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Shelly Werbell and
Barbara Barash have seen "Jekyll &
Hyde" more
than 30 times.
But they still wanted more.
They went to Broadway on Broadway in Times
Square yesterday in hopes of
catching a glimpse of their favorite cast
among all the others. It's
their second time at the free event, and
the mix of talent keeps them
coming back.
"The gift these people have, it's a revue
of all of Broadway, it's
great," Werbell said.
The seventh annual public concert kicked
off the new Broadway season
with performances from 16 shows, including
a preview of soon-to-open
"On the Town."
"It's important because a lot of people
don't know Broadway," said
Robert Cuccioli, one of the stars of
"Jekyll & Hyde." "They may
have misconceptions about what [the shows]
are, or what they're about,
and this is a kind of movie trailer for
Broadway."
After yesterday's performance, Karen
Brandon of Westchester plans to
see "Chicago" and "Rent."
"I think it's a great thing for Broadway.
There are a lot of people
here who will at least see one show
because of this," she said.
Broadway on Broadway included hit songs
from "Chicago," "The Lion
King," "The Sound of Music," "Jekyll &
Hyde," "Ragtime," "Rent,"
"Smokey Joe's Cafe," "Bring in 'da Noise,
Bring in 'da Funk," "Titanic"
and "The Scarlet Pimpernel."
Jason Raize, who plays Simba in "The Lion
King," said performing at
Broadway on Broadway isn't comparable to
being in the theater.
"Crowds like this aren't very common for
Broadway folks," he said of
the 50,000 fans.
Screaming their regards to Broadway and
singing along, the spectators
impressed "Rent" star Shelley Dickinson:
"In the theater, the audience is not
exactly sure yet what they're
there for, but these people just know."
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