COME CELEBRATE THE NEW BROADWAY SEASON AT
BROADWAY ON BROADWAY® 2007
PRESENTED BY CONTINENTAL AIRLINES,
PRODUCED BY THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN THEATRES AND PRODUCERS
AND THE TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE
LANCE BASS TO HOST
THE ANNUAL FREE CONCERT KICKING OFF
THE 2007-2008 BROADWAY SEASON
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 11:30 A.M.
TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK
(New York, NY – August 29, 2007) – The League of American Theatres and Producers and The Times Square Alliance announced today that Hairspray’s Lance Bass (“Corny Collins”) will host the 16th Annual Broadway on Broadway® presented by Continental Airlines, to be held on Sunday, September 16 at 11:30 a.m. The annual free outdoor concert brings together stars and performances from current and upcoming Broadway productions to celebrate the beginning of the Broadway season. IMG Media, the world’s largest packager and producer of sports and live event television, is producing Broadway on Broadway for the first time.
Mr. Bass, perhaps best known as a member of the phenomenally successful pop group *NSYNC, which has sold over 25 million records worldwide, will host a show featuring appearances by stars from upcoming productions, and dazzling performances from some of Broadway’s most beloved shows, including Avenue Q, Chicago, A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, Curtains, The Drowsy Chaperone, Grease, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wicked, Mr. Bass’s show, Hairspray…and more (all appearances are subject to change)
In addition to individual performances, the event features a grand finale replete with a rain of confetti. Fans should arrive early for a good spot, as 50,000-plus attendees are expected.
"It is an honor to be hosting this year’s Broadway on Broadway,” commented Mr. Bass. "I love this great City, it’s people, and the Broadway fans – from New York, and around the world. I am both proud and excited to be part of this great event."
“Times Square is like a town square for the entire planet,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, “and we are eager to once again welcome theater fans from all over the world to this great event.”
"Broadway on Broadway is a celebratory kick off to the Broadway season, and we are confident that this year’s concert will be bigger and better than ever " said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The League of American Theatres and Producers, "As a special component of this year’s concert, Broadway on Broadway pays tribute to the most important members of the Broadway community - the fans!”
Broadway fans will have the spotlight at this year's concert which, for the first time ever, will feature the Broadway’s Biggest Fan competition. Fans were asked to submit a sixty-second video showing why they are Broadway’s biggest fan. Videos from three finalists will be broadcast on a jumbo screen in Times Square in front of a crowd of thousands.
The Broadway Fan Zone will also make its debut this year, giving fans an opportunity to enjoy the concert from a VIP area right near the stage. An up-close and personal standing room section will be made available to the first 100 fans that arrive dressed as their favorite Broadway character. Fan Zone passes will be handed out at the Broadway Ticket Center in the Times Square Information Center (1560 Broadway; east side of the street, bet.46th and 47th) starting at 8am on Sunday, September 16th.
Broadway’s Biggest Fan Details
ARE YOU BROADWAY’S BIGGEST FAN? For the first time ever, Broadway theatre-lovers were invited to submit sixty-second videos showing why they are Broadway’s Biggest Fan. Ten semi-finalists will be judged online by fans beginning August 27th.
Three finalists will win the following prizes:
* Their video shown in front of 50,000 screaming fans at Broadway on Broadway in Times Square
* Two round-trip Continental Airlines tickets to NYC – see eligibility rules
* Two tickets to the Broadway show of their choice
* Two VIP on-stage tickets to Broadway on Broadway, Sunday, September 16, 2007
* Two nights in a Times Square hotel
SIRIUS radio host/Broadway musician and actor, Seth Rudetsky, will serve as celebrity judge, narrowing down the entries. The three finalists will be chosen by online voters, and a winner will be selected at the concert by audience applause. As the final reward, the winner will be invited to introduce a performance in the concert and will take part in the grand finale with cast members from Broadway shows.
Complete rules and regulations can be found on www.BroadwaysBiggestFan.com.
VOTING for Broadway’s Biggest Fan begins online at www.BroadwaysBiggestFan.com on August 27, 2007. Online voters will automatically be entered to win an exciting Broadway memorabilia prize package.
Event Sponsors
Broadway on Broadway kicks off the 2007 – 2008 Broadway season and is produced by The League of American Theatres and Producers and The Times Square Alliance. Broadway on Broadway is proudly presented by Continental Airlines. The official sponsors are The New York Times and Audience Rewards. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund, Actors’ Equity Association, NYC & Company, Madame Tussauds and Junior’s. Special thanks to Broadway Previews.
Support for Broadway on Broadway comes from the Music Performance Fund, enriching lives through music by sponsoring free, live performances in all 50 states and Canada. For more information, visit MPF’s website at www.MusicPF.org.
Additional information about the concert, the Broadway’s Biggest Fan competition and the Broadway Fan Zone can be found at www.BroadwayOnBroadway.com and www.BroadwaysBiggestFan.com.
About The League of American Theatres and Producers
The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres and operating under the “Live Broadway” trademark, 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.livebroadway.com.
About The Times Square Alliance
The Times Square Alliance, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1992, works to improve and promote Times Square - cultivating the creativity, energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life for over a century. In addition to providing core neighborhood services with its Public Safety Officers and Sanitation Associates, the Alliance promotes local businesses; encourages economic development and public improvements; co-coordinates numerous major events in Times Square (including the annual New Year's Eve and Broadway on Broadway celebrations); manages the Times Square Information Center; and advocates on behalf of its constituents with respect to a host of public policy, planning and quality-of-life issues. The Alliance's district covers most of the territory from 40th Street to 53rd Street between 6th and 8th Avenues, as well as Restaurant Row (46th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue). Visit http://www.timessquarenyc.org/index.html for more information.
Lance Bass
Currently starring as Corny Collins in Hairspray, Lance is best known as a member of the phenomenally successful pop group *NSYNC, which has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He has made guest appearances in Adam's Sandler's film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, the television shows “7th Heaven,” “The Simpsons,” “Star Search,” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and was co-host for the American Music Award’s Red Carpet. Awards include: People’s Choice, American Music Awards, MTV Video Awards, Kid’s Choice Award, and a host of Grammy nominations. In 2002 Lance focused on his quest to travel to space and the International Space Station. He successfully trained to be a cosmonaut at Russia’s Star City and was certified by both the Russian Space Program and NASA for a mission aboard a Soyuz capsule. Lance was inducted into the MS Musicians Hall of Fame making him the youngest person to ever receive this honor. He continues to flex his producing muscles with his production company, Lance Bass Productions. He remains active with various charitable organizations, most particularly The Lance Bass Foundation, created to meet the health and educational needs of children. He is currently working on his memoir, Out of Sync for Simon Spotlight Entertainment to be released in the fall.
