Reflecting on 20 Years of BroadwayWorld and Last Night's Celebration at Sony Hall

As I woke this morning with my beautiful wife, in a hotel room in the heart of Manhattan, I somehow felt that I was waking up in a land of another time and space. The one single word that I could form in my head and heart was 'gratitude.'

As I wrote in the evening's Stage Mag for BroadwayWorld's 20th Anniversary, that word reverberates as thanks for the millions that have visited BroadwayWorld.com and consumed our content every day over these last twenty years. I also feel tremendous gratitude to our industry, both onstage and off, who have contributed to our success over the years. I woke up today with a stronger and more vivacious committment to the future because, if you were present last night, I was shaken to my core and humbled by each and every story. Performers who I love and respect, shared with me what BroadwayWorld meant to them, how they feel about us and what influences and observations the site has had for each of them through the years. 

What happened on the Sony Hall stage last night was inspiring, magical and something that I will surely remember for the rest of my life. I know that 'sounds good', but I actually 'mean it' and feel it in every nerve in my body as I (slowly) face this new day hungover from joy. 

It couldn't have happened without the hard work and devotion of everyone on the BroadwayWorld team, past and present, and I continue to be in awe of the work that happens both behind the scenes on the website, and for special nights like last night, which was Herculean. 

I don't know how it happened, exactly, but I know I have to thank our musical director Kevin Stites, who put together an extraordinary band, and my longtime friend Richard Jay-Alexander, who really defies comparison and has special relationships with actors who were so generous to share their BroadwayWorld stories. Also, let me just throw out some names of people that I love and who also contributed to a stupendous evening. They would be Baayork Lee, Kyle Garvin, Nellie Beavers, Rocky Noel and the musicans who made the night, put together by music contractor John Miller featuring some of Broadway's best musicians featuring John Yun, Yuka Tadano, Kevin Ramessar, Ray Marchica and Harry Collins. 

If you look through any of the photos, you'll also notice that the talented Michael Lee Scott designed a beautiful BroadwayWorld Café, which made the night more magical than a morning at Starbucks. I only wish I had the room to haul it out of there, and to put it in my house. 

Now, onto our magical hosts... The one and only Chita Rivera and our own Richard Ridge, who has been the face of BroadwayWorld for the last 2 decades. Thank you, both, as the word 'humbling' doesn't even begin to cover what you did to thread the needle last night. 

I would like to share with you the RUNNING ORDER of what the audience was treated to last night, while my wife, Jennifer Diamond, had to pick my jaw up off the floor number after number and moment after moment. 

OPENING - Chita & Richie
BWW Origin Story - Michael Crawford
TAKE ME TO THE WORLD - Donna McKechnie
I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT - Jen Colella
HERE I AM - Elizabeth Teeter
MAYOR'S Proclamation of BroadwayWorld Day
GUIDO’S SONG - Paulo Szot
DECONSTRUCTION of CHITA - Seth Rudetsky
Good Morning BroadwayWorld - Marc Shaiman
CHIEF COOK AND BOTTLE WASHER - Mario Cantone
ROCK WITH YOU - Myles Frost
THE STORY GOES ON - Brittney Johnson
LEAVIN’ ON A JETPLANE - Liz Callaway
FINISHING THE HAT - Shoshana Bean
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - Constantine Maroulis / Orfeh
Chewing the Scenery - Randy Rainbow
WE LOOK TO YOU - Christopher Sieber
GOOGIE GOMEZ - Natalie Toro / Josh Walden / Kurt Domoney
I DREAMED A DREAM - Eden Espinosa
LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU ON MY OWN - Debbie Gibson
I AM CHANGING - Olivia Hardy
I’M THE GREATEST STAR - Blair St. Clair
MEADOWLARK - Jessica Vosk
MUSIC OF THE NIGHT - Hugh Panaro

As I close the writing of this piece, I would be remiss to not bring up the name Michael Crawford. Again, if you look through the stage mag, you can read about how he inspired the web site. After a history of BroadwayWorld, narrated by Mandy Gonzalez, our magical hosts revealed a video message from the star, across the pond in London, full of love, humor, disbelief and then giving it up for Chita Rivera when she debuted in London in West Side Story (and inspired him as a performer), along with his joy that BC/EFA was the recipient of the evening's efforts. 

BroadwayWorld was built from my love for tech and my love for the arts and to be able to share that with the world has been a privilege. I don't take it lightly, and just when I thought I was tired - I find myself ready for the next 20 years. 

I would also like this opportunity to thank our sponsors again, gratitude. 

Overwhelmed, exhausted and proud,
"I remain your humble servant"
Rob Diamond
CEO & Founder

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas