Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance

[CT2NYC]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#1

Posted: 10/8/20 at 11:48am

Surprised that no one one has mentioned this, but there was a pop-up performance of "Sunday" on the Red Steps in Times Square yesterday, organized by NYCNext. Calling it "A Moment for Broadway," the group of singers included Bernadette Peters, Kelli O'Hara, Sierra Boggess, Andrew Rannells, Brandon Victor Dixon, Andrea Burns, Ana Villafañe, Ali Stroker, Norm Lewis, Javier Muñoz, Joel Grey, Celia Keenan Bolger, Christopher Sieber, and Max von Essen, among others.

https://abc7ny.com/a-moment-for-broadway-nycnext-bernadette-peters-shut-down/6841259/

 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#2

Posted: 10/8/20 at 11:52am

Cried and cried and cried and cried.

 

What beauty. 

[Bettyboy72]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#3

Posted: 10/8/20 at 11:53am

It was beautiful and thrilling. Life-affirming. It sounded great and lovely to see the reactions from folks like Carolee when Bernadette sang. It made me so happy. 

That being said, on the NYCNEXT instagram they were streaming behind the scenes video and there was a large crowd watching. The majority looked masked, but still. 

"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal "I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello

[LizzieCurry]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#4

Posted: 10/8/20 at 1:36pm

Nice story in the NYT about this! They don't announce these events ahead of time so as to avoid crowding.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/07/theater/surprise-theater-times-square.html

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

[EDSOSLO858]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#5

Posted: 10/8/20 at 1:39pm

Does anyone know who conducted?

Also eager to see Sondheim's reaction to this.

"When we die, we go bye bye." - Abe Lincolns

[Sutton Ross]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#6

Posted: 10/8/20 at 2:08pm

It was beautiful and thrilling. Life-affirming. It sounded great and lovely to see the reactions from folks like Carolee when Bernadette sang. It made me so happy.

Same.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#7

Posted: 10/8/20 at 2:09pm

Jordan Levinson said: "Does anyone know who conducted?

Also eager to see Sondheim's reaction to this."

 

I thought I saw it was Tom Kitt. Could be wrong.

[EDSOSLO858]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#8

Posted: 10/8/20 at 2:27pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "Jordan Levinson said: "Does anyone know who conducted?

Also eager to see Sondheim's reaction to this."



I thought I saw it was Tom Kitt. Could be wrong."

I just found out it was both Kitt and Michael McElroy- no wonder it sounded so good. 

"When we die, we go bye bye." - Abe Lincolns

[binau]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#9

Posted: 10/11/20 at 3:05pm

This photo already feels iconic. WOW. What an amazing event!

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#10

Posted: 10/11/20 at 3:50pm

qolbinau said: "This photo already feels iconic. WOW. What an amazing event!

"

Agreed. Years from now, it will be remembered and looked back on. Seeing the picture of Bernadette at the 9/11 performance of "New York, New York" side by side with this week's... Lots of emotions.

[temms]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#11

Posted: 10/11/20 at 5:46pm

Bryan Perri was the conductor. He conducts Jagged Little Pill.

[binau]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#12

Posted: 10/15/20 at 4:00am

I've been listening to this on repeat for days as a standalone piece of music and I just love everything about it - the context of course is special, but the arrangements & harmonies and interesting too. It sounds a bit more modern/fresh - like in that (somewhat cliche way now) of having all the characters of a musical at the end sing an uplifting/inspirational emotional harmony ballad (spring awakening; next to normal; dear evan hansen; carrie etc.). 

Bernadette's voice also sounds so pure and clean - that vibrato is still lovely! And the nostalgia of her singing it is too much. Maybe she doesn't have the sheer power anymore but she still 'got it'! There is not another voice like it.

Was watching some of the Bernadette/Stritch promo vids* for a Little Night Music^ and it's cool to hear them speak about "Sunday" at the 2010 Birthday concert and how emotional it was - 10 years later I bet Bernadette would not have expected she'd be leading a performance of it in the context she was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG_l6kSn3KQ

* Watching all of these is actually SO funny - I would say sometimes unintentionally because Stritch is such a personality but it's like a comedy skit/SNL parody watching Bernadette and Elaine together. It's nice to revisit.

^ I know this is an obvious point, but even though Bernadette still looks great I can see that even she has aged in these last 10 years. 

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

Updated On: 10/15/20 at 04:00 AM

[AADA81]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#13

Posted: 10/15/20 at 1:38pm

For me, this performance speaks to the resilience of the theater as art and the resilience of theater folk.  It was nice to get a taste of what was and will be again, even for just a few minutes.

[Steve C.]

Broadway Times Square Pop-Up Performance#14

Posted: 10/15/20 at 2:04pm

I just saw this today. You can actually see and hear what each person is going through in their voices! There is grief but such strength and resilience! You can't watch this and not be thankful and yet hopeful, and just cry and cry...

I Can Has Cheezburger With This?

Updated On: 10/15/20 at 02:04 PM