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:
Alex Birsh, Madison Knox, and Jeffrey Vizcaíno
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Phil Birsh and Dennis Klein from Jeep
Audible Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Madison Knox, Charlotte Birsh, Alex Birsh, Phil Birsh, Odile Birsh, and Nikolai Birsh Joined the Celebration
Jeep Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Mason Alexander Park
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Playbill Employees Joined the Celebration
Nzinga Williams
Nzinga Williams
Nzinga Williams
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Frankie Grande from Titanique
Jake Boyd from Wicked
Aydin Eyikan from The Music Man
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Aydin Eyikan from The Music Man
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
J Harrison Ghee
J Harrison Ghee
Antwayn Hopper and Keirsten Hodgens
NYC Pride Grandstand Host
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Antwayn Hopper from A Strange Loop
Mykal Kilgore and Sidney Erik Wright
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Phil Birsh Marches with the 2022 Playbill Pride Float
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Sarah Dickerson and Raúl Contreras from Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Mary Kate Morrissey, Frankie Grande and Mitch Tobin
Lisa Abreu for Titanique
Aydin Eyikan, Frankie Grande, Mitch Tobin and Mason Alexander Park
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
Keirsten Hodgens, Antwayn Hopper, Mary Kate Morrissey, and J Harrison Ghee
Mitch Tobin, Aydin Eyikan, Frankie Grande and Stephen Trask on the Playbill Float
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mary Kate Morrissey and J Harrison Ghee on the Playbill Float
Mary Kate Morrissey and J Harrison Ghee on the Playbill Float
Mary Kate Morrissey and J Harrison Ghee on the Playbill Float
Audible 2022 Pride Float
Antwayn Hopper, Keirsten Hodgens, Jake Boyd, Ricky Schroeder, Mykal Kilgore, Frankie Grande and Sidney Erik Wright on the Playbill Float
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Antwayn Hopper from A Strange Loop
Antwayn Hopper and Jake Boyd
Mitch Tobin, Aydin Eyikan, Frankie Grande and Mykal Kilgore
J Harrison Ghee
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mykal Kilgore
Ricky Schroeder, Nzinga Williams
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mitchell Tobin from The Music Man
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mason Alexander Park, Stephen Trask and Antwayn Hopper
Playbill Employees and Families Joined the Celebration
J Harrison Ghee
Ricky Schroeder and J Harrison Ghee
Nzinga Williams
Mykal Kilgore and Frankie Grande
Mykal Kilgore and Frankie Grande
Mykal Kilgore and Frankie Grande
Mykal Kilgore and Frankie Grande
Frankie Grande
Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park and Stephen Trask
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mason Alexander Park, Stephen Trask, Joseph DePietro, and Saverio Pescucci The Phantom of the Opera
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
ViiV Healthcare bus along the march route
ViiV Healthcare bus along the march route
Broadway Stars on The Playbill Pride Float
Broadway Stars on The Playbill Pride Float
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Audible Float in the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mary Kate Morrissey from Wicked
ViiV Healthcare bus along the march route
ViiV Healthcare bus along the march route
J Harrison Ghee
Ricky Schroeder from Kinky Boots
A scene from the 2022 Pride March in NYC
Mykal Kilgore
Bryan Campione and Frankie Grande
Antwayn Hooper from A Strange Loop
Mason Alexander Park
Sidney Erik Wright
Phil Birsh
J Harrison Ghee
Ricky Schroeder and J Harrison Ghee
J Harrison Ghee