Theater News

Broadway on Broadway — Bravo!

Melanie Griffith, Brent Barrett, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jane Krakowski, and a host of others are captured by TM’s still and video cameras at the annual celebratory event.

New York City

Theoretically, the new theater season begins each year in the spring, as soon as the deadlines for awards eligibility have passed. But everyone still seems to think of the season as starting in September, and the annual Broadway on Broadway celebration in Times Square has become known as the unofficial kick-off. This year’s event, held on Sunday, September 7, was predictably star-studded. Here we see Brent Barrett, Melanie Griffith, and the cast of Chicago performing “We Both Reached for the Gun.”

Offstage, Griffith met the press with hubby Antonio Banderas, whose performance as Guido Contini in Nine was one of the highlights of the 2002-2003 season.






The delightful hosts of the event were Nathan Lane (now appearing Off-Broadway in Trumbo for a limited engagement but soon to return to his Main Stem role in The Producers) and Jane Krakowski (one of the gorgeous co-stars of Nine).

Also on hand for Broadway on Broadway: (l-r) Jennifer Barnhart, Nicky, Rick Lyon, Rod, and John Tartaglia of Avenue Q…


Frenchie Davis of American Idol fame, now on Broadway in Rent…

Euan Morton, who plays Boy George in the upcoming Taboo…



…and that show’s producer, Rosie O’Donnell…

…Louise Pitre, soon to leave Mamma Mia! after a long run in the central role…

…Polly Bergen and Mark Hamill, who make up the entire cast of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, opening in October at the Belasco Theatre…




…and Kathy Brier, Hairspray‘s new Tracy Turnblad.

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Berg/Off B'Way Video

As usual, Broadway on Broadway provided an exciting peek at shows that are soon to open and another look at established favorites. Here are clips of TheaterMania interviews with some of the participants, including Rosie O’Donnell, Frenchie Davis, the cast of Avenue Q, and Daniel Rodriguez of the NYPD, who sang the national anthem at the start of the celebration. Highlights of the show will be telecast in the New York area tonight (Tuesday, September 9) at 7pm by WNBC-Channel 4.