtsHero (Brooke Ishibashi, Carson Elrod, Jenny Grace Makholm, and Matthew-Lee Erlbach), a national grassroots campaign advocating for proportionate relief for the Arts & Culture sector. Learn about the American creative economy, COVID-19’s impact on Broadway and the larger Arts & Culture sector, what relief and recovery for the sector could look like, and how you can Be An #ArtsHero and use your voice to impact the recovery of Broadway and beyond!
Ready, Willing, and Very Abled: Inclusion through a Disability Lens
2:30 PM*
In this panel, performers and behind-the-scenes professionals work together to identify the onus of change and provide actionable steps toward improving disabled representation in the performing arts. They’ll explore the definitions of words like disability, tokenism, and exploitation, plus discuss challenging questions. Is the dearth of disabled inclusion is related to a lack of well-trained, disabled artists, and if so, how do we encourage radical change in models of training and mentoring?
BroadwayCon Cosplay Contest
3:00 PM*
Prepare the green face paint! Come witness the incredible artistry of the BroadwayCon Community as we crown the winners of the 2021 Cosplay Contest!
Blizzard Party Line
6:00 PM*
We’ve called Patti LuPone, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Sara Bareilles, the list goes on and on. We’ll call our fanciest friends and see what they’re up to during the annual BroadwayCon Blizzard Party Line.
*All times in Eastern.
About BroadwayCon: BroadwayCon is theatre’s answer to a comic-con, tailor-made for fans. From April 17-18, 2021, join some of Broadway’s biggest fans, performers, and creators as we gather online to perform, discuss, debate, and celebrate theatre. BroadwayCon 2021 will feature panels, performances, interviews, meet and greets, and more, all packed into an epic two-day weekend. Past panels have included previews from upcoming Broadway shows, conversations with the casts and creatives of this season’s hits, and discussions featuring the industry’s top producers and designers, not to mention the giant Opening Celebration and nighttime fun and games. BroadwayCon is produced by Mischief Management.
For more information, please visit www.BroadwayCon.com.
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Piercing Ken Thoughts: While I was saddened that the pandemic prevented the BroadwayCon from taking place in the real sense, I am happy to find them doing something virtual for their attendees. Had this been a normal year, I would have been heading to the Hilton Midtown for the convention and my fourth attendence as press for this outlet. Now as it stands, I’ve only lightly “attended” some of the virtual conventions over the past year and never managed to see any of the concerts since they would have gotten expensive during a time when money was getting a little on the light side. I’m going to look into the Industry Day and see what’s the is and shall keep the readership apprised of any additional announcements as they come to light and hit my mailbox. What do you fans of the stage productions think about this news? Chime in down below in the comments section and I will see you next time.
Official Website: https://www.broadwaycon.com