Broadway nerds united October 12 at the Javits Center, where Playbill kicked off New York Comic Con with autograph signings, an exclusive merchandise store, The Big Broadway Nerd Panel, and more.
The day's main event for theatre nerds was The Big Broadway Nerd Panel, hosted by Playbill's Bryan Campione. The panel featured Douglas Lyons, playwright and actor whose play Chicken & Biscuits premiered on Broadway 2021; Helen Park, composer of the Broadway musical KPOP; writer Hunter Bell, whose new musical Other World is set in a MMORPG video game; actor Nathaniel Hackmann, currently appearing in Back to the Future: The Musical; and Bob Martin, book writer for musicals The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom, and the upcoming Boop! The panel discussion focused on how fantasy, comic books, and sci-fi have inspired the particpants' theatrical endeavors.
For all three days of the convention, The Playbill Store is open on the Show Floor. From Playbill cover cards to game cards, magnets, mystery bags, enamel pins, Parodybills, and more, stop by for a host of Broadway-inspired merchandise.
Playbill will also host a special quiet room, presented by Broadway's upcoming musical How to Dance in Ohio, to the Comic Con offerings. The space will be the perfect place to rest and relax during the Con, with beans bags, sensory fidgets, and more on hand to soften the vibes. Visitors will also be able to dive deeper into the music from the new musical, which tells the story of a group of autistic young adults preparing for their first formal dance. Previews begin November 15, and the quiet room will include an opportunity to snag some discount tickets. Visit the Playbill booth for location details.
For a schedule of Playbill's New York Comic Con events, including a full listing of all autograph signing opportunities, visit Playbill.com/ComicCon. Tickets are available at NewYorkComicCon.com.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.