CURTAIN UP BROADWAY FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH STAR-STUDDED EVENTS OVER THREE DAYS IN TIMES SQUARE THAT INCLUDE:
The Broadway Block Party
Broadway Sing-Alongs
Dueling Pianos Presented by Prudential
Curtain Up After Dark Concerts
PLUS
The Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert with performances & appearances from
Iconic Broadway Musicals, Broadway Plays and Special Guests
Aired Live on WABC

Prudential returns as Curtain Up Broadway Festival title sponsor to help support the return and revival of New York City’s Broadway Theatre

All Events are Live and Free in Times Square September 30-October 2, 2022

Playbill, The Broadway League, the Times Square Alliance, and Prudential Financial announce details and talent for Curtain Up Broadway Festival, a three-day outdoor experience in Times Square presented by title sponsor Prudential Financial; sponsored in part by Wagoneer and Audible Theater, with additional support from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Music Performance Trust Fund.

Curtain Up Broadway Festival will bring Broadway to the streets of New York City in Times Square on Broadway stretching between 45^th and 48^th Streets. Over fifteen unique events will take place on stages in Duffy Square (7^th Ave. & 46^th St.) and on Broadway between 45 ^th and 48^th Streets. All interactive events and performances are live, free, and open to the public. This is the second year that Prudential is the title sponsor of Curtain Up in Times Square and is proud to be a rock of support for the Broadway community.

The three-day celebration will include the following headlining events:

The Curtain Up Broadway Festival will kick off on Friday September 30 at 2PM. This exciting mainstage event will feature speakers and special guests including music director James Sampliner, Broadway stars such as Norm Lewis and more to be announced. Fans will join the Broadway community for a celebratory countdown to the official start of the festival!

The Broadway Block Party will take place on Friday, September 30 at 5PM on Duffy Square and will invite revelers to dance and sing to classic and contemporary Broadway songs with live DJ sets and guest performances all in the heart of New York City: Times Square.

The party continues into the night with Curtain Up After Dark concerts sponsored by Prudential. Broadway Sings: The Golden Age of Broadway will take place on Friday, September 30 at 6:30PM featuring the Broadway Sings Band and special Broadway performers T. Oliver Reid, Conrad Ricamora, Jeanna de Waal, Morgan James, Corey Mach and more, singing under the golden setting sun. Rockers on Broadway: Live in Times Square and Benefiting The PATH Fund will take place on Saturday, October 1 at 6:30PM featuring Donnie Kehr and his band alongside special guests including Rob Evan, N’Kenge, Jen Perry, Max Sangerman, Jeremy Schoenfeld, Sam Behr and more on stage with Broadway and contemporary rock ‘n’ roll hits. Opportunities to donate to The PATH Fund will be made possible on audience’s mobile devices.

The Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert is a grand, outdoor event that marks the culmination of the Curtain Up Broadway Festival. Taking place rain or shine on Sunday, October 2 at 11:00 AM in Duffy Square, the concert, with direction by Sammi Cannold and musical direction by Daryl Waters, will spotlight marquee talent from Broadway productions and celebrate the new season on Broadway. For those who cannot attend in person, it will be broadcast live on WABC. Participating shows will be announced by The Broadway League at a later date.

Throughout the celebratory weekend, Broadway fans will have the unique opportunity to join a wide variety of interactive experiences, events, and intimate concerts including Broadway Sing-Alongs, The Sing for Hope Piano, Playbill: The Game Show LIVE, a dance workshop with Ailey, and more.

For a full list of events, please see the event schedule below. Visit Playbill.com/CurtainUp  for Curtain Up Broadway Festival details (as they are announced) as well as a special Guide to All-Things Curtain Up.

“Curtain Up Broadway Festival is a celebration of Broadway and the great city of New York, and it is a perfect way to kick off a brand-new season packed with an incredible array of new shows,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “With 17 Broadway shows already scheduled to open through December, and at least that amount scheduled to open in the spring, we are in for a season jam packed with something for everyone. Broadway’s return brings a newfound vibrancy to the city and its heart, Times Square, and the Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert on Sunday, October 2, featuring some new shows, some long running shows, and recent Tony winning shows, is the perfect opportunity to honor that. WABC is broadcasting the event live and reminding us ‘there’s a little bit of Broadway in everyone!’”

"We at Playbill are extremely excited to help bring Curtain Up Broadway Festival to Times Square once again with our friends and partners at Prudential, the Times Square Alliance, and The Broadway League,” said Alex Birsh, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Playbill. “It has been invigorating to see Broadway thrive upon its return, and we look forward to celebrating the upcoming success of the 2022-23 Broadway season with our three-day extravaganza in the heart of the Theatre District. For three incredible days, Times Square takes center stage featuring an array of Broadway talent and spirited fans who will join together to revel in the artistry and influence of musical theatre and plays.”

“At Prudential, we recognize that Broadway is a vital cultural and economic driver with global reach. After the pandemic pause, Broadway’s comeback is more important than ever,” said Susan Somersille Johnson, Prudential’s Chief Marketing Officer . “Prudential has always rallied to help people and communities, and we are committed to being an unwavering rock of support to keep the lights of Broadway shining bright and bring the magic of the arts to everyone.”

“Broadway has been back for just over a year now and we have seen its impact on Times Square and the city which is a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate with our partners at Playbill, The Broadway League and Prudential with Curtain Up Broadway Festival,” said Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance. “We are regularly seeing over 400,000 people in Times Square and we know that includes audiences, artists and backstage folk making their way to shows throughout Times Square and we encourage them all to enjoy our amazing restaurants, hotels, retailers and other live entertainment venues.”

"We’re thrilled to join The Broadway League, Playbill and the Times Square Alliance to celebrate the talent and shows that make NYC the creative capital of the world," said Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. "The Curtain Up Broadway Festival is a joyous event taking place in the heart of NYC, Times Square, over three days, and is bookended by our signature Broadway in the Boros series, which kicks off in Brooklyn on September 16 and ends on Staten Island on October 14.”

“The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund is proud to support Curtain Up Broadway Festival, a wonderfully unique three-day celebration of Broadway’s triumphant return. There is nothing more fun than free, live concerts featuring the music and performers from so many current and new musicals. Welcome back!” Dan Beck Trustee, Music Performance Trust Fund.

Event organizers will continue to follow the city, state and federal COVID-19 guidelines and will inform the public of any changes to the event protocols or schedule.

Join the conversation about Curtain Up Broadway Festival by following @Playbill, @TimesSquareNYC, and @BroadwayLeague and using #CurtainUpBway.

For photo and video assets from Curtain Up 2021 please click here.