Playbill PrideGet an Inside Look at the First-Ever Official Playbill Pride Float and Its Custom Playbill Pride Jeep
Broadway stars Frankie Grande, J. Harrison Ghee, Antwayn Hopper, and more marched with Playbill, Jeep, and the Times Square Alliance at the 2022 NYC Pride March.
For the first time ever, Playbill joined NYC Pride March with an official Playbill Pride float decorated with all the Pride-themed Playbill covers from the month of June and a suspended, holographic disco ball. Marching alongside the float June 26 were cast members from Broadway's A Strange Loop, Chicago, Moulin Rouge!, The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera, SIX: The Musical, and Wicked, and Off-Broadway's Titanique, along with representatives from Playbill, the Times Square Alliance, and Jeep.
Leading the Broadway brigade was a custom Playbill Pride-themed Jeep Gladiator truck, decked out with fabulous rainbows and, of course, that iconic Playbill yellow.
"This fabulous Jeep we put together with the design team is an amazing representation of the best we offer," shares Jeep Senior Manager of Product Marketing for North America David Hudson, who marched with Playbill in the parade. "It's got the big, knobby tread tires. It's lifted. It's a truly aggressive stance, but it's got the really cool rainbow wrap at the same time, so it does a great job of embodying everything that we stand for."
To Hudson, being a part of NYC Pride fits nicely into Jeep's entire philosophy. "Jeep, over its 80-year history, has been focused on freedom and authenticity, and that's certainly what we're doing here. Pride means a lot to many of the different communities that we represent. It's great to come out and support."
The Playbill Pride float was the culmination of Playbill's Pride in Times Square, which gathered stage and screen stars, Broadway shows, LGBTQIA+ non-profits, special Times Square business promotions, and more June 24–25 for a weekend-long event centered around NYC Pride weekend in Times Square between 45th and 47th streets—the heart of Broadway.
“Playbill is extremely proud to take part in this celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Playbill Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Alex Birsh. “We are always honored to change our iconic yellow design to the Pride Flag colors, celebrating this expansive and important community. And this year, we are even more proud to celebrate Pride in our biggest way yet: a big party in Times Square, and our first-ever official Playbill Pride Float in the NYC Pride Parade. Playbill aims to be a leader in our community, and we look for this event to continue expanding our tradition of standing with and behind our LGBTQIA+ friends, family, and allies. Here's to an amazing celebration with our partners, sponsors, and the entire Broadway community."
See photos from the first-ever Playbill Pride float in the 2022 NYC Pride Parade:
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Photo Flash: See Broadway's Frankie Grande, J Harrison Ghee, Antwayn Hopper, More March in NYC Pride with Playbill
Next year, Carnegie Hall's house band will perform Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony, unfinished works by Schubert, and the final concert of Conductor Bernard Labadie.