BroadwayGirlNYC: Broadway After Hours

Lately, my favorite part of Broadway has been the extras – the bonuses – what happens when the shows are dark.

As if the demands of an eight-show week aren't enough, Broadway stars are finding more and more ways to entertain their audiences after hours. Whether it's by showcasing their own music, promoting up & coming songwriters, belting out the classics, branching out into sketch comedy, or even baring it all for charity, Broadway keeps bringing us more and more ways to indulge.  It's as if singing, dancing and acting are to these superhuman performers what eating, breathing and sleeping are to the rest of us – natural, primal instincts that can't be put on pause.

This week, I'm dedicating my column to "the Broadway adjascent" – shows, specials, and goings-on that feature Broadway music and Broadway stars, but aren't actually Broadway shows.  The best part? These events are far less expensive than the average Broadway ticket; some of them are even free!  So fear not, penny-pinching lovers of all things musical-theatre.  There are plenty of ways to satiate your Broadway appetite without breaking the bank.

Here are some of them:

SOLO CONCERTS  & SHOWCASES (generally $10-$35)

Check out Joe's Pub, The Duplex, Birdland, and Ars Nova – four intimate venues around New York City – to see Broadway stars breaking out of their musical theatre shells to perform songs they've written themselves, or music from established or up & coming musicians they love.  They're often quite funny: HAIR star Andrew Kober's recent "Koberet" at Joe's Pub featured everything from Jason Robert Brown tunes to covers of Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" and Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA," as well as a version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" performed via Rock Band on a Wii.  They show versatility: Lauren Molina (Rock of Ages) displayed her softer side at The Duplex by playing the cello, ukulele and acoustic guitar, while performing songs she had written herself.  And they are rarely actually "solo": Katie Thompson – a powerhouse actress/singer I predict will land on Broadway soon – invited guest vocalists Matt Doyle, Tom Lenk and Dee Roscioli onstage to perform at her recent solo show at Birdland. 

Upcoming concerts at Joe's Pub: Wes Taylor and friends May 3; Sutton Foster May 7; Bruce Ryness May 10; and Jonathan Groff June 20. Upcoming showcases: The Songs of Galt McDermott (featuring the cast of HAIR and special guests) at Joe's Pub April 25; The NewMusicalTheatre.com launch concert (featuring Kelli O'Hara, Steven Pasquale, De'Adre Aziza, Greg Naughton, Krysta Rodriguez and more), at Le Poisson Rouge April 26.

CABARETS & OPEN MICS (free to $15 or so)

Want to see your favorite stars really let loose? Catch them when they've had a cocktail or two and allow their voices to wail. At these shows, performers pick their favorite showtunes and belt them out to adoring, whooping audiences who have, more often than not, already satisfied their drink minimums and then some.  The energy is off the charts, and even The Audience feels like part of the show. My favorites:

Broadway Sessions at Therapy (Tuesdays at 11pm) – A variety-style show hosted by Ben Cameron (Footloose), featuring a different Broadway performer every week.  Past highlights include Nick Adams, Julia Murney, Tituss Burgess, and Shoshana Bean.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland (Mondays at 9:30pm) – Described as an "extreme open mic show," the Cast Party has become a Broadway institution.  Everyone has stopped by at one point or another, including Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Raul Esparza, and even Liza Minelli.  Mics are open for stars and fans alike, so you won't just be watching the music – you'll be making it.

The After Party at the Laurie Beechman Theatre (Fridays at 10:30pm) – Absolutely my favorite "off-hours" Broadway event, and not just because it's free!  From chorus singers to marquee names, it seems like every person at the Beechman on a Friday night is someone I've seen on Broadway.  A live pianist accompanies scheduled guest-stars (I've seen Christine Ebersole, Lea Michele, Alice Ripley and Hunter Bell), and also weaves in time for those brave enough to take the stage impulsively.  It's easy, at the After Party, to feel like the center of the Broadway universe.

