Cheers Greet The Reopening Of Three Mega-Hit Broadway Shows

NEW YORK (AP) — Theater royalty — in the form of Kristin Chenoweth, Julie Taymor and Lin-Manuel Miranda — welcomed back boisterous audiences to “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Hamilton” for the first time since the start of the pandemic, marking Tuesday as the unofficial return of Broadway.

Chenoweth surprised the crowd at “Wicked” by appearing onstage for a speech on the same stage where she became a star years ago. “There’s no place like home,” she said, lifting a line from the musical. The crowd hooted, hollered and gave her a standing ovation.

Taymor, the director and costume-designer of “The Lion King,” congratulated her audience for the courage and enthusiasm to lead the way. “Theater, as we know, is the lifeblood and soul of the city,” she said. “It’s time for us to live again.” And Miranda at “Hamilton” summed up the feeling of a lot of people when he said: “I don’t ever want to take live theater for granted.”

“The Lion King,” “Hamilton” and “Wicked” all staked out Tuesday to reopen together in early May after then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo picked Sept. 14 for when Broadway could begin welcoming back audiences at full capacity.

The trio of shows were beaten by Bruce Springsteen’s concert show in June and the opening of the new play “Pass Over” on Aug. 22, as well as the reopening of two big musicals — “Hadestown” and “Waitress.”

But the return of the three musicals — the spiritual anchors of modern Broadway’s success — as well as the return of the long-running “Chicago” and the reopening of the iconic TKTS booth, both also on Tuesday, are important signals that Broadway is back, despite pressure and uncertainty from the spread of the delta variant.

The crowds virtually blew the roof off the three theaters. At “Wicked,” they stood and applauded the dimming of the lights, the welcome announcement, the arrival and departure of Chenoweth, the opening notes of the first song and several moments during that song, especially when Glinda says: “It’s good to see me, isn’t it?”

At “The Lion King,” the opening song “The Circle of Life” was virtually drowned out by cheers and clapping, while every star in “Hamilton” had to pause to let the entrance applause die down enough to be heard again.

Linda Diane Polichetti, an usher at “Hamilton,” said she was proud to back at work. “I’m just glad to be back because the world I was in, I wasn’t recognizing,” she said. “I love my show. I love my cast.”

Ticketholders to all three mega-hits had to prove they were fully vaccinated with an FDA- or WHO-authorized vaccine and masks must be worn at all times, except when eating or drinking in designated areas.

Vaccine checkers in bright T-shirts inspected phones and cards as the crowds made their way into the theaters. “Thank you for getting vaccinated and wearing a mask,” Miranda said, to roars of approval. The crowds were very compliant with the new rules, only lowering their masks for the obligatory selfie. Taymor joked in her speech that the performers often wear masks. “Guess what? You get to wear masks tonight.”

Before the shows, Miranda, Taymor and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz stressed that Broadway has implemented safety protocols that make cramming strangers into theaters as safe as it can be.

“We go to a theater for catharsis. Literally that’s what we go for: to be in communion with each other, hear a story told in the dark and experience catharsis,” said Miranda. “For a while, it wasn’t safe to do that. And it’s safe to come back now with the protocols we have in place.”

Actors across Broadway say they’re itching to get back on stage after more than a year of waiting, trusting the health experts to make the process safe. The bulk of Broadway’s theaters will be reopened by Thanksgiving.

“It’s a little bit like when you’re on an airplane and there’s turbulence,” said Sharon Wheatley, a veteran actor in the show “Come From Away,” which resumes its Broadway run Sept. 21. “I have to trust the pilot, I have to trust the air traffic controllers. I feel nervous, but I have to understand that I don’t know as much as these people do.”

“Hamilton,” which opened six years ago, “Wicked,” which opened 17 years ago and “The Lion King,” which opened 23 years ago, form the bedrock of modern Broadway, virtually immune to downturns, shifts in tourism and rivals.

Another sign that Broadway is inching back to normalcy is the re-opening of the famed TKTS booth in the heart of Times Square, where visitors can get same-day and some next-day discount Broadway and off-Broadway tickets.

“It’s such a big step forward,” said Victoria Bailey, executive director of the nonprofit Theatre Development Fund, which runs the booth. “To get it open and such a symbol to people that theater is coming back.”

Bailey says Broadway’s return will be less like a flick of a light switch and more like a dimmer, with a slow build to regular attendance. “We’ll know so much more in two or three weeks, but you can’t swim unless you can start by dog-paddling.”

During the pandemic, Miranda saw his visionary show turned into a critically hailed filmed version for Disney+, but said there no substitute for seeing it live.

“It’s one thing to see something on the screen. And I’m thrilled ‘Hamilton’ was was available on a screen in a time when we couldn’t go to a theater. But I’m even more thrilled that now it can be experienced the way it was meant to, live in front of an audience, the final collaborator every night.”

Experience "Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia," Oct. 27 – Mar. 17 At The Museum Of The American Revolution

In Conjunction, a “Year of Hamilton” Programming Will Include Author Talks, Tours, and Family-Friendly Activities

The city of New York gets a lot of attention in the Broadway smash hit Hamilton: An American Musical, but Philadelphia also played a major role in the life and work of Alexander Hamilton.

In Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia, the Museum of the American Revolution will highlight the surprising connections between our own city and Hamilton’s extraordinary contributions to the nation’s founding. The experience will run from Oct. 27, 2018 – March 17, 2019. It is free with regular museum admission.

The experience is open on weekends from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and weekdays from 1 – 5 p.m. (weekday mornings are reserved for school groups). Bank of America is the presenting sponsor of the exhibit, and The Philadelphia Foundation is the Museum’s community partner. 

Through playful activities, scenic environments, and interactive games, visitors will actively engage in the challenges of founding and maintaining a country as they follow Alexander Hamilton’s story through different locations in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Each activity seeks to inspire visitors to think about Hamilton’s contributions to the founding of the United States and how they can carry these lessons forward as they face the challenges of citizenship today. Visitors can dress up in reproduction 1790s clothing, load a full-sized replica cannon, and design a coin inspired by early American symbols, among other activities.

Hamilton Was Here features six key sections that highlight different aspects of Hamilton’s political rise in the Philadelphia region, including his roles as an artillery officer in Washington’s army as it tried to defend the city from the British during the Revolutionary War; a political leader who helped create the United States Constitution; an advisor to President Washington when Philadelphia served as the national capital; and the first Secretary of the Treasury who envisioned the financial future of the nation in his Philadelphia office.

“We strive to tell the other side of each story – those that are lesser-known and often surprising. This experience is no exception,” said Dr. Philip Mead, Chief Historian and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum. “Without Philadelphia, Alexander Hamilton might not have been the Alexander Hamilton we know today – his experiences in the city shaped his vision for the nation.”

To continue the experience, the Museum also will launch a “Year of Hamilton” programming, which will include a range of special events and programs dedicated to exploring Hamilton’s life and legacy. For more information, visit www.amrevmuseum.org/year-hamilton.

Over the course of the year, the Museum’s core exhibition will feature nearly 30 Hamilton-related artifacts, including objects on loan from the New-York Historical Society, the Library of Congress, and the Philadelphia History Museum: an 1825 portrait of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton; letters written by Alexander Hamilton at Valley Forge; a 1775 edition of one of Hamilton’s first political pamphlets The Farmer Refuted; and a sword that belonged to Tench Tilghman who also served General Washington as an aide-de-camp. In the Museum’s lobby, visitors can pose with life-size bronze statues depicting Hamilton’s fatal 1804 duel with Aaron Burr.

“As an early corporate supporter of the Museum and presenting sponsor of this exhibit, Bank of America is thrilled to support this important experience that sheds light on Alexander Hamilton’s connections to our city,” said Jim Dever, Philadelphia Market President, Bank of America. “The exhibit brings to life Hamilton’s role in the most significant event in American history, including his contributions to creating our country’s financial system – and we are proud to help make that possible for visitors of our region to enjoy.”

