THEIR vocals soared over Times Square, signalling the arrival of a new Broadway season in New York City.
Leads from The Phantom of the Opera sang All I Ask of You while the cast of Mamma Mia delivered the upbeat Dancing Queen.
By then, the thousands of fans who jam-packed Times Square were swinging along to the classic Abba tune.
It was a sunny Sunday morning of Sept 16, the weather was cool and the crowd was wooed by the Broadway on Broadway concert that presented the cast from popular musicals like The Lion King, Wicked, A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins.
The two-hour free concert was hosted by Lance Bass, former member of boy band ‘N Sync, who is making his Broadway debut in the musical Hairspray.
Broadway fans got a sneak peek of the season’s new musicals during the annual concert that also featured tunes from long-running shows that have become old favourites.
Cast members were casually dressed that morning. Most were in jeans and black T-shirts emblazoned with the name of the musical they were performing. Jersey Boys, another hugely popular musical, sang Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.
Show promoters distributed paper fans and stickers to spectators who applauded wildly after each performance.
“I have been a staunch Broadway fan ever since I watched A Chorus Line back in the 1980s,” said Erica Flower, an office assistant who took a two-hour train ride from Connecticut to attend the concert.
She has seen dozens of musicals. “There’s something about seeing a live performance. I love the energy and the appeal,” she said.
Her most recent Broadway show was Wicked in July. “It was excellent. It was my fourth time seeing it.”
Wicked, by the way, grossed the highest amount last season at US$1.38mil (RM4.75mil). Average ticket price to watch the untold story of the witches of Oz was US$98 (RM337.53).
But Flower’s all-time favourite was Crazy For You which won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.
“I must have seen that a dozen times. It’s no longer showing.”
These days, the productions are flashier as they had bigger budget and the quality was just as good, she said, adding that she planned to watch The Little Mermaid next.
Such diehard fans partly explain why Broadway performances have been a roaring success.
Even celebrities are known to take their children to watch the shows. Last Sunday, the former king of pop Michael Jackson took his three children to watch The Lion King.
Statistics from the League of American Theatres and Producers indicated that the shows collected about US$938mil (RM3.23bil) during the 2006-2007 season when about 12 million tickets were sold.
There are 39 theatres staging performances that attracted more crowds than those at baseball matches. Their seating capacity ranges from 589 to 1,813 seats.
“Broadway contributed US$4.8bil (RM16.5bil) to the economy of New York City, supporting 45,000 local jobs,” according to the League of American Theatres and Producers.
It is, undoubtedly, a tourist magnet as well. About 57% of Broadway audiences are visitors to the Big Apple.
Take Diane Fraser, a housewife from South Africa. She was in town for a week and all geared up to catch Hairspray.
“The movie version with John Travolta is being screened in my country now. So I thought it would be great to watch the musical here,” Fraser said.
Since women made up 62% of the audience, the League of American Theatres and Producers has, for the first time, set Oct 24 as “Ladies Night Out on Broadway”. Attractions include a 20% discount on tickets.
Broadway producers spent US$755mil (RM2.67bil) to run their shows, based on statistics from the 2004-2005 season.
As noted in an economic impact report from the League of American Theatres and Producers: “Broadway is more than just drama and music. Broadway is also a business, an industry that nourishes the economy of New York City.”
