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What could be more perfectly New York than the best of Broadway against a skyline backdrop?
That neighborhood mashup is exactly what you’ll get when Broadway in Battery Park City takes over Wagner Park on Saturday, September 6. The one-night-only concert brings a stacked lineup of stage favorites for an evening of showtunes that celebrate the energy and spirit of NYC. Best of all, it’s free.
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Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live) and Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) are set to host, and the pair promise a night that mixes comedy, star power and a touch of chaos. The cast list reads like a fantasy draft for theatergoers: Mary-Louise Parker, Richard Kind, Ethan Slater, Adam Kantor, Tamika Lawrence, Tony Yazbeck, Katie Finneran, Hunter Parrish, Darlesia Cearcy, John Clay III, Nathan Salstone, John Yi, Aubrey Matalon and Terrence Williams Jr., with plenty of surprise appearances rumored. Even with a lineup that impressive, the real star may be the setting itself: Wagner Park has just reopened after a long renovation, and the stage will be set so that audiences get a simultaneous eyeful of stars and of the Statue of Liberty.
What makes Broadway in Battery Park City stand out from the last several months of summer concerts is its focus on Broadway as a living reflection of New York. These songs are the ones that have turned the city into both subject and muse, whether by capturing the grit of Times Square, the ache of longing that every dreamer feels or the joy of finding community in a crowded place.
Kevin Cahoon (Shucked) directs the concert, with Alex “Goldie” Golden handling music direction. Expect songs that tap into the city’s heartbeat, from classics that defined the Broadway canon to newer hits that have kept the art form evolving. The concert will include lighting by Kevin Adams and production design by Jason Sherwood, who know a thing or two about creating theatrical magic outdoors.
This is theater without a ticket price, bringing audiences to the edge of the Hudson for a communal night of music. For a few hours at least, New Yorkers will remember why this city makes people burst into song in the first place.
Broadway in Battery Park City begins at 7:30pm. Admission is free, but advance registration is available through Eventbrite.