A Few Thoughts on the 2019 Broadway Flea Market

As Mike said as we hit the Lincoln Tunnel, another Broadway Flea Market is in the books. $870,167 was the final tally - way to go, theater fans! We all braved the heat, the crowds and the scaffolding, and hopefully most of us came away with some new and beloved treasures. We're already looking forward to next year! How about you?

Here's what I came away with:

• It seemed both less crowded and more crowded than usual. Even with all the scaffolding, Shubert Alley seemed easier to navigate all day. And yet, at some tables, it was uncomfortably tight. Seems all of the most important people in the world came to the flea market. You know the ones - they have no regard for anyone but themselves. Taking up coveted space long after they've made their purchases so they can chat with their friends. Move away from the tables to have conversations, huh? This seemed to be the norm at several booths I visited.

• Speaking of those folks (though this applies everywhere these days, not just at the flea), am I getting to be a cranky old man when I am annoyed at people with no regard to their surroundings who stop dead in the middle of traffic flow to chat/hug/squeal in delight?

• I miss the flea markets of yesteryear when they blocked off 44th Street and booths were on both sides of the street than around the block on half the street. I know...traffic...blah, blah, blah...

• I would love to be the person who figures out a way to spread out those bins full of Playbills/Posters/Programs so that more than six people at at time can look through them.

• Add me to the list of people disappointed with the Moulin Rouge table. Talk about a missed opportunity! Broadway's hottest new show had almost nothing left at 10:45 AM. I was ready to drop some serious cash for the cause for a little piece of the show.

Still for all my complaining, I had a great time and picked up a few things for friends (which I can't tell you about because they'll read it) and a couple of new treasures for myself. I love my To Kill A Mockingbird Tony Voters book, and I found some great cards to fill in my Lights of Broadway card collection. Now, they were organized! I was impressed with the whole table, and Squigs is such a nice guy!

And the non-autograph table star-gazing was great as always. Julie Halston, Patti Murin, Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Jeff Daniels, Telly Leung, and Ryan McPartlin were just a few people I bumped into as I walked around. One or two I literally bumped into!

Finally, as I noted in last week's Friday 5, I got to see some really wonderful, like-minded people. High school boys holding hands. High school girls holding hands. The Beetlejuice cosplay fans. And it seems the older gentlemen with canvas tote bags seem to have created an army!

📸: A. Stock

#2172

Broadway Bares 23: More Postcards from the United Strips of America (NSFW)

4 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL JKTS AWARDS!

CLICK THE GREEN ICON TO YOUR RIGHT AND VOTE!

POLLS CLOSE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 8!  

WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON TONY SUNDAY!

THIS BLOG MAY BE CONSIDERED NSFW!

With the 2012 - 2013 season behind us, and award season reaching its frenzied apex with this Sunday's Tony Awards, it is also time to start thinking about the fun of summer!  And what better way to get summer started than the annual beefcake (and lovely cheesecake) festival, Broadway Bares?  Now in its 23rd year of frisky fund-raising, the event rased much needed funding for a variety of AIDS related charities, educational programs and outreach, as well as The Women's Health Initiative, The Phyillis Newman Foundation, and other emergency needs, like Hurricane Sandy relief.

This year, there will be two shows on Sunday, June 16 at the Roseland Ballroom.  Click HERE for tickets and more information.  To donate to your favorite "Hottest Fundraisers," including Max Von Essen, click HERE.  As we found out earlier this season, the theme of the 23rd Edition is The United Strips of America (click HERE for that preview).  Has this country every looked so...hot?

Here are the latest "postcards" from the heartland.  Enjoy! (Click any pic to enlarge and start a slideshow!)

The Lion King's Michelle Camaya

Leap of Faith's Ian Paget, Broadway Bares 18's Kristin DeCesare,

Mamma Mia's  Allyson Carr, West Side Story's Angelina Mullins

Spider-Man's Julius Carter

Broadway Bares: Solo Strips' John Paul LaPorte

LaPorte and Broadway Bares' Christina Black

Cinderella's Peter Nelson

Motown's Daniel Watts

Ghost's Constantine Rousouli

Memphis' Paul McGill and 

Broadway Bares: Winter Burlesque's Samantha Berger

Broadway Bares: Happy Endings' Olivia Cipoli

Chaplin's Timothy Hughes

Priscilla Queen of the Desert's Jeff Metzler

God Bless America!

