BroadwayCon
Speech & Debate at BroadwayCon
We’re so excited to announce that members of the cast and creative teams of the upcoming film Speech & Debate will be joining us at BroadwayCon 2017!
Based on the off-Broadway play of the same name from Tony Award-winning playwright Stephen Karam, the dramedy follows an unlikely trio of teenagers trying to make their voices heard. Karam also wrote the screenplay for the film, and will be joining us for this panel on Saturday afternoon.
Four actors from the film—Sarah Steele, Liam James, Austin P. McKenzie, and Roger Bart—will join him, along with the film’s producer, Tom Rice.
The panel will be moderated by our friend and special guest, Darren Criss (who has a special cameo in the film, himself!), and will feature a sneak peek from the film, along with an exclusive musical preview for BroadwayCon attendees.
You’ll definitely want to work this one into your schedule!
Omigod You Guys: BroadwayCon Workshops Are Back!
Maybe you can’t take private voice lessons from the Phantom, but BroadwayCon has the next best thing! Workshops at BroadwayCon give you the chance to get up close and personal with some of the brightest stars on the Great White Way—and learn a thing or two while you’re at it.
Whether it’s been five minutes since you walked out of a voice lesson or 15 years since you last buckled the straps on your character shoes, we’ve got the perfect workshop for you to hone your skills.
We’ve got four workshops on Song Interpretation (including one lead by our friend and co-creator Anthony Rapp) to help you get to the heart of your character’s passions and motivation. Even if you’re not pursuing a degree or career in theatre, these skills can definitely transfer to your show-stopping performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” on karaoke night!
Or, if you’re one who can’t stop the beat, join one of the many dance workshops we’ve got lined up! From Beginner Tap to Advanced Ballet, you’re bound to find something to help you (ahem) keep dancing through life.
You can also challenge yourself to something new at “Vocal Pilates” with James Snyder or “Acro Dance” with Kevin DeJesus-Jones. If you’re wondering what Acro Dance entails, think Spider-Man!
Really, the only thing we don’t have to offer is a baking class from the cast of Waitress.
So do not throw away your shot! Step one is to [click here] to get tickets to BroadwayCon.
Once you’re registered, tap dance your way over to our [Workshops page] to see the full list of offerings and submit your application today! There are also limited spaces available for observers, if you’re not ready to be in the spotlight just yet and would prefer to watch.
Applications will be accepted through December 22, so warm up your vocal cords, flex those jazz hands, and brush up on your favorite monologue. We’re ready for you to shine!
Join us!
Maybe next year?
Encore! - The Stage Door Experience
For some theatergoers, the show ends once the final note rings out or the last line is said. (If you’re watching a particularly gruesome Shakespearean tragedy, it could also be when the final body hits the floor.)
For others, it’s the final bow that gets people up out of their seats and flooding back into the streets. They go about their lives—to dinner, drinks, tourist destinations, and maybe even another late-night curtain. Maybe the songs are stuck in their heads; maybe they’re tapping their feet to an imaginary beat; maybe they’ll find themselves rapping in their sleep (thanks, Lin-Manuel).
But there are a dedicated few—and we’re willing to bet our attendees are among them!—who will brave the elements (rain, snow, ice, humidity) to stand outside in the hopes of meeting their favorite performers at the stage door.
As we’re sure you know, the stage door is a way to connect with the cast and crew of a production. We can thank them, hug them, stand in awe as they walk by, and even sometimes get a selfie. But as anyone who has waited in bated breath at the stage door knows, there are a few unknown variables: Will your favorite star come out? Will they have to leave without signing your Playbill? Will you be able to get a picture that’s unimpeded by other fans? What if you can’t even get close enough?
We’ve all been there. And that’s why BroadwayCon loves that we can essentially bring the stage door to you, opened wide in all its glory!
