Top 10 Favorite Memories from BroadwayCon 2020

A couple weekends ago marked one year since BroadwayCon 2020 and one year since I last set foot in New York City. 2020 was my first year attending BroadwayCon and over the past couple weeks, I've become quite nostalgic reflecting on this memorable weekend. At this time last year I wasn't particularly active on this blog, so I have decided to give myself this excuse to go down memory lane and review, in no particular order, my top 10 favorite memories from BroadwayCon weekend 2020. 

THE SUITCASE

I went to BroadwayCon last year with my friend and co-worker Mackenzie. Much of the week leading up to BroadwayCon consisted of us texting each other frantically trying to narrow down what to pack. It took some work, but I was able to limit my belongings for the weekend to my carry-on suitcase and a backpack. Mackenzie and I agreed that we would leave work together the night before Con and drive to a hotel near the train station to make our lives easier the following morning. When the time came, Mackenzie pulled her car around so we could load luggage into my car. Next thing I knew, poor Mackenzie was dragging the largest suitcase I have ever seen towards me! She took one look at my much smaller suitcase, looked back at me and said "Are you effing kidding me?! How did you fit all your stuff in that?!?!" Turns out Mackenzie packed a lot more bulky stuff than I had, including Broadway coffee table books, vinyls (for autograph opportunities), and a bottle of champagne!

The suitcase became a running joke for the entire weekend! It ended up working in our favor, however, because when we arrived to Penn Station for our train ride home, Mackenzie ended up recruiting the Amtrak Red Cap service to haul her massive suitcase down to the train for us, and we ultimately got to board our train early. To this day, we still laugh about the suitcase saga. It was a lesson learned for the next time we go to Con: pack a little lighter!

MEET & GREET REUNIONS

Though BroadwayCon was teeming with Broadway stars, there were a couple with whom I was most excited to reunite. On the morning of the second day, I had both a photograph and autograph session with Lesli Margherita, a universally beloved Broadway star. If you go to read my Top 10 Nicest Broadway Actors I've Met at the Stage Door post from March 2019, you'll see an excerpt about my Twitter/stage door relationship with Lesli. On the day I was to see her at BroadwayCon, it had been over five years since I had last gotten to see her. Trying to stay humble, I prepared myself to not be remembered or recognized. Much to my surprise and delight, when it was my turn for a photograph with her she turned around, saw me, broke into a huge grin and said "Heyyy DUUUDE!" 

I immediately knew she remembered me. Since we first met in 2013, we have been calling each other

dude. It's been a goofy little inside joke for us and I loved that she remembered not only me, but our name for each other! We hugged, had our picture taken, and I got her autograph a little later that morning. I gave her a quick life update and I promised that I'd swing by her other autograph session the next day to buy her album. Sure enough, when I fulfilled that promise, she signed my copy of her album with her name and the word "DUDE." It was a lovely reunion that was long overdue. I hope I get to see her soon after Broadway re-opens. 

The other performer I was looking forward to seeing was Tommy Bracco (best known for his performances in Newsies, Pretty Woman, and competing on the hit reality show Big Brother). Just like with Lesli, it had been several years since I'd last seen Tommy and I once again didn't expect him to remember me. I sat down at one of his panels in which he was participating on the second day of Con. As we waited for the panel to start, I watched him scan the room until he made eye contact with me. He gasped and mouthed, "Oh my gawd hi! How are you!" After his delightful panel, I hung back to say hello. Tommy made his way through the line of fans begging for autographs and selfies until he finally made it to me and my fansie friends with whom I was waiting. I pulled Tommy into a big squeeze and we stood and caught up for a few minutes. He's a sweet guy and it was great to be so equally excited to see and reunite with each other. 

