Broadway tries to take advantage of Super Bowl
NEW YORK — With the eyes of the nation on the New York area during next month's Super Bowl, Broadway naturally wants some of that attention.
The shows "Jersey Boys" and "Rock of Ages" will perform special outdoor concerts, and a Broadway discount ticket deal has been launched. There will also be public performances by The Boys Choir of Harlem and the Rockettes from Radio City Music Hall. Uptown in Harlem, the Apollo Theatre plans special concerts.
A stretch of Broadway from 34th Street to 47th will be closed to traffic, renamed Super Bowl Boulevard, and converted into a rollicking theme park, merchandise shop and concert venue.
The cast of "Jersey Boys" will take the stage on the boulevard at 6 p.m. Jan. 29, and "Rock of Ages" follows a day later. Both will also make appearances outside the MetLife Stadium at the NFL's Tailgate Party before kickoff Feb. 2.
A special two-for-one ticket promotion will try to keep fans in Time Square. More than two dozen shows will offer the deal, including "Mamma Mia!" "Newsies," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Once." The promotion runs from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6.
Many Broadway shows will alter their show schedule to take advantage of the crowds. But one normally busy day will be quiet — Feb. 2, the day of the Super Bowl itself. Some shows will offer matinees, but none dare open their doors that evening.
At the Apollo Theatre in Harlem on Jan. 30, there will be two performances by the Mass Choir of First Corinthians Baptist Church joined by singer-songwriter Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson.
The next night at the Apollo, there will be jazz performances by the Mingus Quintet and Manhattan School of Music Swing Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O'Farrill, Cecil Bridgewater, Alex Bugnon, Victor Bailey, Lenny White and Regina Belle.
Tickets range from $55 to $105.