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The first-ever Broadway-centered music festival, aptly named The Festival (because what other type of music is there?), brought hordes of Broadway talent to Hutton Brickyards in Kingston, New York to perform across three outdoor stages for a long weekend in an idyllic location.
Attendees—dressed in treasured Broadway show merch—unloaded from school buses to fill the defunct 19th-century industrial site on the Hudson River and transform it into something between a pop-up theater camp for adults, a Coachella for musical theater lovers and Burning Man with a choir, as one on-stage bit joked while a packed house sipped Phantom Fizzes (Aperol spritzes).
The venue itself, about a two-hour drive from the city, was transformed into an oasis for Broadway lovers, with thematic activations everywhere. I popped from a Playbill photo booth to a lemonade stand (serving glittery Standing Ovation strawberry lemonade to sip with a star-shaped straw) to a theater-inspired craft fair vending accessories and memorabilia inspired by Broadway shows past and present. Sponsored booths offered thematic glitter tattoos and, of course, pastilles (lozenges preferred by performers) to lubricate vocal chords for three days of sing-alongs and standing ovations.
Guests couldn’t actually stay at Hutton Yards, but rather at one of the several nearby partner hotels, or find their own accommodations, which I did. Each day, we’d park at the Hudson Valley Mall to catch the shuttle, which was then about a 10-minute ride from the venue.
As a general admission passholder (three-day passes started at $454), I had access to every performance and moseyed between various seating options (folding chairs in direct sun, my own picnic blanket on the grass, shaded Adirondack chairs at the campfire stage) to catch as much of the schedule as I could. As with any festival, it was impossible to be in two places at once, and I had to decide between lingering for a calming Sondheim strings performance or catching iconic duets on the farther stage.
VIP ticketholders enjoyed premium seating closest to the main Broadway Direct stage, tented shaded seating by the 42 West stage, an air-conditioned lounge and other perks I didn’t feel I missed out on—for GA ticketholders, there was plenty of space, not too much crowding and real bathrooms (in addition to porta potties) that anyone could access.
Unless you have a lifelong talent of sneaking snacks into places they’re typically not allowed, guests were relegated to the on-site food vendors, which included local trucks and pop-ups. Hutton Yards operates its own sit-in or takeout restaurant, which was my favorite option.
The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon, with major stars singing Disney songs on the main stage. Jasmine Amy Rogers sang an intimate set that sold me on tickets to The Sound of Music revival, in which she’s slated to star as Maria.
Broadway couple Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney rocked out to duets from some of the shows they’ve performed in together, including Hadestown (their meet cute) and The Great Gatsby. More talent reprised their iconic roles, including Christopher Jackson singing George Washington’s hits before he returns to the role he originated in Hamilton in 2027. Alex Newell belted out “When You’re Good to Mama” from Chicago and “Mama Will Provide” from Once on this Island. Mother, indeed.
The night concluded with a campfire sing-along, originally set to be hosted by Betty Who, but she dropped out due to illness and Jackson stopped in to introduce new stars singing their favorite tunes impromptu. There was neither a campfire nor much group singing, but that’s showbiz.
Saturday was the pinnacle of The Festival, with the Rent 30th anniversary commanding the stage mid-afternoon. Original stars Anthony Rapp (Mark) and Adam Pascal (Roger) opened the show with the famous lines and 13 of 15 original cast members joined on stage to share memories of working on the show in the 1990s and sing the hits.
And speaking of the hits, Jenn Collella brought the crowd to its feet that night with Melissa Etheridge’s “Come to My Window,” a lesbian anthem for her fanbase (and beyond). Kelli O’Hara showed off her high notes in her signature soprano roles and Renee Elise Goldsberry closed out the show with Lion King and Hamilton solos. A pop-up Club Cumming brought the East Village venue to Kingston with drag, live music and storytelling, while an outdoor acoustic night brought O’Hara’s daughter on stage with her to sing Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”.
I could have danced all night, or at least stayed for more sing-alongs, but we were on an upstate schedule and programming wrapped before midnight. Overall, I would have loved more singing and dancing for guests, but I get that this was a performance-based event, not theater camp.
Sunday was certainly more relaxed, with another set by Rent’s Pascal and Rapp. Rain came just in time to be an unpaid actor at the final “Sunday in the Park Show,” a diva-filled performance featuring Lauren Patten rocking Jagged Little Pill songs and Audra McDonald closing out the weekend with her glorious interpretations of Cabaret, Gypsy and a duet with her on-screen Gilded Age daughter, Denee Benton.
Overall, the weekend some joked may be a theater nerds’ Fyre Festival felt like a success, so much so that it’s already been announced to return in 2027. I heard three unique renditions of “Suddenly Seymour,” crossed paths with many familiar theater-lovers from the city, watched the balloon art construction of a biblically accurate Bruiser from Legally Blonde and left with a renewed sense of joy for the power and beauty of musical theater.
And that’s what you missed on Glee!