BREAKING THE RULES WITH AARON TVEIT

Having just seen Moulin Rouge on Broadway, I was thrilled when I scored a pass to the cast's autograph

session on the first day of Con. Among the cast members appearing for the session was Aaron Tveit, one of my favorite Broadway stars. The rule for BroadwayCon autograph sessions was that stars could only sign one item per fan, and I was torn between having Aaron sign my Moulin Rouge Playbill or my Catch Me If You Can Playbill. I finally decided that I would present both to him and have him pick his favorite. 

As attendees made their way down the line to receive their autographs, the moderators were closely enforcing that only one item was to be signed per person. When it was my turn, I made my way to Aaron and put both Playbills down on the table in front of him. "I am having a really hard time deciding which of these I want you to sign," I explained, "I would be thrilled with you signing either, so could you pick your favorite and sign that one please?" Without missing a beat, Aaron grabbed both Playbills and said, "Why don't I sign both?" I fell all over myself thanking him for the kind gesture, and asked if he was sure because we were only supposed to have one item signed. He shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Pfft it's fine!" He signed my Moulin Rouge Playbill with a silver Sharpie, and then switched to a black Sharpie to sign my Catch Me If You Can Playbill. He totally went above and beyond for little ol' me that day, and it's a story I absolutely love telling!

CHAOS AT HADESTOWN

We scored matinee tickets to Hadestown on Day 2 of BroadwayCon. We were already stressed about timing, since the walk to the theatre was long and were running late due to waiting in a line to meet Rob McClure. We walked as fast as our legs could take us in the pouring rain to the Walter Kerr Theatre. Thankfully, we arrived with five minutes to spare and there was still a line of audience members waiting to enter. We joined the line and I turned to Mackenzie. "You have the tickets, right?" I asked her. I'd asked this a million times but it always made me feel better to ask; we bought the tickets on Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster was almost always an eticket. "Yep, they're on my phone - I'm pulling them up now," Mackenzie replied. Within seconds, a look of horror spread across her face. "Oh NO! It says these were print-at-home tickets!!!" My heart sank. What was going to happen?! We didn't have our tickets - would they let us in? I tried to ward off the panic and instead focused on figuring out a solution. 

We power-walked to the first usher we saw and explained to her our predicament. "Oh don't worry! Go speak to the box office and they'll be able to help you!" she assured us as she directed us across the lobby. We bolted to the open box office window, out of breath and hearts pounding. The lady at the box office couldn't be nicer. She confirmed our order and printed our tickets out for us. We thanked everyone who helped us as we sprinted up the three flights of stairs to the balcony. We flopped into our seats, relieved and recovering from the stress, and within seconds the lights went down and the show began. We had a spectacular time at Hadestown; it was my second time seeing it and Mackenzie's first. To this day, we still look back on that memory and can still feel the stress of fearing we would miss the show! It's good to know now that if something like that happens again, the box office staff will be able to help. 

MARKETPLACE FINDS

Oh, the BroadwayCon Marketplace! I had heard so much about it - it sounded like a gold mine for any

theatre fan! I was instantly overwhelmed when we first set foot in the Marketplace. There were rows of booths selling all sorts of unique souvenirs and collectables! There were pins, Playbills, clothes, authentic costume pieces and props from shows, the works! I could have caused some serious financial damage in the Marketplace if I let myself go into full-blown YOLO mode. 

However, the Marketplace booths had so much more than merch. Many had sweepstakes, photo ops, and scheduled autograph sessions! One booth run by The Broadway Body Positivity Project even had a massage chair set up! After carrying a backpack filled with snacks and Playbills for three days, I took advantage without hesitation and treated myself to a ten minute massage and it was heavenly! The autograph sessions were awesome and we got to meet some amazing Broadway stars like Sierra Boggess, Rob McClure, Kerry Butler, Kate Rockwell, Alex Brightman, and more! 

My absolute favorite booth in the Marketplace was run by Broadway Goes Pop (BGP). Amber Kempter, the founder of BGP, gained a huge following by creating custom Broadway-inspired figures modeled after the collectible Funko Pops. I've been following Amber for several years and love her Facebook group she created to help promote her business. As soon as we set foot in the Marketplace, we made a beeline to the BGP booth to meet Amber and buy some of her custom pins. 

