Start bidding online now!

If you are an ardent fan of Broadway, then you must not miss the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction on Sunday, September 25 from 10am to 7pm at 44^th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and will stretch across Broadway into Times Square.

So what happens at a Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction? Fans can take photos with their favorite Broadway star, and also buy coveted cast recordings, signed show posters and Playbills, rare costumes sketches or special gift for a theatre-lover. All proceeds from the event are donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS.

This year hit Broadway shows including The Addams Family, Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, Follies, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, The Phantom of the Opera, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked and Cirque Du Soleil’s Zarkana are participating and will have tables at the Flea Market.

Fans can get ahead of the game and start bidding online for a VIP experience at the Flea market & Grand Auction. The pass allows them to skip lines and meet with the participating Broadway stars with a personal celebrity liaison.

Stars that are attending this year are Montego Glover, Jackie Joffman, Beth Leavel, Telly Leung, Marin Mazzie and Ron Raines.

For more information regarding the Flea Market & Grand Auction and Broadway Stars attending the event please visit http://www.broadwaycares.org/fleamarket2011

A Singing Competition That Aims to Provide a Break For Talented Young Singers

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (September 9, 2011) - Next Broadway Star was held on Monday, August 29, 2011 at the Times Square McDonald’s . Broadway.tv joined forces with McDonald’s 42nd Street store, in hosting the biggest talent competition Broadway has ever seen.

The competition was hosted by Television/Stage star Jonathan D. Lovitz, the popular Host of the hit television series Set up Squad. Judges for the Next Broadway Star included:

• Arne Gundersen, President of Actor’s Equity Foundation;
• Duncan Stewart, top Broadway Casting Director of Chicago The Musical, La Cage Aux Folles, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the new musical YANK!;
• Gunnar Larson, President  & CEO of NetworkGlobal Companies.

Highlights of the Next Broadway Star kick-off were stars of four hit Broadway shows Book of Mormon, Hair, Jersey Boys, and La Cage Aux Folles and over a dozen celebrities:

• Russell Fischer, Star of The Broadway Production of Jersey Boys
• Marshal Kennedy Carolan, The Broadway Production of Hair
• Kevin Duda, The Broadway Production of The Book of Mormon and Dangerous Liaisons
• Jason Snow, The Broadway Production of The Book of Mormon
• Matt Anctil, Star of The Broadway Production of La Cage Aux Folles
• Lauren LoGiudice, Star of the film When Harry Tries to Marry
• Aryn Cole, All My Children, Ugly Betty and star of the upcoming film Lorenzo & Monica
• Guto Bittencourt, Stage & Television star of The Love Affair & two international hit series Esmeralda & Malhacao
• Max Rhyser, star of the series In Between Men and the upcoming film The Lair
• Mike Woods, Meteorologist/Reporter, Good Day New York

VIP guests attending the kick-off included: Annmaria Mazzini -Star of The Paul Taylor Dance Company; Brandon Pope - Musician/Composer/Model; Patrick Hazlewood -Supermodel/Entrepreneur; Fiona Kuchina - Supermodel/Actress/Entrepreneur, No Love In The City; Luis Perrusquia-Dos - Supermodel/Actor

The competition will take place once a month over a four month period. The next round will be held on Tuesday, October 4^th, 2011 at the McDonald’s 42nd Street store, where the upper levels of the location will be transformed into a theater.

Ten out of the sixteen Next Broadway Star contestants that performed at the kick-off moved to the quarterfinals. Each of the contestants were handpicked from around the country and carefully screened by the Broadway.tv team from the thousands of talented potential Broadway actors/singers through an auditioning process that took more than five months.

Press Coverage:

Next Broadway Star received huge response from the press including: Broadway.tv, Broadwayworld.com, New York Observer, New York Daily News, NaplesNews.com, Queer New York. The top photo worldwide agencies sent photographers to cover this event including WireImage, Getty Images, and New York Daily News.

About Next Broadway Star:

Next Broadway Star competition aims to provide a break for candidates that aspire to make it big on Broadway but don’t have the means and the exposure do so. Voice alone doesn’t guarantee you a spot in the competition, the candidate needs to have the total package which includes voice, energy and ability to connect to the song and the audience. The ultimate winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000 dollars, and the chance to audition with the most prestigious casting directors and producers on Broadway. The viewers can vote for their favorite contestants online via Facebook and Broadway.tv.

About Broadway.tv:

Broadway.tv (BTV) is the world’s number one video-specific site for Broadway plays and musical theatre. We have recently expanded our coverage to the West End, and our site now contains exclusive features from London. With a million viewers per day, we have secured interviews with the best and brightest on Broadway, including Hugh Jackman, Robin Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Matthew Bourne, Jude Law, Angela Lansbury, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and many more notable celebrities.

For more press information, contact Matt Flynn or Christopher Vicini at james@jamesgrantPR.com or (917) 626-1300. Visit Broadway.tv for more information about the competition and the contestants.

