A popular Broadway entertainment series is moving online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Since 2018, Times Square’s annual Broadway Buskers concert series brought Broadway actors and composers to the Times Square pedestrian plazas to perform their own original music, timed to allow audiences to enjoy the concerts before heading to a Broadway show. This year, the series will stream every Tuesday at 7 p.m. from July 21 through Oct. 27 on the Times Square website.
The concert series is available for free, audiences are encouraged to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund and the Broadway Advocacy Coalition.
“Although the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from gathering in person in the Times Square plazas or Broadway theaters for the time being, it will not keep us from showcasing and supporting the incredibly talented artists within the theater community, as we did in June with Songs for Our City and as we will continue to do this summer and fall with Broadway Buskers,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance.
The series, which is sponsored by T-Mobile, is hosted and curated by Ben Cameron, host of the NYC staple Broadway Sessions and numerous other Broadway events. For the second year, Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) co-curates with queer, trans, BIPOC artists of excellence from the MTF community.
Here is the line-up for Broadway Buskers so far:
- July 21 – Rachel Potter (The Addams Family, Evita, Wicked), Heath Saunders (The Great Comet, Alice By Heart, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert)
- July 28 – Melissa Li & Kit Yan (Interstate, MISS STEP, Cancelled), Ben Wexler (Washington Square, 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant Winner)
- Aug. 4 – Lauren Elder (Mary and Max, Hair, Side Show), James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Chicago)
- Aug. 11 – Joey Contreras (Love Me, Love Me Not, Break from the Line, Joyride), Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change, If/Then, Come From Away)
Additional performers for these dates and the performers for the remainder of the season will be announced at a later date.
“Through Broadway Buskers, we celebrate the individual voices, experiences, and songwriting styles of artists from our beloved Broadway community. We cannot wait to get back to the pedestrian plazas, but until then, I am over the moon to spotlight these incredible artists in the virtual world!” said Ben Cameron, curator and host of Broadway Buskers.
For more information or schedule updates, visit TSQ.org/BroadwayBuskers or follow @TimesSquareNYC or #BroadwayBuskers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