The Marketplace was great because it was a central hub for BroadwayCon attendees, and you never knew who you might walk past! On Day 2, James Snyder (If/Then, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, In Transit, etc) walked right past me and when I called out his name, he was kind enough to stop for an autograph and selfie. 

Some of my favorite items I bought from the Marketplace were my official BroadwayCon merch (including a tshirt, pajama pants, and beanie), a Newsies-themed tote bag from the Character Charts booth, Newsies coloring pages from the Coloring Broadway booth, and a pin from the Broadway Walking Tour booth that says "The Tony Awards are my Super Bowl." Mackenzie's shopping spree consisted of a bag from Scenery Bags and many posters and custom prints that she now has proudly hanging on her wall. I can't wait to be back at BroadwayCon to see what else I might be able to find next time at the Marketplace (though my bank account may say otherwise)!

AND THE TONY GOES TO...

One of my favorite finds in the Marketplace was a booth that offered a photo op with a real Tony Award.

Mackenzie and I stumbled upon it entirely by accident. We had just finished up our autograph session with Donna Murphy and were making our way to our next panel when we walked past the booth and saw someone else taking their picture with the Tony. I couldn't help myself from squealing, "Is that a REAL Tony?!?! Can I hold it?!" I teared up as the volunteer behind the booth handed me the trophy (the Tony was for Best Revival of a Musical for The Pajama Game). I had always wanted to hold a Tony Award, and this bucket list moment was finally coming true! We took our photos in the provided photo booth and I took a moment to spin the coin on the trophy as I reluctantly handed it to the next person. We were assured our photos would be emailed to us shortly, but the pictures never arrived. 

Desperate to have my picture with a Tony Award, we went back to the booth on the last day of BroadwayCon and asked if we could take pictures on our cell phones in case the photo booth pictures never arrived. The volunteers manning the booth kindly obliged and even helped me out in taking a Boomerang of me spinning the coin! It turns out we made a good call because apparently the photo booth didn't work properly the whole weekend and nobody got their Tony pictures emailed to them!

BEN CAMERON

Ben Cameron is who we considered our overall BroadwayCon MVP. He is the host of many popular Mainstage panels, including BroadwayCon Game Night and BroadwayCon Jukebox. I also quickly learned that he was an original cast member in Broadway's Wicked and Footloose, two favorite shows of mine. Ben had our sides sore from laughter the entire weekend. He had the entire audience wrapped around his finger. He was witty, sarcastic, and always knew how to be the center of attention in the best way. 

On the second day of Con after we got back from Hadestown, we saw Ben had posted on Twitter that he'd be wandering the Marketplace for a few hours and encouraged attendees to stop him and say hello. We immediately made a beeline to the Marketplace and found him fairly quickly. He was delightful and was thrilled to hear it was our first Con and that we were having such a great time. He happily took a picture with us and then moved on to more of his adoring fans. Mackenzie and I walked into BroadwayCon last year not having heard of Ben, but walked out of Con as his newest and biggest fans. I will certainly miss his cheeky humor until it is safe enough for BroadwayCon to happen in-person again. 

AUSSIE DAVE

Along with Ben Cameron, our other BroadwayCon MVP was undoubtedly Aussie Dave, the coolest DJ at

BroadwayCon! Aussie Dave was set up at the biggest booth in the Marketplace, run by the Harmony Helper app. His job was a) to play showtunes all day long and b) to help with crowd control during Harmony Helper-sponsored autograph sessions with popular Broadway stars. 

Mackenzie and I first interacted with Aussie Dave while we were waiting in line to meet Rob McClure at the Harmony Helper booth. Dave was easy to spot because each day of Con, he wore the brightest, flashiest, and most colorful suit jackets I've ever seen! He had a big smile on his face every time we saw him, even when he was trying to manage a line filled with dozens of enthusiastic Broadway fans. 