Jeff

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Broadway Bares 23: The United Strips of America

TODAY'S BLOG MAY NOT BE SAFE WORK!

Ah... the last Thursday of March may just be my favorite Thursday of the year.  It is on that day each year that the good folks at Broadway Bares reveal the theme for the upcoming edition of the strip show of the year!  And this year, they did not disappoint: Broadway Bares 23 will be The United Strips of America!

This year's show will be at 9:30 PM and Midnight on Sunday, June 29th at the Roseland Ballroom.  Executive produced by founder Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots), this year's edition will be directed by Bares regular Nick Kenkel.

Here's a little preview video from the photo shoot, followed by the first set of released photos and the show logo.  All of the photos are by Andrew Eccles.  Click on each pic and, uh, watch it grow.

Maine: Peter Nelson (Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella)

Colorado: Julius Carter (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark)

Texas: Jeff Metzler (Priscilla Queen of the Desert)

Oregon: Timothy Hughes (Chaplin)

California: Allyson Carr (Mamma Mia!)

Hawaii: Christina Black 

The Broadway Bares XXIII Logo

For more information, to shop and buy tickets, go to www.broadwaybares.com .

For more information about Broadway Cares, go to www.broadwaycares.org .

Jeff

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Broadway Cares Ornaments Puzzles #2

Happy Holidays, Theatre Lovers!

Since we are all busy - especially on the weekends - during the holiday season, I thought I'd give you some fun puzzles to do AND a great shopping idea at the same time!  Maybe you've seen these really amazing blown glass ornaments depicting 4 of Broadway's greatest actresses in their signature roles.  Broadway Cares' Online Store sells them HERE.  (Click on "Holiday," then click on "Holiday Ornaments.")  It's a great gift AND a great cause!

Last week, my two favorite gals, Angela Lansbury as Mame, and Gwen Verdon as Sweet Charity.  (Click HERE.)

This week: Bernadette Peters as Dot, and Chita Rivera as Anita.  Enjoy!

Chita Rivera as Anita (70 pieces)





Bernadette Peters as Dot (99 pieces)






Before you go... (Click the blue links!)
Check out these reviews: 

• The Mystery of Edwin Drood
• A Christmas Story
• Scandalous

Check out these Broadway Babies:

• The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyle (Mr. December)
• A Christmas Story's Erin Dilly (Ms. November)
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood's Eric Sciotto - Chat Part 2! 
• Spencer Plachy (Face of the Future)

VOTE IN THE THIS MONTH'S POLL - LEFT SIDE OF BLOG!

4.099

Jeff

The Fleas I Got This Year

So, it's been a busy week for me!  Finally a chance to sit down and take a breath!

Well, last Sunday, as you know, was the 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction.  It was my 6th visit to the event, and one of my favorites!  Here in no particular order are my thoughts on the day:

From breakfast at the Edison (yummy, fast and cheap) to shopping the flea market to seeing Once to dinner at Dallas BBQ, it was great to spend the day with my two besties!

• About that breakfast at the Edison: they make some awesome home fries!
• About dinner at Dallas BBQ... amazed at the chicken wings!  How big are those birds, anyway?...dismayed to find a "B" in the front window...
• The weather was pretty perfect - sun, a small breeze, no humidity.  I wasn't sweaty one minute! (I'm known to sweat during a blizzard!)
• Biggest moment of confusion: watching them take down the A Christmas Story sign at the Lunt-Fontanne, and bedazzle the place with Motown: The Musical regalia... we asked around, people seemed surprised, too.  Later, mystery solved: Motown made a commercial the following day.  

The Wicked booth made the most money this year: over $17K!

