Spamalot's Drew Lachey will host Broadway on Broadway 2008 (www.broadwayonbroadway.com) on Sunday, September 14th at 11:30 a.m., it was announced today by The Broadway League and The Times Square Alliance. Presented by Continental Airlines, the annual free outdoor concert brings together stars and performances from current and upcoming Broadway productions to celebrate the beginning of the new Broadway season. For the event, Times Square will be "shut down" to make room for the 50,000+ attendees. This kickoff to the 2008-2009 Broadway season stretches from 43rd to 47th Streets and fans should arrive early for a good spot.
Mr. Lachey, perhaps best known as the winner of "Dancing With the Stars" and a member of the phenomenally successful pop group 98 Degrees will host a show featuring appearances and performances from Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid), Kerry Butler (Xanadu), Tevin Campbell (Hairspray) Carolee Carmello (Mamma Mia!), Kerry Ellis (Wicked), Bailey Hanks (Legally Blonde), Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu), Beth Leavel (Young Frankenstein), Hunter Parrish (Spring Awakening), Tony Roberts (Xanadu) Tom Wopat (Chicago), Ace Young (Grease), plus over 200 cast members from 13, Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, Chicago, Grease, Gypsy, Hairspray, In the Heights, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Tale of Two Cities, [title of show], The Phantom of the Opera, The Little Mermaid, Wicked and Xanadu.
In addition to great singing and dancing, Broadway on Broadway will conclude with a grand finale: a "shower" of confetti.
This year's Broadway on Broadway will also launch the new Broadway Concierge & Ticket Center, located in the Times Square Visitors Center. Details will follow soon.
"It is an honor to be hosting this year's Broadway on Broadway," commented Drew Lachey. "I am delighted to be a part of the Broadway community and I love this great city. I look forward to showing the Broadway fans from New York and around the world just what we have to offer."
"'You gotta have a gimmick,' someone once wrote, or sang. Closing down Times Square for a free concert of today's and tomorrow's Broadway shows to kick-off the new theatre season is a great beginning," said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League. "At this year's event, we are excited to announce the launch of The Broadway Concierge and Ticket Center. Details will be announced next week."
"The Crossroads of the World once again welcomes theater fans from all over the globe," said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance. "What better host to lead the singing and dancing than Spamalot star and "Dancing with the Stars" winner Drew Lachey."
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Event Sponsors
Broadway on Broadway kicks off the 2008 - 2009 Broadway season and is produced by The Broadway League and The Times Square Alliance. Broadway on Broadway is proudly presented by Continental Airlines with official sponsor, The New York Times. IMG Media, the world's largest packager and producer of sports and live event television, is producing Broadway on Broadway for the second time.
About The Broadway League
The Broadway League, Inc., founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and across the U.S. and Canada. Visit our website at http://www.broadwayleague.com.
