A couple of Broadway’s most prominent advocates – President Obama and his wife, Michelle – will continue to do their part for the New York theater by bringing some of it to the White House on Monday. Representatives for Mrs. Obama said on Wednesday that the White House would continue its concert series with a performance at 7 p.m. on Monday [July 19] by a lineup of prominent Broadway talents, including Nathan Lane, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Brian d’Arcy James, Chad Kimball, Tonya Pinkins, Marvin Hamlisch, Karen Olivo and Assata Alston, preceded by remarks from the President.
Earlier in the day 20 dance students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center will take part in a workshop and rehearse a scene from “Hairspray” that will be supervised by the choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Those students will also perform for Mrs. Obama in the East Room at 2 p.m., and take part in the evening’s concert. PBS will broadcast the concert as “A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House” on Oct. 20.
The President and the first lady made headlines last year when their evening’s itinerary in New York included a stop at the Broadway revival of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” Mrs. Obama and her daughters, Sasha and Malia, have also attended the Broadway musicals “Memphis” and “The Addams Family,” whose casts are represented on the White House concert bill by Mr. Kimball and Mr. Lane.
According to BroadwayWorld.com, PBS plans to air this concert as A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House on October 20. Don’t wait to wait until October 20? It will be broadcast LIVE on the White House’s website, so make sure you log on and watch!
Exciting for her! She must be really honored to be asked. Even though she’ll probably sing DG, I have a ridiculous fantasy of Idina and BDJ singing something random from The Wild Party. I wish.
that is so cool. Thanks .Do you know though if the public is allowed to see this? Sorry if this sounds real stupid.
embrace:
It’s a closed/private event, so the public cannot attend it, but as it says above, it’ll be broadcast on TV in October, and MIGHT be broadcast live online. :)
Thanks for letting me know, Erin. =) I read on Idina’s website that it will in fact be streamed on the white house site at 7 pm. So yay for that!