Our team has assembled a broad and diverse cast of special guests to appear on panels, attend Q&As, and even sit for special signings and photobooths. Our goal is to take the stage door experience to the next level! You could be meeting the cast of the highly-anticipated Anastasia one minute, and then joining a line to admire Josh Groban’s beard for The Great Comet. And given the vast number of talented people who will be wandering the halls at BroadwayCon, the stage door might even be as close as the nearest coffee cart.
And the best part? You don’t even have to be outside in the cold! There’s no excuse to let the show end when the curtain closes.
Join us at the Javits Center this January and make all your stage door dreams come true. Weekend and day passes are still available here [<Link]. If you’ve already registered, start planning your weekend by paying a visit to our schedule [< Link].
**thud**
No need to burn scripts for warmth at BroadwayCon
7 Can’t-Miss Moments at BroadwayCon 2017
You may have noticed that we launched the schedule this week, and wow, are we excited about it! With only 42 days to go [change number accordingly if not posted on 12/16], we wanted to take a break from pre-production to point out a few things we think you won’t want to miss:
7. BroadwayCon Feud
Our friends at Playbill have surveyed a wide collection of theatre fans like you to compile the answers to some of the most burning questions on the Great White Way. Fans in attendance will get to participate in this Family Feud-inspired game--you won’t want to miss it!
6. Workshops
Are you a creative-type, or do you like to watch creative-types practicing their crafts? We’ve partnered with some of Broadway’s best to offer workshops in acting, singing, dancing and more! There’s still time to sign up to observe or participate in workshops.
Click here for more information [link to workshops page].
5. Cosplay Fashion Show
Whether you’ve hand-sewn a stage-accurate version of Cinderella’s transformation dress, or you just like to see people in costumes on parade, you’ll want to make time for our cosplay fashion show. Come see all the creative costumes attendees have been parading around BroadwayCon. Maybe you can even get a selfie with your favorite character!
4. BroadwayCon First Look
Do you already have your tickets to all of this season’s hot new shows? Do you need guidance to figure out what you want to see? Either way, you’ll want to check out our First Look panel! Featuring select members of the cast and creative teams from some of Broadway’s most anticipated openings, including Amèlie, Anastasia, Bandstand, and more!
3. Singalongs
Not all of us can belt it out at center stage, but that isn’t going to stop us from trying! We have not one, not two--but three (3!) singalongs scheduled for BroadwayCon 2017.
Whether you prefer to sing old musical theatre standards or you want to relive the Act One finales of all your favorite musicals, we can’t wait to lead you in song! There will be big notes, unending jazz hands, and maybe a couple of #feels along the way. We certainly can’t wait, so we hope to see you there!
2. BroadwayCon Jukebox
Have you ever thought “Wow, I’d really love to hear Laura Bell Bundy belt out some T-Swift”? You’re in luck! At the BroadwayCon Jukebox, anything goes. With the help of the BroadwayCon app, you’ll get to select songs to be performed by some of your favorite Broadway stars. If you’ve always wanted to see Jeremy Jordan reprise “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, this is the moment you won’t want to miss!
1. The First-Ever BroadwayCon Star-to-Be
Have we all heard Natalie Weiss perform Scott Alan’s “I’m A Star”? Because there may not have ever been a more relevant song for a talent search! The call is currently out for talented performers to submit videos [<Link]. Submissions close on December 20th--and the top 10 acts will be invited to perform in front of our panel of Broadway celebrity judges. Could you be our very first Star-to-Be?
Check out the full schedule here, and don’t forget to register for BroadwayCon 2017. Because #fomo is real--and this list barely begins to cover the 200+ hours of programming we’re preparing!
Role: Copywriter
Timeline: 1 blog / week
Tools: Google Workspace, Wordpress, Tumblr, Twitter
Stakeholders: BroadwayCon attendees
Opportunity: Senior staff wanted weekly posts on the BroadwayCon blog to build hype for attendees who had already purchased tickets, and to build #fomo in those who hadn’t.
Outcome: The following blog posts, which received regular engagement and site traffic until the team decided to remove the blog in 2021. Please excuse any Squarespace formatting weirdness on this page — sometimes it looks right, sometimes not!