BroadwayCon has just announced that original cast members from the 1979 Playwrights Horizons premiere of In Trousers, the William Finn musical that precedes March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, will reunite for a special panel January 27, 2017. (In Trousers introduced audiences to the character of Marvin.)
Set to join composer-lyricist William Finn will be cast members Alison Fraser, Mary Testa, and Chip Zien, along with André Bishop and Ira Weitzman.
The noon-1:20 PM panel will be moderated by Jennifer Ashley Tepper.
“From the moment I first heard the show, I knew it was an incredibly special piece of musical theatre,” Tepper told Playbill.com. “In Trousers sounded like nothing else I'd ever heard. The album created a spiraling universe filled with real people falling apart and articulating their complicated lives. Every lyric was fascinating, with multiple meanings; every song punched you in the gut with soaring melodies and driving, bouncy hooks. The story was original and surprising and full of endless insight into human nature. As I learned more about the show, I found that it had been a pioneer in so many ways, an important moment in theatre history. In 1978, a 26-year-old named Bill Finn presented a musical he had written, in his living room. It was called In Trousers. A 19-year-old named Ira Weitzman came to see it. He had just been hired as a scouter of new musicals for a little theatre company called Playwrights Horizons. As soon as the presentation was over, he ran up to Finn and declared they were going to be working together.
“The people who made In Trousers happen in its Off-Broadway premiere in 1979 have been my heroes for decades: Ira Weitzman, Bill Finn, André Bishop, Mary Testa, Chip Zien, and Alison Fraser. And now I'm going to get to sit on a stage at BroadwayCon with all of them reunited, and ask every question I would have died to ask them as a 14-year-old Florida Broadway fan, spinning her In Trousers CD on repeat.”
BroadwayCon, which is co-presented by Playbill, Mischief Management, and Anthony Rapp, runs January 27–29, 2017, at the Javits Center. Learn more about the various ticket packages here.
The three-day weekend offers theatre fans a one-of-a-kind array of panels, performances, one-on-one star moments, seminars, autograph and photo sessions, a booming marketplace, and other activities.
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Check back for additional shows and talent in the coming weeks. Check out the current lineup of stars here.
BroadwayCon 2017 will also include stars and artists from Frozen, Hamilton, War Paint, In Transit, The Great Comet, Waitress, School of Rock, Newsies, Dear Evan Hansen, Once On This Island, Hedwig, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera, A New Brain, Wicked, Allegiance, Grease, Cinderella, If/Then, Something Rotten!, Rent, and more.
Available ticket packages follow:
A $250 full-weekend general pass will provide access to all BroadwayCon programming (panels, performances, keynotes, discussions, and more), as well as guaranteed seating at MainStage events and special guest autograph and photo opportunities. This pass also includes the official program book (printed by Playbill), a registration swag bag, and access to the BroadwayCon Marketplace.
The $95 Day Pass provides day-only access to BroadwayCon programming (panels, performances, keynotes, discussions). This pass also includes the official program book and access to the BroadwayCon Marketplace.