The Rob McClure line, though handled brilliantly thanks to Aussie Dave and the other booth volunteers, was LONG. We hadn't allowed ourselves enough time to wait in the long line AND get to Hadestown with time to spare. We knew that the main attraction on the last day at the Harmony Helper booth was Alex Brightman, who was a top priority for me and Mackenzie - especially Mackenzie, as she is his biggest fan. Towards the end of Day 2, we stopped by the Harmony Helper booth and chatted with Aussie Dave and asked for advice as to what time we should line up the next day to meet Alex. His advice was extremely helpful and we were therefore better able to plan our Day 3. The next morning we arrived to Con bright and early and stopped by the booth again to check in with our new friend. Dave recognized us immediately and we chatted about the upcoming line and his career and background as a DJ. Thanks to his tips, we were close to the front of the Alex Brightman line and he seemed really happy to see that we'd taken his advice to heart. We thanked him a million times for his help, and I really hope we get to see him again at future BroadwayCons!

A SENSE OF BELONGING

Talk to any theatre kid and they can probably share a time when they were teased or bullied for their love of theatre. I consider myself lucky in that I was never truly bullied (a word I don't use lightly), but I definitely got teased by friends well into college about it. Whether it was about my over-enthusiastic nature or my love of a certain show that was deemed not-good-enough, I got more than my fair share of snarky comments that really got to me when I was younger and have stuck with me for years. It has caused me to enjoy Broadway in a more quiet manner in hopes of avoiding such judgment from others. However, I took my first steps into BroadwayCon and immediately felt my guard going down. I was with my people and this was a safe space.

I didn't have to pretend that I didn't like a show as much as I do. I didn't have to stay quiet. BroadwayCon was filled with the most hardcore of theatre fans, and we were all shamelessly and enthusiastically ourselves. It warmed my heart to see the incredible cosplay attendees were proudly sporting. It filled me with joy to stand in the Mainstage ballroom and belt out showtunes between panels with thousands of attendees at the top of our lungs. I was blown away by the kindness shown by everyone I met that weekend. There was no pushing, no name-calling, no rudeness. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was happy and talkative and kind. In a time when the world is so divided and I feel our society crumbling around me, I harken back to BroadwayCon weekend when people from all ages and all walks of life came together and treated each other like their long-lost friend, just because we were all there together sharing our love of Broadway. 

BroadwayCon weekend was overwhelming and exhausting but in the best possible way. I left the city that weekend with a full heart and a huge smile. I realized then that I didn't need to limit that feeling to just one weekend per year. Throughout 2020, I worked hard at being shamelessly myself and letting go of snarky comments from the past. I had found a sense of belonging and I made the decision to apply that to my everyday life. It's a work in progress, but thanks to BroadwayCon I'm working towards becoming a less insecure person, which is such a liberating feeling. 

SEASONS OF LOVE

In a fitting way to close out BroadwayCon weekend, Ben Cameron invited all the attendees who packed into the Mainstage to come together onstage in a mass singalong during the closing ceremonies. Needless to say Mackenzie and I sprinted from our seats up to the BroadwayCon stage with dozens of our fellow attendees. As we found our spots onstage, the unmistakable opening chords to "Seasons of Love" began playing and hundreds of theatre nerds began belting their hearts out. After we finished "Seasons of Love" and we thought we were done, the tempo picked up and "You Can't Stop the Beat" started playing. Once the singalong was over, we gathered our belongings and made our way out of the hotel, out of breath and smiling ear to ear. The ending of BroadwayCon weekend was sad, but the energy from the singalong was the absolute perfect way to end the event, and Mackenzie and I headed home while making plans for our next BroadwayCon trip. 

***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BroadwayCon is happening virtually this year. Many panels are being offered completely free, but you can purchase various tiers of packages with additional perks on the BroadwayCon website. Virtual meet & greets with select Broadway stars can also be purchased for an additional charge. Virtual BroadwayCon is happening April 17th-18th, 2021. Will I see you there?***