Theatre Talk: How to Prepare for the Great White Way

As you probably know, SPARE is taking its first trip to Broadway to see Aladdin the Musical in just a few short weeks! We've had a blast planning this and cannot wait to go! Going to the City isn’t something we have the privilege to do all the time, so when it does happen, it’s a special day. But how do you quench your thirst for the bright lights and big marquees every other day? Here are a few hints to make the most of your trip and hype up your excitement!

Get on a personal level. Broadway is the best at responding to the needs and wants of its fans because the actors and techies are normal people just like us (except they have the coolest jobs in the world)! They realized we wanted to get to know the actors and the shows better so Broadway.com developed vlogs for almost every show on Broadway! These vlogs are filmed by leading actors and you get a glimpse of their everyday routines, other actors lives and learn how things work backstage including their daily shenanigans. James Monoe Iglehart filmed an 8­-part vlog entitles “I Dream of Genie” and it is fantastic! Watching these videos beforehand lets you in on all those backstage secrets and you feel like you actually know the people up there (and you become 10x more excited to see the show!). You can also follow the show and actors on Twitter and keep up on all things Broadway related on Broadway.com, Playbill.com and Broadwayworld.com.

Prepare for the workshop. This is a tip directly related to our trip next month. We’ll be taking a workshop with Disney where we will learn the song/dance to Arabian Nights, which is the opening number of the show. If you’re going to be in the workshop, please take some time to listen to the song on the OBC recording.

Plan your day. You’ll always get some free time in the City where you have to decide whether you want to sit and eat, go shopping or go sightseeing. Plan your day accordingly, try to plan our restaurants and stores you want to check out to make your day more meaningful. There’s nothing worse than standing in Times Square trying to figure out your next move while 100 people pass by you every minute. Also, if there’s a particular restaurant or store you have to go to, write the address down so you’re not meandering trying to find it.