Broadway is gearing up for the Tony Awards on June 8, which means that this year’s crop of nominees are pulling out all of the stops for enthusiastic audiences and producers are hoping that a big win may solidify box office sales and the possibility of future touring productions.
Broadway is, after all, commercial theater, meaning that the almighty dollar can sometimes supersede artistic integrity. But for one night only, many theater artists take to the stage to strut their stuff in celebration of the craft itself. This month The Broadway Blog highlights three can’t-miss theatrical events that will have audiences leaping to their feet. An array of performers will take to the stage to celebrate that there’s no business like show business.
June 9
The Spectacular Songs of Lerner and Loewe!
Irish Repertory Theatre’s annual benefit gala overtakes the Al Hirschfeld Theater for a night (no Kinky Boots this time around) and celebrates the music of classic hit shows including My Fair Lady, Gigi, Camelot, Paint Your Wagon and Brigadoon. Tony Award-winners Malcom Gets, Maryanne Plunkett, John Cullum, James Naughton and Joel Grey headline the evening, which pays tribute to the 27-year-old theater company. It is currently the only year-round theater company in New York City devoted to bringing Irish and Irish American works to the stage.
7 p.m.
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
June 9
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof
An all-star benefit concert for National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene brings together stars of stage and screen, including Joshua Bell, Andrea Martin, Adrienne Barbeau, Jerry Zaks, Austin Pendleton, Pia Zadora and a special appearance by Tony- and Academy Award-nominated Topol, who played Tevye in the 1972 film version and 1990 Broadway revival.
7:30 p.m.
Town Hall
Ben Platt in The Book of Mormon (photo: Joan Marcus) via The Broadway Blog.
June 23
Broadway by the Year: 1990-2014
Author/critic Scott Siegel created the series for Town Hall, which he writes and hosts. Siegel takes audiences of all ages on a musical tour of the Great White Way, offering an entertaining verbal account of Broadway’s history. Each evening celebrates the songs from Broadway shows of a selected year, sung by a cast of talented cabaret and Broadway performers. This year marked a departure in format, showcasing 100 years of Broadway history. The final installment of the season will include performances by Orfeh, Bobby Steggert, Barrett Foa, Margo Seibert, Rory O’Malley and dozens more with musical selections of the era including Young Frankenstein, Avenue Q, Ragtime, The Light in the Piazza, The Book of Mormon and others.
8 p.m.
Town Hall
Bobby Steggert in the Broadway revival of Ragtime.
