“Today, arts workers are in pain. They need funding and support to rebuild and grace our stages again…giving artists the opportunity to do what they do best. And that is heal. Heal and fill New York City with joy," said Tony winner Chita Rivera from the center of Times Square at the latest pop-up event.
An all-star lineup of Broadway talent gathered to perform and advocate for the necessity of arts workers in the recovery of New York City. The pop-up kicked off with Charl Brown, Derrick Baskin, Kelvin Moon Loh, and Joél Pérez performing The Temptations number “On Broadway," introduced by Brian Stokes Mitchell.
The event is sponsored by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Kaleidoscope Entertainment, NYCNext, and the Times Square Alliance, executive produced by Blake Ross and directed and produced by Holly-Anne Devlin of Kaleidoscope, with musical direction by Jacob Yates and choreography by Kellen Stancil. The groups also produced the pop-up performance of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday" in Times Square last October.
Other performances included “Home," from Charlie Smalls' The Wiz, is performed by Lilias White, Nikki M. James, Peppermint, and Solea Pfeiffer; the song “We Will Be Back” by Allen René Louis featuring the Broadway Inspirational Voices chorus; and Stephen Schwartz's “Magic To Do” from Pippin, performed by André De Shields, Brandon Nase, Heath Saunders, Kathryn Gallagher, Ryann Redmond, Charl Brown, Bre Jackson, Michael Fatica, Anna Uzele, Olivia Valli, Gerry McIntyre, Kris Coleman, Orville Mendoza, and featuring Jackie Cox, with supporting vocals by Broadway Inspirational Voices.Check out photos and watch the full performances, as well as additional remarks from Matthew Broderick, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Tom Viola, Rivera, De Shields, and Nikkole Salter, below.
