The female powerhouses behind the new Broadway musical will gather Jan. 24 at 2 PM to discuss the anticipated, pop-driven production that arrives on Broadway in March. The stage production will star Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller. Playbill Editor in Chief Blake Ross will moderate the panel.
Also announced is #MakingMondays (On a Saturday!) Live at BroadwayCon! "On #MakingMondays, a modern day interactive weekly salon, we gather a small group of actors, musicians, writers, visual artists, choreographers, makers and doers. And together we make… make music, make plays, make conversation, make art, make games, make food, make dance, make laughs. And through the miracle of Periscope and Facebook Live, we invite a live audience around the world to create with us."
The event will be streamed to viewers across the world. Jordan Roth hosts the 4-5 PM event on Jan. 23 that features Lena Hall, Sydney Lucas, Jake Lucas, Nick Adams, Hunter Bell, Ariana DeBose, Adrienne Warren, Zito, make-up artist Jaime Gruber, choreographer Maria Torres (So You Think You Can Dance, On Your Feet), playwright Jonathan Bernstein and singer/songwriter Robbie Roth.
The Don't Quit Your Night Job team, of Steven Rosen, Dan Rossmer and Sarah Saltzberg will be joine for some late night musical fun at 11:30 PM on Jan. 22. Joining them are Anthony Rapp, Derrick Baskin, John Cariani, Adam Chanler-Berat, Lulu Fall, Jeff Hiller, Adam Kantor, Jason Kravits, Lesli Margherita, Rob McClure, Zell Morrow, Presley Ryan, Britton Smith, Ali Stroker and more!
Playbill has partnered with BroadwayCon to present the event created by theatre lovers for theatre lovers. Melissa Anelli, Stephanie Dornhelm and original Rent star Anthony Rapp conceived the event.
The anticipated three-day event gives fans an all-access experience with performers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, writers, designers and more. BroadwayCon takes place Jan. 22-24 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
All full-weekend passes for BroadwayCon have sold out.
Here's a breakdown of the remaining ticket options:
The $95 Day Pass provides day-only access to BroadwayCon programming (panels, performances, keynotes, discussions). This pass also includes the official program book (printed by Playbill!), a registration swag bag and access to the BroadwayCon Marketplace.
A $50 Explorer Pass will grant admission to the BroadwayCon Marketplace, allowing curious theatre lovers to browse through a host of vendors, shop for merchandise from Broadway shows and more.
For tickets, full details on participation options and special hotel rates for the convention, visit BroadwayCon.com.
Other BroadwayCon highlights include:
"Behind The Mask: Record-Breaking Players from Broadway's Phantom," will take place Jan. 22 from 12-12:50 PM. "The longest-running Broadway show is about to celebrate its 28th anniversary. Join some of its longest-running cast and crew members for a conversation about how Broadway has changed in the last three decades, and what it means to be part of this record-shattering show." Slated to participate are Howard McGillin (The Phantom), Sandra Joseph (Christine), Sam Fleming (associate costume designer) and Kristen Blodgette (musical director/supervisor/conductor). Christine Pedi will moderate.
"Les Misérables: Beyond the Barricades," set to take place Jan. 24 from 2:30-3:20 PM, "members of the original Broadway team as they discuss the artistic process of bringing what became an iconic show to the Great White Way." The panel will feature Robert Billig (musical director/supervisor/conductor), Jennifer Butt (original Madame Thenardier), Joanna Glushak (original ensemble member), Randy Graff (original Fantine), Joseph Kolinski (original ensemble member), Jordan Leeds (original swing), Donna Vivino (original Young Cosette) and Andrew Zerman (casting associate). Jennifer Ashley Tepper will moderate.
The stars of Something Rotten! will gather Jan. 24 from 12-12:30 PM. Playbill Editor in Chief Blake Ross will sit down to interview New York Post columnist Michael Riedel Jan. 23 from 7-7:50 PM to discuss his latest book, "Razzle Dazzle," and what it's like to be the theatre's most controversial columnist.
"To Us and Our Good Fortune: The Fiddler on the Roof Panel" Jan. 23 from 11-11:40 AM. Participating are Sheldon Harnick, Jessica Hecht, Alexandra Silber, Adam Kantor and Samantha Massell, along with fellow Fiddler revival cast members Michael C. Bernardi and Jeffrey Schecter.
"A Conversation With Sheldon Harnick" will follow Jan. 23 from 12:30-1:30 PM. The veteran lyricist will speak about his 50-plus years in the theatre, as two of his most popular musicals – Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me – return to Broadway this season.
"Something Wonderful: A Look Behind The King and I," which will include director Bartlett Sher, choreographer Christopher Gattelli, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound designer Scott Lehrer, scenic designer Michael Yeargan and costume designer Catherine Zuber. Ted Chapin, president and executive director of Rodgers & Hammerstein, will moderate the 2-3 PM panel on Jan. 22.
Original cast members of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning Jonathan Larson musical Rent will reunite to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the landmark show on Jan. 22. Currently confirmed to appear are Tony Award nominees Adam Pascal and Daphne Rubin-Vega, Rapp (one of BroadwayCon's co-founders), Fredi Walker and Rodney Hicks, alongside choreographer Marlies Yearby and original conductor Tim Weil.
The weekend will also feature Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with co-stars Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff and Christopher Jackson. Fans can expect to catch them as part of the Jan. 22 opening events.
Special events include a Fun Home panel, featuring book writer and lyricist Lisa Kron, along with director Sam Gold and cast members Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone and Emily Skeggs; as well as "OBSESSED! Live Disaster! Edition," in which the show's creator and star, Seth Rudetsky, will be joined by fellow cast members Roger Bart, Faith Prince, Kerry Butler and Jennifer Simard for a special live edition of the popular Playbill video series.
Also participating in the weekend are Broadway siblings Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jeremy Jordan, Krysta Rodriguez, Lesli Margherita, Stark Sands, Alex Brightman, Ryann Redmond, Nick Adams, Paige Davis, Alice Ripley, Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Sawyer Nunes, Sam Poon, Taylor Richardson, Ripley Sobo, Natalie Weiss, Rebecca Luker, Joshua Safran, Ann Harada, John Johnson, Hal Luftig, Arielle Tepper Madover, Daryl Roth, Barbara Whitman, Bernard Telsey, Lisa Howard, Carly Hughes, Taylor Louderman, Rob McClure, Alysha Umphress, Susan Blackwell, Jenn Colella, Gavin Creel, Matt Doyle, Tamika Lawrence, Telly Leung, Michael McElroy, Andy Mientus, Seth Rudetsky, Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltzberg, Dan Lipton, David Rossmer, Laurence O'Keefe, Susan L. Schulman, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Peter Filichia, Stacy Wolf and Paloma Young.
The three-day event is packed with star-studded events and special musical moments. Fans can expect a number of high-profile cameos from Broadway favorites during the Jan. 22 MainStage opening musical that will feature an original song from the writers of First Date and the upcoming 17 Again musical. "We're going to kick off the MainStage Programming at full throttle, in a way only a Broadway convention can do—with a fully staged mini-musical!" MainStage director David Alpert said. "We have an amazingly talented cast, a live band, and surprise cameos, all to welcome everyone to the convention. We've enlisted Broadway writers Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner to compose a new song for the event, and are also working with YouTube sensation Tessa Netting, who happens to write amazing parodies."