On my list of things to be thankful for, theater is always located somewhere in the queue. For me, the only thing that takes precedence over Thanksgiving Day stuffing is watching Broadway performers dazzle 34th street during the infamous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The three-minute performances are a time where my eyes are fixed on the TV screen in my living room- no distractions whatsoever. This Thursday’s set list gives us all good reason to either cozy up on the couch with a mug of hot cider tuned into NBC, or venture to the streets of Manhattan, if you’re lucky.
Filling the five spots for Broadway performances this year are The King And I, Finding Neverland, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan, Fiddler On the Roof, and Something Rotten!. According to the Wall Street Journal, the money and time put into these performances is astounding- the Something Rotten! set (which will perform a shortened version of “A Musical“) alone will cost nearly $50,000. While most shows have not fully announced exactly which songs will be performed, I’m looking forward to many catchy title songs featuring large group numbers. Because let’s be real- those are the best kind.
In addition to the five featured performances, The Wiz Live! will make an appearance with a sneak peek of their December 3rd premiere. As will Cirque du Soleil with a preview song from their first Broadway show, Paramour, which will debut in May. One Broadway-bound show especially grasps my attention and is, by far, my most-anticipated part of the parade. This, of course, is none other than School of Rock the Musical.
Although it will not have a solo performance like the five previously mentioned, this musical will be staged on the “It’s All Rock and Roll” float by Gibson Brands (makers of the famous guitars). For multiple reasons, I am looking forward to this set the most:
- First, you have this insanely talented group of kids. For me, personally, something about watching incredible youth on stage, completely fearless and with talents beyond my level of comprehension, amazes me. By a look at the few videos they have released (as the original cast recording isn’t set to be released until December 4th), these kids JAM out on stage. All of them are under 5 feet tall, but have enough talent to dominate the world.
- Alex Brightman embodies the essence of Jack Black’s beloved character, Dewey Finn, second to none. While watching the released videos (check them out here, here, and here! Warning: slight foul language is used, so better ask your parents to view these videos if you’re under 13. However, don’t worry, I’m sure the cast will sing adapted versions of the songs for the family-friendly parade.), a thought that continuously ran through my mind was, “wow, he has done some amazing character study. He even has the same voice.”
- Not only does this show feature the singing and dancing every good musical strives to have, but it also incorporates some astounding talent with musical instruments- played by the young actors themselves. Keyboards, bass, electric guitars, drums, you name it- they have it.
- And then you have Zack, played by Brandon Niederauer. This child performer is a guitar prodigy. His work with the electric guitar will make anybody’s jaw drop. Not only is his future on the Broadway stage bright, but he could easily go on to be the next big name in guitarist history.
This Thanksgiving, be enlightened by performances you’ll both recognize and sing along with, as well as some that you’ve never seen before. And of course, be sure to have a pen and some paper out to jot down all the soundtracks to fill your wish list to the brim.
Have a happy Thanksgiving, Camp Broadway!
What performance are YOU looking forward to the most? Are you lucky enough to see the parade in person? Tell us in the comments below!
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