The stream of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ benefit concert celebrating Disney on Broadway’s 25th anniversary will be rescheduled for Friday, April 17 after the American Federation of Musicians dropped its opposition to the stream. The online playback will raise money for Broadway Cares’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, which is helping everyone in the theater and performing arts community impacted by the pandemic.
Watch the stream beginning at 7 pm Eastern and on Broadway Cares’ YouTube channel and Facebook page. The stream also will be available through media partners Playbill.com, iHeartRadio Broadway and the sites of iHeartRadio’s New York City stations, abc7ny.com and the sites of the ABC Owned Television Stations around the country.
Ryan McCartan will host the stream live from his family’s home and will interview special Disney on Broadway stars, from their homes, throughout the evening.
The stream, originally scheduled for April 13, was canceled when Broadway Cares was unable to reach an agreement with the leadership of the American Federation of Musicians to permit the stream of the previously recorded concert to take place as planned. After an open letter to union leadership from the event’s orchestra, who are all members of AFM Local 802, and a groundswell of public support, the union leadership agreed to waive the additional fees.
“There is no better news today than that which helps us ensure all in the entertainment industry who are facing the serious challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic can depend on the support of all their colleagues in the industry,” said Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. “My thanks to the leadership of the American Federation of Musicians. My best wishes and many thanks to AFM Local 802 President Adam Krauthamer and the Local 802 membership who were willing to speak up during this unprecedented time to support the arts community and those in need. We all will surely one day gather in Times Square together to celebrate Broadway’s rebirth and renewal of hope.”
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, which is being administered by The Actors Fund, is helping those onstage, backstage and behind the scenes impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. As theaters remain dark, entertainment professionals are facing unprecedented health and financial challenges requiring immediate attention and support. Broadway producers have offered a $1 million challenge and are matching every new donation to the fund dollar-for-dollar. Donations can be made at broadwaycares.org/help2020.
The concert, dubbed Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway was presented onstage November 4, 2019, and featured a cast of 79 performers and a 15-piece orchestra. The sparkling silver anniversary event at the New Amsterdam Theatre, home to Disney’s smash hit Aladdin, raised $570,426 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
The streamed show will feature performances by Jelani Alladin, Sierra Boggess, Christian Borle, Ashley Brown, Kerry Butler, Lauryn Ciardullo, Gavin Creel, Merle Dandridge, Lindiwe Dlamini, Bongi Duma, Susan Egan, Andrew Barth Feldman, Bradley Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Gonzalez, April Holloway, James Monroe Iglehart, Adam Jacobs, Ramona Keller, Nina Lafarga, Tamika Lawrence, Norm Lewis, Kara Lindsay, Tshidi Manye, Sibusiso Ngema, Ashley Park, Adam Pascal, Krysta Rodriguez, Michael James Scott, Sherie Rene Scott, Kissy Simmons, Josh Strickland, Katie Terza, Marisha Wallace, Rema Webb, Alton Fitzgerald White and Syndee Winters.
The show also includes a much-anticipated, high-energy reunion of 18 Newsies from the show’s Broadway and national touring productions, and a moving performance from Broadway Inspirational Voices.
The November concert was directed Casey Hushion. Jeff Lee and Tom Viola served as executive producers. James Abbott was the music director and created the revised orchestrations. Jason Trubitt served as Disney’s production supervisor. Howard Joines was the orchestra coordinator. The creative team included lighting designer Ryan J. O’Gara and sound designers Kurt Fischer and Marie Renee Foucher.
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
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