THE BLOG
New York City & Broadway Adventures Unveiled
Theater History: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA) needs our support now more than ever. Twice a year, the theatrical community comes together to raise money for BCEFA but due to the Broadway shut down, they are unable to participate in their regular post-show fundraising activities. BCEFA helps men, women and children across the country receive life saving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling, and emergency financial assistance. They are one of the leading industry-based nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. Since 1988, they’ve raised more than $300 million and last year, the Broadway community raised $6 million!
Theater History: Broadway Shutdowns
Broadway theatres shut down on March 12th by order of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and if you’re anything like us, you miss it every day. Right now, theatres have refunded tickets up until January 3, 2021, but the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis leaves thousands of performers, backstage workers, and audience members with no real answers.
This is the first time Broadway theatres have gone dark for a prolonged period since the stagehand strike of 2007. Unlike today, that shut down was due to contract negotiations and union disputes. The Broadway stagehands – backstage workers who install and operate the sets, lights and props – had been working without a contract since July 2007. Anyone who’s seen Newsies knows what happened next.
Theater History: SIX’s Journey to Broadway
When the queens of Six landed on Broadway in February, they already the fans – some 75,000 on Instagram alone. Most Broadway shows develop for years, through workshops, readings, out-of-town tryouts, and previews before opening on the Great White Way. Six claimed its crown a little differently, in a way that was utterly on-brand and completely millennial. The idea began the way so many good ideas do – while Toby Marlow was not paying attention in poetry class. Here’s the story of how Six took back the microphone and made her-story to land on Broadway.
Theater History: Cats
Whether the musical Cats is your taste or not, any lover of Broadway and literature can appreciate the history behind this legendary show. I think it's pretty perfect a show that profoundly impacted the arts in Great Britain and the United States has historical roots in both countries. Unfortunately, the beautiful Broadway revival of Cats closed on December 30th. So, in the show's honor, I thought I would give you all some background on the history behind the show.