Broadway in Bryant Park 2024 Kicks Off With Energetic Performances

The scorching weather did not stop five of this season’s Broadway musicals from bringing the heat to Bryant Park during 2024’s first Broadway in Bryant Park concert on Thursday, July 11.

The heat was intense—“The Who’s Tommy,” one of the featured shows, even joked about it mid-performance. But still, the crowd of thousands gathered together on the Bryant Park lawn, eyes glued to the outdoor stage and the many performances on it at the event hosted by LITE FM and iHeartRadio Broadway.

Things kicked off with hosts Helen Little of LITE FM and Kyle Ramar Freeman, who also plays the Lion in “The Wiz” (and will later perform at the event). After a high-energy pre-show from recent AMDA School of the Performing Arts graduates, the hosts introduced the cast of “The Who’s Tommy” to kick off the official performances. The show’s titular lead, Ali Louis Bourzgui, began singing the song “Sensation” solo. He was then joined by his fellow “The Who’s Tommy” performers to finish out the song and to perform a medley of hits by The Who from the show such as “Pinball Wizard.”

Nineteen performers from the show’s cast took the Bryant Park stage together, marking one of the final times this cast will perform together before “The Who’s Tommy” leaves the Nederlander Theatre on July 21.

Next up was “Water for Elephants,” which is currently running at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. The show is headlined by Grant Gustin of “The Flash” fame as Jacob Jankowski, but his understudy Ken Wulf Clark took over at Bryant Park, offering attendees a less common way of experiencing the show’s music.

Clark began with singing the Act I closer “Silver Stars,” then performed the comedic “Squeaky Wheel” with fellow cast members Asa Somers (understudy for Camel at Bryant Park), Sara Gettelfinger (Barbara), and Joe De Paul (Walter). Finally, the show’s leading actress Isabelle McCalla (Marlena) joined him for a performance of “Wild.”

Following that was the second of the two Broadway revivals to perform, “The Wiz.” Though the show is set to leave its Broadway home at the Marquis Theatre on Aug. 18, its performers will be hitting the road soon thereafter as it continues its National Tour (prior to opening on Broadway, the show embarked on a Pre-Broadway National Tour, beginning in Baltimore).

First was Avery Wilson (Scarecrow) performing “You Can’t Win.” This song brought gasps to the audience as Wilson broke out some of the dance and acrobatic tricks he does in the show, adding an extra flair to the already-upbeat number. Then, Freeman took the stage as a performer, rather than a host, to sing “Mean Ole Lion.” He got a solid laugh out of the audience by flicking his wrist, staring the audience down, and simply saying “Purr” mid-song, a highlight of the show’s performances.

Unlike the other shows, which all performed either two or three numbers, “The Wiz” was only halfway through its lineup after the second song. Melody A. Betts (Aunt Em/Evillene) wowed the crowd, belting out “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.” Near the end of her song, she removed a small, blue tambourine from where it was resting on her hip, playing it along with the number’s finale, and even seemingly used it to fan herself, as the heat did not relent. Finally, Wilson and Freeman returned, joined by Nichelle Williams (Dorothy) and Polanco Jones Jr. (understudy for the Tinman), with the four singing “Be a Lion.”

The penultimate show to perform was “Back to the Future,” which runs at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. The show performed three numbers — “Gotta Start Somewhere,” featuring Jelani Remy (Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry) and the ensemble, “Put Your Mind to It,” featuring Evan Alexander Smith (George McFly) and JJ Niemann (understudy for Marty McFly), and “Power of Love” featuring Niemann, Remy, and the ensemble.

“Back to the Future” was particularly noteworthy for including full-out choreography and—as needed per song— props in its Bryant Park performance. Remy led “Gotta Start Somewhere” with a broom prop in hand, while the ensemble performed through the entire song, including the dance break. Smith and Niemann included the many physical gags that give “Put Your Mind to It” its extra level of humor and entertainment value. And the cast danced its way through the energetic and upbeat “Power of Love,” keeping the audience engaged the entire time.

“Hell’s Kitchen,” the new musical running at the Shubert Theatre with music, lyrics, and arrangements by R&B star Alicia Keys, finished out the July 11 concert with three songs. First, Gianna Harris (understudy for Ali at Bryant Park, and others), Jackie Leon (Jessica/Ensemble), and Jade Milan (understudy for Tiny at Bryant Park) performed “You Don’t Know My Name.” This song included some choreographed elements, and it was clear how much fun the three performers were having onstage.

Then, Harris was joined by Lamont Walker II (understudy for Knuck at Bryant Park) to sing the emotional “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.” Finally, to close the performance with a bang, Donna Vivino (standby for Jersey) brought the house down with a performance of “Pawn It All.”

While that marked the end of the July 11 concert, it was only the beginning for Broadway in Bryant Park 2024. There were three more concerts this summer, with performances from other Broadway hits like “Aladdin,” “The Notebook,” and “The Outsiders.”

Information on the Aug. 1 concert can be found on Bryant Park’s website https://bryantpark.org.