For the first time this year, Playbill joined the NYC Pride March with an official Playbill Pride float, capping off Playbill's Pride in Times Square, which gathered stage and screen stars, Broadway shows, LGBTQIA+ non-profits, special Times Square business promotions, and more.
Leading the Broadway brigade was a custom Playbill Pride-themed Jeep Gladiator truck, pulling a float decorated with all the Pride-themed Playbill covers from the month of June and a suspended, holographic disco ball. Marching alongside the float June 26 were cast members from Broadway's A Strange Loop, Chicago, Moulin Rouge!, The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera, SIX: The Musical, and Wicked, and Off-Broadway's Titanique, along with representatives from Playbill, the Times Square Alliance, and Jeep.
Below, read what several Broadway stars experienced from atop the float.
"What a thrill! What a ride! Unbelievable! The hype of the crowd was so ELECTRIC! One could definitely feel the magic in the air—a well deserved PRIDE to signify the beauty of the movement—WE ARE LOVE AND WE LOVE with PRIDE! And to feel supported and lifted by the crowd, especially while holding the A Strange Loop signage along with the roar of the crowd—quite overwhelming. This year's PRIDE PARADE marked my first Gay Pride to ever attend and for Playbill to extend a loving hand to bring in their monumental 'Inaugural Float' speaks to where our community is at right now. And that is teamwork and supporting other artists the best way we know how, by acknowledging, reaching back, and pulling us marginalized communities forward and into the public view to say THIS IS ALSO HOW WE LOOK! #Equality #VisibilityMatters #ThankYouPlaybill #LoveYouNYC"
Grammy and Emmy Award winner John McDaniel
"What a beautiful day we had with my Playbill family—the Parade surpassed my expectations! The crowds were HUGE and enthusiastic and it gave me great hope to see so many young people along the Parade route! We have a lot of work to do in this country and it was fantastic to celebrate and also to take note of the road ahead."
"This was my first time seeing the parade from this angle and it felt incredibly inspiring to see our community come out and be loved and celebrated for who they are. In the wake of the SCOTUS rulings, it also had the air of, and was, a protest for human rights. Abortion rights are LGBTQ rights."
