‘A Moment for Broadway’

The theater community came together in Times Square on Wednesday, Oct. 7 for the first time since Broadway was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March. The event, “A Moment for Broadway,” was organized by the volunteer organization NYCNext as part of a series of pop-up performances designed to bring renewed vibrancy to the city.

Broadway Inspirational Voices, with special guests, sang a socially distanced ensemble performance of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday” from “Sunday in the Park With George” on the TKTS Red Steps.

The performance was directed by Pulitzer and Tony award-winning composer Tom Kitt and Tony honoree Michael McElroy. In addition to such Broadway luminaries as Bernadette Peters and Joel Grey, the event featured representatives from the 14 labor unions that work on Broadway, as well as local business owners and guild members.

The initiative was led by NYCNext, a group of volunteer New Yorkers who have joined together to help build the next New York by creating and producing live, spontaneous pop-up events. Their aim is to harness the creative energy and irrepressible spirit of New York, while also giving back to the artists, neighborhoods, and people who make the city home. NYCNext was co-founded by Maryam Banikarim, Caroline Donahue and Andrew Lerner.

“We created NYCNext to celebrate New York, the city we love,” says Maryam Banikarim. “We recognize that this is a difficult time for the city, but we also know that New York is incredibly resilient ...The group of people who have spontaneously come together to produce this Broadway event – our first major performance – is incredible. It’s a testament to the irrepressible spirit of the city.”