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 ”One Song Glory” from Rent

Mario sang “One Song Glory” from Rent with so much gusto and emotion that it would have made Jonathan Larson proud.

Possessing an intensity on par with the bright lights and big sounds of the city he was born and raised in, New York native Mario Bueno is excited to be a part of Next Broadway Star! Since leaving college early to dedicate himself to his lifelong goal of becoming an entertainment superstar on his own terms, Mario has spent the last few years building up his reputation through geek-centric skit performances and web videos. From 2008 onward, he has gained even more of a following for integrating his singing and musical theater background into his work.

“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele

Bianca sang “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele so beautifully that it would have made Adele proud. There is nothing not to love about Bianca. She has a lot going on for her including voice, range, and energy.

Come this Fall Semester, Bianca will be a Musical Theatre major at American Musical and Dramatic Academy.  She was actively involved in musical theatre throughout high school and was rigorously trained in opera, movement, and voice technique.

She loves playing sports including softball and baseball. During her spare time she plays the guitar, reads books, and loves to make bracelets for friends and family.

If Bianca is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.

“Gimme Gimme” by Modern Millie

Whitney Winfield looked like a star and performed like a star when she sang “Gimme Gimme” by Modern Millie. The judges loved everything about her. They loved her voice, performance, energy, and look.

A Naples, Florida native, she has been performing onstage since the age of 8 and has never given up on her dream of being on Broadway. She has sung in countless competitions, in addition to performing in more than 40 musicals and plays. The Next Broadway Star contest will give Whitney another chance to make her goal a reality!

“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus

Mariana sang “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus conviction and energy. She knew who she was singing to and why she was singing the song which really pleased our judges. Born to be a star, Mariana has everything that it takes to be the Next Broadway Star!

Mariana flew all the way from Miami to participate in this competition. She is a Musical Theater major at the Boston Conservatory. She has been studying Musical Theater for the past six years.  She attended New World School of The Arts High School one of the most prestigious performing arts high schools in the U.S.

Mariana has performed as a soloist in numerous local events in Miami and currently records commercial jingles for many clients ranging from radio stations to local businesses. Besides her vocal and acting training, Mariana also performs classical ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop and Latin rhythms.

If Mariana is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.

“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey

Collette McLafferty set herself apart from other contestants when she sang “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Her presence commanded respect and awe from the audience as well as the judges. She has the Lady Gaga attitude coupled with Katy Perry’s a raspy voice. Her attitude, look, and voice make her a star in her own right.

Collette moved to NYC on a Greyhound Bus to pursue musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. While she enjoyed school, she found another type of education: singing in clubs with some of the world’s top session players.  This set the stage to form what was later to become her first band: edibleRed. Later signing to Select Records, edibleRed went on to enjoy international success on MTV “Buzzworthy”, “Sucker Free” on MTV Canada, Radio 1 inHolland, FUSE, and VH1.com and on the hit TV show Cash Cab.

If Collette is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.

“You Raise Me Up”

David Michaels’ is here to stay and he proved that with his powerful performance as he sang “You Raise Me Up” by Westlife. His energy and persona is infectious and it rocked everybody’s heart and soul. A powerful performer David was born to sing and act.

At the age of 15, he began a quest to fulfill his dream to be on Broadway. David soon became a local star in his home state of Connecticut, performing in numerous plays across the region. Two years ago, he decided to up the ante and move to the big city. David has now performed in leading roles in venues across the nation, including a national tour of Oklahoma! He is about to make his Fringe Festival debut as “Fantasy Man,” where his wardrobe will consist only of flesh-colored briefs.

David enjoys playing the piano and composing theme music. He prides himself on doing a spot-on Al Pacino and Christopher Walken impressions and has recently taken up voice-over work. A well-rounded athlete, David can be found walking on his hands in between auditions.

If David is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.

“Ain’t There Anyone Here to Love”

Clare V. Solly demonstrated her acting skills as she sang “Aint’ There Anyone Here to Love”. The judges loved her energy found her very likable.

Clare’s her current and long-term dream is to perform in a Broadway theater.  She grew up in a small town in Kansas and dreamt of becoming a performer or an archeologist as a child. Clare moved from Los Angeles to New York a year ago make her childhood dream come true.

If Clare is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.

“The Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston

Sherly sang her heart out as she sang “The Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston. She enchanted the audience with her melodious voice.

Sherly works as an actress and singer. She is very passionate about her work and her dream is to share it with anyone who is interested.

Sherly has appeared on a TV commercial to promote a show she was doing called “The Gospel of the Harlem renaissance”. She has also appeared on the “O magazine” to show women how to shop, save money and look fabulous doing so. Sherly studied musical Theatre, Drama and vocals at LaGuardia College and she loves it.

If Sherly is your favorite contestant please vote for her clicking on the LIKE button above the video. All you need is a Facebook account.