As someone who had never been to BroadwayCon before, I really had no idea what to expect. As a personal Broadway lover, I was super excited to be able to attend an event solely dedicated to anything and everything Broadway.
At the beginning of the morning I attended a singalong, which in my opinion was one of the best events. Everyone was in a lecture hall like room filled with people and a stage. They were playing the most iconic Broadway Bops including (Alexander Hamilton and All That Jazz) and everyone who wanted to could dance sing and express their love for their favorite songs. There were soloists, duets, and most importantly no judgement. Anyone and everyone got up to sing, and there was only applause and high-fives to those who did.
After this there were multiple panels, and I attended the Latinx Representation in Theatre panel and the Actors and Activism panel. All quotes mentioned were taken directly from the conversations the panels were having. During these discussions, there were so many important conversations as to why and how representation matters. Daphne Ruben Vega who played Mimi in the musical Rent explained how the lack of representation affects the audience.
“The absence of that face and that look, it matters… [If] we don’t see people like us it means we don’t matter.”
There was also the conversation of how we as activists can fix the problem of white-washed theatre. Emilio Sosa stated that, “Many many times I find myself being the only person of color…Just being in a room and having a voice is my form of activism”.
BroadwayCon, although full of fun activities, went deeper into theatre, as now we are having more and more discussions about how theatre is changing the way we deal with issues like racism and homophobia.
I got the chance to talk to another person attending, and how she felt about Broadway. Ava, who was also attending the event for the first time, said that Broadway “changed the way [she] lived”. She also mentioned that shows like Dear Evan Hansen, “[have] made so many people feel like they belong somewhere [and] has given people hope.”
If you get a chance to go, you will meet many people like Ava who love the fact that Broadway is changing the way we view things and how it teaches us all lessons on things from history to the effects of suicide.
The most surprising yet heartwarming part was how the whole community welcomed everyone. Those partaking in panels and events were kind, respectful and having open and honest discussions that you wouldn’t see anywhere else. Many times people approached me and asked questions about my favorite musicals, who I was there to see, and even how I was doing. There were never any mean looks or glares, only smiles and singing. BroadwayCon is perfect for those who love Broadway musicals and being a part of a community.