• Biggest improvement to the event: Even more booths in the Times Square pedestrian mall, and, even better, moving the Grand Auction out there, too.  More room to move and breathe.  It made it feel like there weren't as many people there.
• Best Booth: TIE: Newsies: Best Keepsake for the money: $5.00 for a photo with a Newsie (or more than one Newsie), and overall the best selection of collectibles, reasonably priced: trading cards, signed Playbills (opening night and current cast), signed showcards, signed props, and the cutest salesmen on Broadway.  And Evita: Personal collectibles from cast members for sale, handmade gifts (the moustache candles were cool), plus a signed photo of Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett.  And, if you timed it right, Max von Essen would sell it to you!

The Newsies selling cool Newsies stuff!

• Great star-gazing, not just at the booths and autograph lines, but shopping with the rest of us.  Sighted: Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jan Maxwell, Will Swensen, Steve Kazee, Ben Fankhauser and  Kara Lindsay among others!
• Best Bargain: $1.00 showcards at the Triton Gallery booth.  The selection was great this year, and throughout the day, too.  Turns out the only purchase I made: posters from Baby, It's You!, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Clybourne Park, Rock of Ages and my favorite poster from 2 seasons ago: Wonderland.  Plus: An Opening Night poster for All My Sons!  I saved $95.00 on the first five!
• The Thing I'd Have Purchased If I Had $100 in My Pocket: An original Opening Night gift created by a cast member of Bring It On: a deck of playing cards featuring backstage photos, production photos, unused production photos, and personal photos.  And some of them autographed, too.

The Bring It On gals - those cards are the 2nd item from the left!

• Best Time at the Flea Market: Watching a complete section of the Grand Auction, from the witty repartee of the hosts, trying to describe the items, to the actual auction.  I watched a guy named Matthew part with well over $3,000 in less than 10 minutes.  His bounty: two framed signed posters - Angels in America  and Falsettos, and a framed, signed series of original costume designs for the Evita revival.  Good for him, and even better for...

Check out this shot with Rebecca in the background.
Do you think it'll actually happen?

• Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  This year's even was record-breaking: $681,829 for Sunday, and a total of over $9.87 million over the 26 events.

OH!  And Once was even better the second time!  Bravo, cast!

Before you go...

• ...have you voted in this week's HOT or NOT? ANNIE, Part 1.  CLICK HERE. 
• ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.
• ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
• ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!

Jeff

4.031

Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Getting Broadway Fleas...Again

My absolutely favorite Broadway event is tomorrow!  Of course, I'm talking about The 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction! This is my 5th year in a row, and I can't imagine missing it.  Why do I love it so?  Well, the obvious answer is that it combines my two favorite things shopping and Broadway.  But I also love it because it is a chance to (literally) rub elbows with people as passionate about Broadway (and shopping) as I am.  And I think it is great because it is one of the few things in the world that can be enjoyed no matter how much money you have.

Little $ - There are things at the booths that range from pennies to less than $5.00.

The gang at lysistrata Jones had FREE pom poms and souvenir
basketballs for $1.00 donations and basketball tossing!

Small $$ - There are many things at the booths that can run from $6.00 - $10.00.  $10.00 can get your photo with your favorite Broadway star. (Per photo)

Medium $$$ - There are some great special items at the booths that run from $12.00 - $50.00.  $30.00 can get you a ton of face-to-fade autographs with your favorite Broadway stars!  ($30.00 covers autographs for 1 of the 1 hour periods.  The stars rotate each hour, and each set of stars costs $30.00.)

Last year, $30 got you Rose Hemingway, Rory O'Malley,
Andrew Rannells and Bobby Canavale (and several others)!

Big $$$$ - Can get you anything you want, as usual.  But the difference here is that (1) the items at the Grand Auction are PRIMO for Broadway fans! (If you really love this blog, feel free to get me lunch with Angela Lansbury!)

Last year, Max von Essen came out as a Britney Spears fan!
Yes, that's her doll and tour bus... signed and everything!

But the best thing about this event is that 100% of the proceeds go to a great cause: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS! For ALL the information on the event and the organization you'll ever need, click HERE.

Alice Ripley fans got a super cool candid!
Yes, the stars walk among us at the Flea Market!

Mike and I will be there, with our mutual friend.  This year's show will be Once.  See you there!  Say hi!  (I'll be the one in the shorts, and backpack!  LOL.  Me and a hundred others...)

