By Melissa Griegel…
Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography
The 11th Annual BroadwayCon took place January 23-25, 2026 at the Westin Times Square and the Palladium Times Square. The first main stage on Friday always offers a look at some of the newer shows that are currently playing along with a peak at some upcoming shows. This year, the “First Look” event was hosted by Erin Quill (Avenue Q).
Christiana Pitts and Sam Tutty
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan recently opened at the Longacre Theatre to rave reviews. This charming and original show transferred from the West End. Sam Tutty reprises his role on Broadway opposite Christiani Pitts (King Kong). They delighted the crowd with two songs from the show. After the “First Look”, Tutty and Pitts sat down with Melissa Anelli along with their understudies Phoenix Best (Dear Evan Hansen) and Vincent Michael (Broadway debut) to talk about the show. The four of them have great chemistry and talked about their love of getting to perform in a show where the audience gets to use their imagination and think outside the box with both the set and the storyline. This is a show not to be missed. Get tickets here: Two Strangers Tickets.
A conversation with the cast of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Five of the six Phantoms from Masquerade came out and chatted with Erin Quill about what it’s like being part of the new immersive Phantom of the Opera experience Masquerade. Kyle Scatliffe,Clay Singer, Nik Walker, Jeremy Stolle, and Telly Leung talked about how this version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical gives you an up-close and personal experience where you get to interact with the actors and wander around the Paris Opera House. Stolle added that it also gives you more of a backstory about who the Phantom is and why his upbringing led him to be the person we are introduced to as an adult in the original show.
Erin Quill and The Phantoms of Masquerade
The upcoming show Shmigadoon based on the popular television series of the same name, had a video with Alex Brightman and Sara Chase The limited run begins April 4th at the Nederlander and will be directed by Christopher Gattelli (Death Becomes Her, Newsies) with a book and Emmy® Award-winning score by Cinco Paul (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets). You can purchase tickets here: Shmigadoon Tickets.
LJ Benet from The Lost Boys
Based on the cult-classic Warner Bros. film of The Lost Boys, The Lost Boys: A New Musical begins previews on March 27th at the Palace Theatre. The show is directed by Tony Award® winner Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending, Parade) and features music and lyrics byThe Rescues, a book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, choreography by Lauren Yalongo-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant (Parade), and music supervision by Tony nominee Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical). An all-star cast includes Shoshana Bean (Wicked, Waitress, Hell’s Kitchen), Benjamin Pajek (The Music Man), Ali Louis Bourzgui (The Who’s Tommy, Hadestown), and Paul Alexander Nolan (Water for Elephants, Parade). Multi-hyphenate LJ Benet, who will be playing Michael Emerson in The Lost Boys chatted with Quill on stage about the vampire storyline and cult following of the move before performing a song from the show. He was absolutely outstanding and sang a beautifully haunting song that made me want to run to see the show. You can purchase tickets here: The Lost Boy Tickets.
The cast of Operation Mincemeat
Although not “new” to the stage, Operation Mincemeat and Six: The Musical both participated. The cast of Operation Mincemeat was welcomed with a lot of applause from fans of the show who enjoyed their performance. Popular Tik Tok star Kelsie Watts (The Voice) made her Broadway debut this year as Jane Seymour in Six: The Musical. She sang a really powerful and beautiful rendition of “Heart of Stone”.
Kelsie Watts (Six)
The new musical Music City is transferring to Off-Broadway after a run uptown at the Bedlam Theatre on West 86th Street where it earned two Drama Desk Awards nominations, including Outstanding Musical, and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical. JT Harding came out to talk about the show, followed by a musical number with singers and musicians from the fictional band in the show. The multi-platinum songwriter Harding has written for artists such as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, and more. With a story by Peter Zinn and direction by Eric Tucker, Music City is set in an East Nashville honky tonk called the Wicked Tickle, where two young singer/songwriters and the bar regulars alike pursue love and music in the face of poverty, addiction, and heartbreak. The new venue at 512 West 42nd Street has been transformed to become a functioning Wicked Tickle bar. To add to the immersive experience, interested theater-goers can sign up to perform at an open-mic show that takes place a half hour before curtain. Previews begin March 23rd. You can purchase tickets here: Music City Tickets.
Music City