The Philadelphia Foundation is underwriting expenses associated with encouraging student and family access to Hamilton Was Here in the upcoming academic year, including program development and production, materials and supplies, and project evaluation.

“As Hamilton himself knew, cultural access can be the gateway to a lifetime of opportunities,” said Pedro A. Ramos, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Foundation. “We are proud to be the Museum’s partner in producing this special educational exhibit. The programming and materials that highlight Philadelphia’s place in history will benefit and be enjoyed by thousands of schoolchildren and families throughout the region.”

Hamilton Was Here’s Six Key Sections:
(Each section features a nearby location and its role in Hamilton’s story)

1. Hamilton’s Artillery: He Commanded It (Trenton and Princeton)
Do you have what it takes to be like Hamilton and command artillerymen? In 1776 and 1777, Hamilton captained a New York artillery company as part of General Washington’s army.  In this section:

• Explore Hamilton’s military service, including his participation in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, as Washington’s army defended Philadelphia from the British.  
• Follow the footprints on the floor as you load a full-size replica bronze cannon using tools like a rammer, sponge, and linstock.
• Learn about teamwork as you work with others as part of a cannon crew.
• Touch different types of 18th-century artillery ammunition, including a replica cannonball and grape shot.

2. Hamilton’s First Duel: He Ended It (Port Richmond)
Alexander Hamilton took part in 11 “affairs of honor” during his lifetime. His first experience with dueling was right here in Philadelphia, in what is now the Port Richmond section of the city. Hamilton served as John Laurens’s second and negotiated an end to Laurens’s 1778 duel with Continental Army Major General Charles Lee. In this section:

• Learn about the friendship between Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens.
• Witness the moment, recreated in a life-size mural, of Alexander Hamilton’s negotiation to end the Laurens-Lee duel.
• Consider the consequences of dueling and how to support friends engaged in conflict. 

3. Hamilton’s Constitution: He Argued for It (Independence Hall)
Alexander Hamilton served his country on the battlefield, but in 1782 he began serving his country as a member of Congress and later, in 1787, as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. In this section:

• Play a block game on a large scale to learn the differences between the balance of state and national powers before and after the adoption of the United States Constitution.
• Learn about the costs and benefits of the compromises that created the United States Constitution.
• Explore the tense situation, recreated in a scenic display, of the 1783 mutiny of Pennsylvania troops that threatened Congress and convinced Hamilton of the need for a separate capital city for the new nation.
• Sit in a reproduction of the “Rising Sun” chair to experience the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

4. Hamilton’s President: He Advised Him (The President’s House)
Experience Hamilton’s role in shaping and influencing the presidency, including his advice on how President Washington should manage his time and his public image. In this section:

• Learn about Hamilton’s creation of presidential levees, or weekly opportunities for citizens to meet the president. Critics condemned the levees as too monarchical. 
• Try out the protocol of greeting President Washington, then design your own presidential greeting.
• Wear reproduction clothing from the 1790s and take a selfie with Washington.
• Step inside a recreation of the state dining room of the President’s House (where the levees took place) which was located on Market Street in Philadelphia.
• Hear the stories of the wide range of people who encountered Washington and Hamilton in the President’s House, including diplomats, Native Americans, and enslaved people who served Washington’s family.
• Learn about Martha Washington’s levees and the women in her social circle, including Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Sit in a reproduction chair from the President’s House to see if you can imitate the posture and deportment necessary to fit in at Martha Washington’s levees.
• Talk about your political ideas for the new republic just as the men and women who visited the President’s House did in the 1790s.

5. Hamilton’s Economy: He Shaped It (First Bank of the United States)
As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton devised a series of economic plans that laid out how the new nation should manage its debt, create a national bank, establish a mint, and support American manufacturing. Within a replica of the façade of the First Bank of the United States, visitors will learn about Hamilton’s plans for the nation and their consequences. In this section:

• Design a coin using different mottos and emblems inspired by coins from the early republic. Think about what symbols mean and how a nation tries to represent itself.
• Learn about Hamilton’s plans for the Bank, the Mint, and the national debt. Debate his ideas.
• Try to stop a ship from smuggling goods into Philadelphia with a tabletop activity inspired by the game Battleship®. Hamilton established the Revenue Marine cutter service, the precursor to the United States Coast Guard, to prevent smuggling in American ports.  
• Learn about Hamilton’s plan for the country to adopt the dollar and cents system by trading state coins and national coins with your friends.

