If there is one event I look forward to every year, it is BroadwayCon. I truly have theater in my heart—it holds a special place because theater does so much for the soul. It is welcoming to all and it embraces all. That embracing, acceptance, joy, and love is what I felt as I walked through the New York Hilton Midtown during BroadwayCon 2024, which took place July 26–28. BroadwayCon puts theater on a pedestal that it well deserves and allows theater lovers, performers, and the general public to enjoy a fascinating experience. You get exposed to all aspects of theater and can pick up a lot of great advice, because theater professionals hold workshops about everything from choreography to how to get an agent.
The atmosphere was very lively as people walked around in full cos-play—outfits inspired by musicals like “Phantom of the Opera,” “SIX,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Hadestown,” “The Outsiders,” “Wicked,” “& Juliet,” “Legally Blonde,” and so many more. People were dressed to impress, and that they did.
BroadwayCon offered a multitude of seminars, panels, and workshops. One panel, “Autism and Broadway: What it means to be a fan while on the spectrum,” addressed the topic of autism and referred to the production “How to Dance In Ohio,” which featured a cast of actors with autism; there were also special stations in the theater for audience members with autism to visit if they needed assistance. Other offerings included workshops on navigating film and tv careers; and on “Business & Marketing Strategy for The Performer.” There was a vast number of workshops to choose from.
There were autographs signing with some of the stars of Broadway, including Afra Hines, Jennifer Geller, Ben Cameron, Desmond Luis Edwards and L Morgan Lee, just to name a few. There were spotlights on “SIX,” and “The Outsiders;” dance classes; and a screening of the upcoming “Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical,” which will star Jeremy Jordan. Of course. there was a phenomenal, eye-popping cos-play competition on Sunday and, believe me, people bought the heat, the heart, and their creativity.
As always, I had the pleasure of moderating my own panels at BroadwayCon 2024. On Sunday, I held a panel about “The Wiz,” “The Wiz Revival Eases on Down the Road to Broadway.” I was thrilled to have the four stars of “The Wiz”—Nichelle Lewis (Dorothy), Avery Wilson (Scarecrow), Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion), and Phillip Johnson Richardson (Tinman)—present as well. During the panel (which was not only well attended, but every person in the audience had seen the show), the actors discussed their journeys with this production, which runs through August 18.
The cast shared their creative process, and the camaraderie they have on- and off-stage. Lewis and Johnson talked about their nervousness in making their stage debuts—performances that earned them Theatre World Awards. The cast also talked about how much they loved the changes with this “Wiz” from the original version—this was now a “Wiz” for a new generation .There was a lot of love and joy in the room.
My other panel was “‘Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton-Patch’ Made History on Broadway!” and featured Tony and Drama Desk Award winner Kara Young; actress Heather Alicia Simms; and Hasna Muhammad, daughter of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. This one was especially important to me, because it truly was historic to have this panel on Broadway, 62 years after the original production starring Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee was staged. Hasna discussed why it was important for this to happen.
She talked about how Leslie Odom Jr., who starred as Purlie and produced the show, and Jeffrey Richards, who produced the play, came and asked about mounting it, and how she and siblings Nora and Guy consented.
Everyone agreed that it was important to introduce a new generation to the creativity of Ossie Davis. Young and Simms felt honored to take on this production. Everyone was focused on showing a great respect for this timeless work, which is still as relevant today as it was when it was originally done. They talked about the respectful and powerful way that Davis wrote Black women characters in this play and Muhammad said that was due to the strong Black women her father was raised around and to the influence of her mother, Ruby Dee. It was one of the most touching panels I have done to date. The audience had a magnificent time.
BroadwayCon Marketplace was truly everything Broadway, from T-shirts, jackets, jewelry, pins, stickers, collectibles, and more. Some of the vendors included Oddment & Tweak with enamel pins and stickers with Harry Potter themes and movie themes. Broadway Up Close had T-shirts, pins, tote bags, and umbrellas among its items. Applause Shop had Broadway playbills, memorabilia, collectibles, autographs, jackets, and T-shirts. Ripley-Greer Studios had studio space and ran a raffle for studio time, and they also sold T-shirts and other items. Vendors like Jane Elissa Atelier offered handmade jewelry, prints, books, and hats with Broadway themes, along with jackets, hats, and bags decorated with multimedia collages and paints. “The jacket and the hats tell a story,” Elissa said.
If you are a theater lover, performer, or someone who wants to be in an environment of complete welcome and acceptance, make plans to go to BroadwayCon 2025, produced by Mischief Management, next year. I know I will.
