Top 10 Viral Broadway Moments of 2024: WICKED, Bloody Nicole Scherzinger & More

2024 brought some viral moments that get theatergoers and social media buzzing.

From the long-awaited Wicked movie to a blood-soaked Nicole Scherzinger to Trisha Paytas, here are the viral moments that captured the attention of Broadway fans this year.

Wicked Movie's "What Is This Feeling" Choreography

The box office was not the only place the Wicked movie is defying gravity. The choreography to "What Is This Feeling?" took social media by storm, with several Broadway shows joining in on the fun.

Broadway productions like Moulin Rouge!, Book of Mormon, & Juliet, and more shared their take on the "Dear Galinda, you are just too good" section of the musical number. See them all here.

Nicole Scherzinger's Bloody First Preview

After the first preview of Sunset Boulevard, Nicole Scherzinger surprised fans at the stage door by signing autographs and taking photos in her final look in the musical, drenched in blood. 

The moment took social media by storm, even being parodied by Drag the Musical's Jan Sport and Romeo + Juliet's Rachel Zegler at their own stage doors!

Ben Platt's Broadway Residency Duets

During his Broadway residency at the Palace Theatre, Ben Platt treated his audiences to surprise duets with special guests. Throughout the three week engagement, social media would wait each night to find out who joined Platt at the iconic Broadway theatre.

The guests included Kacey Musgraves, Sam Smith, Kristin Chenoweth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Noah Galvin, Rachel Zegler, Laura Dreyfuss, Adrienne Warren, Alex Newell, Tori Kelly, Kelli O'Hara, Kristen Bell, Meghan Trainor, Cynthia Erivo, Gaten Matarazzo, Skylar Astin, Mykal Kilgore, Nicole Scherzinger, and Brian d'Arcy James.

Watch the performances here.

Suffs Audience Chanting "Kamala"

After President Joe Biden announced that he would be stepping down from running in 2024 and endorsing Kamala Harris, the audience of Suffs felt the rush of another female presidential candidate.

The audience of the Hillary Clinton-produced musical chanted "Kamala!" as the curtain rose following the announcement. Suffs star Jen Collela coined the moment as "the very first Kamala Harris rally."

"I’ll never forget this matinee for the rest of my life. Pure alchemy. I’m so proud to be a member of the Suffs family," she captioned the post.

Oh, Mary! Becomes a Broadway Hit

One of the the biggest Broadway successes of 2024 has been Oh, Mary!, Cole Escola's hit play that transferred to the Lyceum Theatre after a sold out run Off-Broadway. A key contributor to keeping the show's popularity alive has been its social media, run by Austin Spero, also known as drag queen Reese Havoc.

“The key is interacting with the material in the same way that you would as a fan,” Spero said to BroadwayWorld about the show's social media content. “It’s okay to treat the audience with intelligence – you don’t have to talk down, and you don’t have to be overly formal.”

The play continues to reign at the Broadway box office, recently extending after recouping its initial investment. Betty Gilpin will be taking over as Mary Todd Lincoln for a limited engagement in January.

The Great Gatsby's New Money TikTok Dance

As The Great Gatsby roars on as one of social media's favorite musicals, one song in particular was a crowd favorite. "New Money" – the act one production number led by Samantha Pauly – took BroadwayTok by storm earlier this year, especially due to its big finale and accompanying choreography.

Watch the cast rehearse the music number before it hit the Broadway stage below.

@bwaygatsby Studio ➡ Stage ✨ @sampauly and company perform 'New Money' #bwaygatsby #domkelleychoreo ♬ original sound - The Great Gatsby Musical

Audra Gypsy's Marquee Reveal

The announcement that Audra McDonald would be returning to Broadway as Mama Rose in Gypsy felt like a triumphant moment for many this year. However, the announcement that the production would finally be happening was just as buzzy as the revival's recent opening night.

@ashleyhufford what is happening?!?!? #majestictheatre #broadway #newyorkcity ♬ original sound - ash sees all the theater

Months after Phantom had played its final performance, the digital marquee at the Majestic Theatre began to tease the big announcement. First starting with just the letters A and P, which were later switched out for just R and Y, the big reveal finally came that the Tony-winner would be taking on the iconic role.

Sunset Blvd's Title Song Walk

Sunset Blvd continued to be one of Broadway's most-talked-about productions this year as it took to the streets of New York City for the title song.

At every performance, Tom Francis performs "Sunset Boulevard" on the street outside of the theatre, with a team of camera operators and hardworking security guards meticulously navigating the busy streets of the theatre district from him and the ensemble.

Fans continue to gather in the streets to see a glimpse of the number, with many figuring out the different routes that Francis will take depending on weather, traffic, and crowd size.

@hadarbaronmusic You know youvr made it as a new yorker when…. #broadway #sunsetboulevard #sunsetblvd #sunsetboulevardmusical ♬ original sound - Hadar Baron?️

Romeo + Juliet's Stage Door Rave

While it may seem like a party on stage at Romeo + Juliet, the rave continued outside  at the stage door following the first preview.

DJ Amber Valentine set up a DJ booth outside of the theatre as the cast greeted their fans. Rachel Zegler even got the crowd of over 1000 fans to do Chappell Roan's "HOT TO GO" choreography, People reports. The moment goes down in history as the show's producer, Seaview, created a new way to keep the party going long after the performance ended.

See photos from the event here.

Trisha Paytas Manifesting Her Broadway Debut

While Trisha Paytas has long been known for her elaborate Broadway music videos and cosplays, her manifestation has finally landed her on the New York stage.

After viral takes on Beetlejuice and Wicked, Paytas is coming to Broadway with Trisha Paytas’ Big Broadway Dream. The one-night-only musical theatre extravaganza will take place at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on Monday, February 3 and will also be livestreamed on StagePilot.