A star-studded line up of twenty-two free events has been announced for Curtain Up!, the three-day outdoor festival in Times Square to celebrate the return of Broadway September 17-19. Among the highlights are a Jimmy Awards reunion concert, a ¡Viva Broadway! celebration, and a spotlight on the seven new works by Black playwrights arriving on the Main Stem this fall.
Curtain Up: This is Broadway!, which marks the culmination of the festival, will feature performers from Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Aladdin, Caroline, or Change, Chicago, Come From Away, Company, Dear Evan Hansen, Diana the Musical, Girl from the North County, Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, The Lion King, Mrs Doubtfire, The Phantom of the Opera, Six, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Waitress, and Wicked, in addition to Main Stem plays Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Lackawanna Blues, Pass Over, Thoughts of a Colored Man, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
As previously announced, the festival will take place in Times Square, on Broadway stretching between 45th and 48th Streets. Twenty-two unique events will take place on stages in Duffy Square (7th Ave. & 47th St.) and outside the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel (1535 Broadway).
Check out the full schedule below. Additional details will be announced shortly. For more information, click here.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Wake Up, Broadway!
11 AM–Noon
Playbill Piano Bar (Times Square between 45th and 46th Streets)
Join the Broadway Podcast Network as they record live from the stage around the Sing for Hope piano.
Official Curtain Up! Kick-Off
Noon–1 PM
Duffy Square
Playbill, The Broadway League and The Times Square Alliance will begin the festival with featured speakers, like Tony winner and The Actors Fund chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jessica Vosk with music director John McDaniel, and surprise performances.
Divas of Broadway Sing-Along
1–1:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join 2021 Richard Rodgers Award winner Brandon James Gwinn as he plays some of the greatest hits from the divas of Broadway around the Sing for Hope piano.
Dear White People Panel
1:30–2:30 PM
Duffy Square
Presented by Netflix, audiences can join celebrities as they speak in conversation with stars from the streamer series Dear White People, discussing the crossover of theatre to TV/film and the remarkable steps towards diversifying the arts for BIPOC.
New Broadway Hits
2:30–3 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join Brandon James Gwinn as he plays some pop and contemporary hits from Broadway.
Sing Along with Joe Iconis
3–3:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join the Be More Chill creator as he plays through some of his best known songs.
The Playbill Variety Show
3:30–4:30 PM
Duffy Square
Playbill is curating an hour of Broadway news updates, stories, interviews, and surprise performances in the middle of Times Square. Join Playbill’s Creative Director, Bryan Campione, as he invites stars, and more to the stage for a fun celebration of theatre. Guests include Tony nominee Joshua Henry (Carousel), Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Tom Viola, Frank DiLella of Spectrum News NY 1’s On Stage, and America's Got Talent 2021 quarterfinalists T.3.
Wicked Sing-Along
4:30–5 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Pianist Paul Loesel couldn’t be any happier to play the thrillifying songs from Broadway’s Wicked around the Sing for Hope piano.
Jimmy Awards Reunion Concert!
5:30–6:30 PM
Duffy Square
Hosted by Jelani Alladin (Frozen), this event brings together alumni of the famed high school theatre awards program. Catch up with some of the Jimmy Awards alums who have graduated to roles on Broadway and national tours. They’ll each have a moment in the spotlight with solo numbers from classic and contemporary shows, and they’ll join together for a grand finale. The concert will feature the two winners from the virtual 2021 Jimmy Awards.
Curtain Up After Dark Presents: Lauren Molina
Time: 6:30-7:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join Broadway performer Lauren Molina (Rock of Ages, Sweeney Todd) and star of The Skivvies as she tells stories and performs some of her favorite tunes under the setting sun and the lights of Times Square, along with a special guest.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
The Broadway Morning Warm-Up
10:30–11:15 AM
Duffy Square
Join Broadway Arts Community, a performing arts training & James T. Lane, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Tyler Hanes mentorship company, as they “get the celebration started” Saturday morning! Together with BAC co-founders & mentors Chryssie Whitehead and Alexis Carra, special BAC guests, and BAC students will warm you up for an incredible day of all-things Broadway!
Wake Up, Broadway!
11:30 AM–12:15 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join co-hosts Ayanna Prescod and Christian Lewis of What’s Up Broadway?, a BPN original podcast delivering the latest news, interviews, and chatter from Broadway and beyond.
Black to Broadway – It’s “Play” Time!
12:15–1:45 PM
Duffy Square
As Broadway performances resume following the global pandemic and social reckoning that have taken place over the past 18 months, no less than seven new productions of plays by Black writers are slated to open this fall—including four by women. Join us for an entertaining and informative live conversation in the heart of the Broadway theatre district that will give the public a chance to get to know some of the writers, directors, and performers who are bringing these works to Broadway stages. Harriette Cole will lead the discussion with participants including artists from Chicken and Biscuits, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Clyde’s, Lackawanna Blues, Skeleton Crew, Pass Over, and Trouble in Mind.
The Golden Age of Broadway Sing-Along
2-2:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join Playbill’s own Logan Culwell-Block as he plays songs of the past, that still have an imprint on Broadway fans and audiences on the Sing for Hope Piano.
Sing-Along with Rob Rokicki
2:30-3 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Gather round the piano as Rokicki, composer of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, tickles the ivories and performs highlights from his works, inviting you to join in.
The Playbill Variety Show
3–3:45 PM
Duffy Square
Playbill is curating an hour of Broadway news updates, stories, interviews, and surprise performances in the middle of Times Square! Join Playbill’s Creative Director, Bryan Campione, as he invites stars, and more to the stage for a fun celebration of theatre. Highlights include a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Irving Berlin’s Music Box Theatre, an interview with Broadway Green Alliance, and special AAPI conversation and performance, hosted by JoAnn M. Hunter and produced by Valerie Lau-Kee, both with special Broadway surprise guests.
A.J. Holmes: Live in Times Square
4-4:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join Broadway’s A.J. Holmes (The Book of Mormon) as he takes to the Sing for Hope Piano and shares songs and stories from his new one-man musical, Yeah, But Not Right Now.
Musical Theatre Hits Sing-a-Long with Concord Theatricals
4:30-5 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Warm up those pipes: it’s time to belt out your favorite musical theatre songs from the Concord Theatricals catalog on the Sing for Hope Piano!
¡Viva Broadway! When We See Ourselves
5–6:30 PM
Duffy Square
Recently announced Chicago stars Bianca Marroquín and Ana Villafañe, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Robin de Jesús, and more, are set to perform at this concert celebrating the history of Latinx artists. The creative team includes director and choreographer Luis Salgado, associate director and choreographer Gabriela Garcia, writer Eric Ulloa, musical director Jaime Lozano, and creative consultant Sergio Trujillo.
Curtain Up After Dark
6:30–7:30 PM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join Broadway guest performers as they take to the stage and perform their favorite tunes under the setting sun and the lights of Times Square.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Wake Up, Broadway!
8:30-10 AM
Playbill Piano Bar
Join co-hosts Ayanna Prescod and Christian Lewis of What’s Up Broadway?, a BPN original podcast delivering the latest news, interviews, and chatter from Broadway and beyond.
Curtain Up: This is Broadway!
11 AM–1 PM
Duffy Square
This concert will celebrate all of Broadway and the re-opening of New York City in a grand, outdoor event that marks the culmination of the festival. Marquee talent from returning and new Broadway productions will perform from over 18 musicals and plays.
Curtain Up! is produced by Playbill, in partnership with The Broadway League, the Times Square Alliance, and presented by title sponsor Prudential; sponsored in part by Lexus, Netflix, and United Airlines; with additional support from Audible. Live music provided by Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF). Additional support for Curtain Up! is provided by the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.
Playbill is also creating a specially customized Playbill that is the Guide To All-Things Curtain Up! that will be handed out to attendees throughout Times Square during the event, with a virtual copy available on the website.
Event organizers will continue to follow the city, state and federal COVID-19 guidelines and will inform the public of any changes to the event protocols or schedule.
