Macy's T-day Parade info

[robyn525600]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 2:43pm

From Playbill OnLine:

The 77th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 27, will feature performances from four Broadway musicals.

Stars from Wicked and The Boy From Oz (without leading man Hugh Jackman), as well as two other shows soon to be announced, will offer songs during the annual event, which will be broadcast on NBC stations around the country from 9 AM to 12 noon, ET.

Playbill On-Line has also learned that the annual parade will feature Hairspray's Harvey Fierstein and the Dynamites performing an original composition entitled "Santa Knows." Tony winner Fierstein will be decked out in Edna drag in a holiday costume designed by William Ivey Long. Other parade highlights: the Radio City Rockettes; the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet; USO Troupe of Metropolitan New York and Camp Broadway, who will offer a tribute to the late Bob Hope entitled "When Hope Was There"; the group AntiGravity; and Jim Dale and the cast of A Christmas Carol.

The parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West of Manhattan's Upper West Side. It will then make its way down Broadway through Times Square before taking final bows at Herald Square and ending at 7th Ave and 34th Street. For more information and a few helpful tips for those who are ready to brave the weather and crowds, visit Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website at www.macysparade.com.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 2:49pm

And the gang from AVENUE Q will be there with a song called THE ONLY TIME I ENJOYED TANKSGIVING (WAS WHEN MY FAMILY WASN'T THERE). This year will mark the debut of the giant Trekkie Monster balloon to be carried by Macy's volunteers wearing T-shirts that read "It Sucks To Be Me!"

Well, I can dream, can't I?

Updated On: 11/3/03 at 02:49 PM

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 2:52pm

Thanks for the info

"Hairspray's Harvey Fierstein and the Dynamites performing an original composition entitled "Santa Knows." "

I'm very excited to see that!

[tkts]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 2:55pm

Damn, MasterLcZ, you got me all excited and then dashed my hopes. Oh well.

Posted: 11/3/03 at 3:05pm

Awww they listed what I'm doing!! I'm in "When Hope was There!!" YAY.

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 3:10pm

Harvey should be hilarious!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 3:24pm

Yes! I can't wait for this! What do you think will be the other two shows? LSOH? Never Gonna Dance?

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 3:34pm

I'm thinking Little Shop but I don't know about the other spot.

[corfriends]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 3:51pm

i heard that wicked is performing there. is there a specific spot that the broadway shows perform? or will they go along with the parade? where should i go to see them?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 4:28pm

They usually perform in front of Macy's (I believe it is called Herald Square). To get a seat you will need to get there EXTREMELY early! And Wicked is performing. That was in the press release.

Posted: 11/3/03 at 5:05pm

Im so glad u mentioned about the parade. I just wanted to know if anybody that went to Camp Broadway this year, are going to be participating on the Camp B-way float. I wanted to try out but since i live down in GA. then it will definetly be hard. i just want to know how they do the audtion. is it the normal way by giving them a resume and headshot and singing a 16 bar song or whut???

[itstheM]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 5:48pm

I'm also in the Camp Broadway bit in the parade. For the audition you only had to fill out an audition form about yourself. You didn't need a picture or resume. They took people in groups of 20 to do a dance combination. Then they kept some people to sing any up tempo song. A lot of people were freaking out saying that they can't sing, they're dancers. Lots of good times had by all. :)

[orion59]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 6:21pm

I might be wrong but, I didn't think you could get a seat in front of Macy's unless you were invited. Aren't the bleachers for Macy's bigwigs and their invited guests?

There probably is an area where the general public can stand but given the tv cameras and sound equipment it is probably far from the performance

[kec]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 10:27pm

I have heard that the bleachers outside Macy's are for the family members of the volunteers who are working in the parade. Either way, the bleachers aren't open to the general public.

The best place to see those performances is on the television. There is no place around Herald Square away from the front of Macy's that the general public can stand to see these special performances, because, as Orion says, of the televison equipment.

[PJ]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 10:29pm

There were a lot more performances scheduled last year. Hopefully they'll be more on CBS.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 10:50pm

It's just lip synching. I know the kids nowadays don't care if their pop stars don't bother singing, but Broadway acts? I do realize that the world is dying for a Boy from Oz segment without Hugh Jackman, so I get the excitement over that bit of news.

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 11:06pm

Even if you could get a seat in the bleachers you wouldn't get to watch the performers. You would be watching there asses. Because they set the cameras up across the street from the stands and The shows perform for the the cameras not the people. You can stand down the st. and see it from the side. But you have to get there extreamly early just to watch the side of the performers if your lucky!

Better?

Updated On: 11/4/03 at 11:06 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 11:08pm

And they ain't singing live which is even better from down the street and to the side!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/3/03 at 11:15pm

PennyLou, who is your English teacher? I want to slap him or her silly! I wouldn't allow you out in public if you were one of my students--let alone give you access to the internet! You not only use run-on sentences with great regularity, but you have come to personify one. Please, girl, learn to write properly!

Posted: 11/3/03 at 11:47pm

Hey Camp Bway people!! I didn't go to the camp, but I tried out and got in. I went to the Providence, RI auditions. I know three other people from online who are also in the "When Hope Was There" thing, and they all sent in video tapes. In Providence we were brought in to dance in groups of 20 and then some of us sang. The dance was easy, barely any tap, just a little soft shoe, and then I sang about 32 bars of "Forget About the Boy" and they measured me and I went home. They didn't really want headshots or resumes. I brought mine just in case, but they took a Polaroid of everyone auditioning and clipped them to your audition form, so I didn't even bother giving my H&R.

I'm really excited for the parade!! As far as viewing goes, the parade people told me that anywhere between 77th Street (which is the start, I think) and 50-something street is ideal for viewing. Anywhere below 50th is WAY crowded because it's Times Square...and the performances are all done at Herald Square, which is jam PACKED. The big wigs (aka NBC families, etc) get the bleacher seats at Herald Square. There is standing room as well, but they said definitely not to stand there to try to watch the performances because it is MOBBED and you won't see a thing. They said you're better off watching it on your TV if you want to watch the performances, but if you want to watch the floats go by, anywhere above 50th is good.

Anyone in "When Hope Was There" - email me!!! at [e-mail] - did you hear about costume fittings yet? I haven't gotten an appointment and so I kinda need to hear from them, lol... :-p

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 11/4/03 at 11:47am

The only problem with watching the parade on tv rather than actually going to the parade is that they don't always show everything on television. Look what happened with Broadway On Broadway. Then again, one minute of a good view and good sound might be better than three minutes of pushing crowds, poor sound, and ass views.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 11/4/03 at 12:02pm

that totally depends on the ass in question, theatrebaby. three minutes might not be nearly long enough.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 11/4/03 at 3:23pm

Well if Hugh Jackman isn't gonna be there, then his ass is out of the question. Ahhh, now that would have been a nice view.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/4/03 at 3:37pm

Those poor Rockettes, freezing their buns off in Herald Square. Kick higher, girls! You'll keep warmer.

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/4/03 at 4:01pm

Dollypop do you follow my posts around just to make comments on them? If your not doing that it definitely is coming off that way.

Updated On: 11/4/03 at 04:01 PM