SKETCH COMEDY (around $20)

There are two "Broadway-adjacent" sketch comedy shows that I never let myself miss: Freestyle Love Supreme and Don't Quit Your Night Job.  FSL is actually a hip-hop improv troupe founded by In the Heights impresario Lin-Manuel Miranda; the group also features Christopher Jackson and Memphis' James Monroe Iglehart.  Using words called out by The Audience, they create on-the-spot raps, songs and scenes that leave The Audience in stitches.  I once described them on my blog as "more closely resembling the final scene of Eminem's 8 Mile than anything I ever saw at drama camp".  (It was at one of their shows – in an improvised rap, no less – that Lin Manuel first confirmed that he will play the lead in the movie version of In the Heights.)  Meanwhile, DQYNJ is less improv, more SNL-style sketch comedy, led by Steve Rosen (Guys & Dolls), David Rossmer (Titanic), and Sarah Saltzberg (The 25^th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee), and featuring an astounding array of guest-superstars.  The group recently played host to Sutton Foster, Karen Olivo, Howard McGillin, Marc Kudisch, Martha Plimpton, and Brian D'Arcy James – all in the same show!  And the $20 ticket price goes entirely to the TDF/Open Doors program, which makes attending a win-win-win.

NAKED TIME!

A few times a year, the hottest bods on Broadway ("bod-way"?) strut their stuff (almost) nude in the name of charity.  This past Monday night was the annual Broadway Beauty Pageant, which benefits the Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT youth.  Each spring, five of New York's most beautiful chorus boys compete in talent, interview and swimsuit rounds, to determine that year's "Mr. Broadway".  The show inevitably becomes a battle of showmanship that runs the gamut, from the sassiest one-liners, to the most surprising talent (Rickey Tripp, Mr. In the Heights, performed a monologue from Precious), to the skimpiest of Speedos (Eddie Pendergraft, Mr. Wicked, chose one that showed off his full white ass).  The judges – this year Christine Ebersole, Michael Musto and Charles Busch – deliver just as much entertainment (albeit fully clothed), with their feisty banter and critiques.  And the best part is that tens of thousands of dollars are raised, which directly provide services to gay & lesbian young people without homes.

Miss the Beauty Pageant?  Don't worry, another nudity-for-a-cause event is just around the corner.  At Roseland Ballroom on June 20, the infamous Broadway Bares returns for its astonishing 20^th season.  A baudy Broadway ("baud-way"?) burlesque show, it's one the most fun and outrageous events of the year.  A tip: buy your tickets early, like now.  You'll be totally bummed if you miss out on Broadway Bares.

There are countless other "Broadway adjacent" events to look out for throughout the year.  From fundraisers (The BC/EFA Flea Market), to free performances (Broadway in Bryant Park, Broadway on Broadway), to special events (Gypsy of the Year, The Broadway Easter Bonnet Competition), to weekly treats (Sirius XM Radio's Live on Broadway) – there are plenty of ways to "live Broadway" without ever buying a ticket to an actual Broadway show.  These offer us the chance to see new sides of our favorite stars; to witness them in perhaps more intimate settings; to blur the line between actor and fan; and overall to support the idea of our theatrical community.  At the same time, we get Broadway-quality entertainment for free or at a fraction of the Broadway cost – and from the same performers, no less!  

And speaking of those performers, I have to offer up my thanks to them.  Already facing grueling eight-show weeks – plus rehearsal time, publicity, fight calls and all the other obligations I can't even imagine – they somehow find time to give us even more of themselves.  You'd think these triple threats would want nothing more than to sleep during their rare off hours.  But over and over again, they prove themselves to be true powerhouses of energy and talent.  And we, the fans, reap the rewards.

 

PSSSST (Rumors! Gossip! Scoop!): Green Day fans, get your cameras and head out to Central Park.  My spies tell me that Billie Joe Armstrong will be joining the American Idiot softball team for their Broadway Show League softball game this morning (Thursday) at 11:30am.