Feature: BROADWAY CON at Javits Center Delights Theater Lovers

BroadwayCon ended about 4 days ago, and since then, I've been trying to come down from the high of it all. If I had to describe it in one word, I'm not sure I could. I'd need about 30 adjectives before I even came close. It was by far the most positive, energetic and completely enjoyable event that I've ever had the privilege to attend. I'm not sure how the organizers did it, but they managed to create an event that was important, inclusive, celebratory and fun all at the same time. And I'm eternally grateful to them for doing so.

Have you had enough of my gushing yet? Ok, good. Because I'm probably going to do some more. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Last January, during the inaugural BroadwayCon, I was snowed in in Maryland under 29 inches of snow, just like the people at BroadwayCon were. Luckily, I had the live streams of some of the panels to get me through the boredom of being stuck inside for days on end. It was then that I decided I couldn't just watch from afar in 2017. I would definitely be needing a ticket. Four months later I purchased my ticket, and 8 months after that it was finally time to attend.

Going into the convention, I expected fun. I'm a theater nerd. What could be better than spending 3 straight days with other theater nerds who would be geeking out over the same things as I do on a daily basis? The answer is nothing. I was excited to see the performers at some of the show panels and the costumes of super crafty people. I was also excited to shop. I'm a sucker for theater swag. Anyway, as fabulous as all of this sounds, I wasn't expecting much more than that.

What I found,when I arrived was so much more than that, that it makes me a bit emotional. From the second we walked into the Javits Center, there was an energy you could feel in your bones. Everyone was excited to be there. There were smiles and laughter everywhere, even on the faces of the people that were working the convention. You know it's going to be a good weekend, when even the workers are happy to be working. For the next few hours, the smiles and laughter continued. We did some shopping and stopped into see a few panels, trying to kill time before the big opening ceremony.

This is where I get a just a teensy bit over-emotional. It's no secret that our little world is in the midst of some great upheaval. Uniqueness isn't commended as much as it once was, but the arts have always celebrated this ideal. So the organizers took this head on and produced a 45 minute show encompassing love for Broadway and acceptance. It's hard to explain but I'm sure you can find it on YouTube. There were original songs as well as special guest stars. The parallels to today's real world were felt and ways to accept and thrive in this environment were put in the spotlight. In short, the power of positivity was the main overarching theme.

But this ideal of accepting everyone for who they were didn't end there. Over the course of the weekend, there were panels on advocacy and the arts, theater for those with disabilities, LGBTQ in the arts, and quite a few others on the topic of social justice. These panels were so much more than just people talking about their favorite shows. These panels provided a safe place for attendees to share ideas and listen and mostly get inspired to act.

The best thing I heard all weekend was shared by the playwright, Paula Vogel: "Theater must be the dog that bites the hand that feeds it." This simple act of challenging the status quo and doing so with something as universal as the arts really resonated with me. It's hard not to get overwhelmed today while politicians and people in power are telling you that certain religions, or sexual orientations or genders are somehow less than others. However, the fact that something as simple as a new play or a groundbreaking performance may be able to change minds is empowering. And meeting a few thousand like-minded people that want to join this fight for inclusivity and love with you is quite simply the best feeling in the world.