6. Hamilton’s Army: He Led It (Market St.)
When western Pennsylvania farmers protested a national tax on whiskey in 1794, Hamilton wanted to stop them to show the power of the Federal Government and defend his vision for the Constitution. Here in Philadelphia, Hamilton and Washington made the decision to stop the Whiskey Rebellion with an army of militiamen. In this section:

• Learn about Hamilton’s role in putting down the first American rebellion under the new United States Constitution.
• Analyze a reproduction of a period painting of Hamilton and Washington reviewing the army assembled to stop the protestors and consider the consequences of using the military to enforce the law.
• Debate the legacy of the Whiskey Rebellion and Hamilton’s role in stopping it with an army.  

At the conclusion of the experience, visitors are asked to reflect on how Philadelphia changed Hamilton and vote on Hamilton’s most important accomplishment in Philadelphia.

Each visitor to Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia will receive a “Flat Hamilton” cut-out – inspired by Flat Stanley – to take home, as well as map of locations in the Philadelphia region where Hamilton made his mark. Visitors are encouraged to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps and snap a picture of Flat Hamilton at the various locations to share on social media with the hashtag #HamiltonWasHere.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and digital touchscreens bring to life the diverse array of people who created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.

If Planning To Visit New York For The Holiday Season, Now Is The Time To Purchase Your Broadway Show Tickets For The Best Savings And Selection

If planning a holiday trip to NYC seeing a Broadway show is top priority.  With 5.2 million visitors planning the same trip this holiday season, NewYork.com urges you to book now when prices are reasonable and seats are plentiful.  Wait a few weeks longer and you’ll be paying top dollar and sitting far away from your loved ones.  

Now that you know when to book you probably want to know what show to see.  Below is a guide to this season’s most popular Broadway shows.

Broadway Shows

·         The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will always be a top pick for families and has been one of the most popular and iconic holiday shows in NYC for decades. There are up to six performances on some days!  The show begins on November 13 and runs through January 3, 2015.  Early access pricing is now in effect.

·         An American in Paris is one of the few Broadway shows performing on Christmas Eve so tickets are sure to go quickly.  This Tony Award winning show takes place in Paris at the end of World War II when an American GI falls in love with a dancer who is set to marry into the family that protected her during the war.  The show is recommended for mature tweens and older.  Several shows have already been sold out for December.

·         On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan opened for the very first time on October 5^th but the pre-NYC production in Chicago generated a lot of buzz. The musical traces the journeys of both Estefans as they travel from their native Cuba to Miami, with Emilio traveling as a teenager to Spain and later the U.S. Gloria escaped with her family as a toddler. The couple met in 1975 when Emilio was playing the keyboard in his own band.

·         Allegiance, starring George Takei and Tony winner Lea Salonga, is also one of the most buzzed about new shows opening this fall.  Takei not only makes his Broadway debut in this show but the story is actually inspired by his real life experience as a Japanese-American during World War II and his family’s time in an internment camp.  The show is recommended for mature tweens and older.

·         The Off-Broadway run of Hamilton, the new musical by Lin Manuel-Miranda, was a sold-out sensation, and tickets are already going fast for the Broadway run. If you are coming for the holidays, tickets are available now for December – but probably not for long.  Kids 12 and up will love this hip-hop history lesson and it will probably earn them street cred with their friends and high-fives from their teachers.

·         We can’t forget The Lion King and Matilda which are also top shows for families.  If you’re family has not seen The Lion King you must!  The costumes are extraordinary and the story is a classic which will lift your spirit this holiday season. You also can’t go wrong with Matilda!