Before you go...

• ...have you TWEETED ME with hash tag #SickofBway naming the Broadway shows you are so OVER!
• ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.  He's a cutie!
• ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
• ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!

Jeff

4.024

Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Broadway Bares: Solo Strips

THE CONTENT OF TODAY'S BLOG MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED WORK SAFE!

These days theatres are full of shows that have just opened or are deep into previews.  Even a show with 22 seasons of performances under its dance belt is offering a "preview" of sorts.  Yes, Broadway Bares is offering one of its "one-night-only" Broadway Bares: Solo Strips shows in preparation for the "mother ship," Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings.

The Solo Strips shows actually more resemble the first Broadway Bares, which featured the male chorus of The Will Rogers Follies - including founder Jerry Mitchell.  Then, as with this performance, the guys do individual strip routines, sans theme, scenery and production values.  Solo Strips is just what it says it is: 1 guy at a time just taking it off!

This year's solo strips, directed by La Cage aux Folles' Tony Spinosa, will take place at 9 PM on May 6 at XL Nightclub.  For more information, go to the Broadway Cares website and/or the Broadway Bares website.  Tickets for both events sell out quickly, so check it out now!

The 10 guys who will light up the stage for Broadway Bares: Solo Strips are:

Cesar Abreu (The Metropolitan Opera), Brazil's Guto Bittencourt (Les Miserables and Chicago in Brazil), Priscilla Queen of the Desert's Joshua Buscher, Memphis' Sam Cahn and Andy Mills, Wicked's Adam Fleming, Nick Kenkel (Evita), Grasan Kingsberry (Leap of Faith), Brandon Rubendall (Anything Goes), and Broadway Bares regular Robb Sherman (The Skinny).

Cesar Abreu and Guto Bittencourt

Joshua Buscher

Sam Cahn

Adam Fleming

Nick Kenkel

Grasan Kingsberry

Andy Mills and Brandon Rubendall

Robb Sherman

For more information about Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings, click HERE.

(Photos from Broadway Cares, Broadway Bares, Playbill Online)

Jeff

3.231

@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings (Preview)

TODAY'S BLOG MAY NOT BE WORK SAFE OR APPROPRIATE FOR MINORS

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE IN "HOT/HOTTER" AND 

VOTE IN THIS MONTH'S THEATRE POLL - BOTH ARE TO YOUR LEFT!

The end of March is one of my favorite times on the theatre calendar.  Sure, a bunch of new shows are opening in a flurry to get in by the end of the season.  But this time of year always marks the announcement of my favorite annual charity, Broadway Bares.  Well, like clockwork, on the last Thursday of March, the Powers That Be announced information for edition 22!

Timely as they always are, the latest version will capitalize on the current craze for all things "fairy tales."  No, I'm not talking about a dirty version of Into the Woods - I'll leave that to the show in Central Park this summer.  No, I'm talking about Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings.  Fairy tales will take on a whole new meaning after the best of Broadway's dancers get done with them!  (Click on the photos to, uh, enlarge them.)

The first posters: 

Colt Prates as Prince Charming

Katie Webber as Rapunzel

This year's show will play Roseland on Sunday, June 17 at 9:30 and midnight.  Founder Jerry Mitchell will executive produce and Lee Wilkins will direct.

• For tickets and much more information go to Broadway Cares HERE and/or Broadway Bares HERE.  (Neither site may be work safe or appropriate for minors.)

Here are some other shots taken at the photo shoot:

Nick Kenkel and Adam Perry curling up with a good book!

Robb Sherman enjoying the, um, stacks...

Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Here's a teaser for the show announcement:



Take a look behind the scenes of that photo shoot!



More "Happy Endings" to come!

And coming June 2nd, Broadway Bares: Beach Burlesque!  A Broadway Cares/Bares fundraiser on Fire Island.  For more information see the above websites.

Here's a bonus update: Broadway Bares 19.0 poster boy Tommy Berklund!

(Photos for Broadway Bares by Andrew Eccles.  Tommy Berklund photo by Kevin McDermott)

Jeff

3.212

@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)