NYC’s ‘Broadway in Bryant Park’ opens its 25th season with stars and songs from current hit musicals

By
Deb Miller
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The free lunchtime concert series Broadway in Bryant Park, presented on four Thursdays in July, from 12:30-1:30 pm, by 106.7 LITE FM with iHeartRadio Broadway, opened its 25th anniversary season this afternoon (Thursday, July 10) with stellar performances of a selection of songs from current Broadway musicals by the stars and members of their casts. And though the weather was hot, the show was even hotter!

The cast of & Juliet. Photo by Ray Costello.

Hosted by 106.7 LITE FM’s Delilah, this week’s outdoor concert on the Bryant Park stage, in the heart of midtown Manhattan – with lawn seating, on-stage rehearsals, and giveaways on the Fountain Terrace all beginning at 11 am – featured a lively pre-show bilingual song and dance by Taiwan Tourism, a sponsor of the event, followed by fan favorites from The Great Gatsby, & Juliet, BOOP! The Musical, Hell’s Kitchen, Maybe Happy Ending, and MJ the Musical.

Among the blockbuster hits were “Baby One More Time,” “I Kissed a Girl” (with some clever and timely gender-reversed lyrics), and “Larger Than Life” performed by the cast of & Juliet, followed by the uplifting, upbeat, and dynamic “Where I Wanna Be” and “The Color of Love” from BOOP! star Jasmine Amy Rogers and members of the triple-threat featured cast, who were joined on stage by the adorable puppet of Pudgy the dog.

Jasmine Amy Rogers and the cast of BOOP! The Musical. Photo by Ray Costello.

Other highlights in a show filled with nothing but highlights were the Michael Jackson chart-toppers “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” from MJ the Musical, delivering not only the songs but the iconic moves of the King of Pop, and the beautiful romantic duets by Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen from the 2025 Tony winner Maybe Happy Ending. Each and every performance in the entire concert reaffirmed the extraordinary talent and unsurpassed entertainment that is Broadway.

Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen. Photo by Ray Costello.

If you missed today’s installment, you have three more chances this month to enjoy the Thursday lunchtime concerts of Broadway in Bryant Park, all free and open to the public, so be sure to get there early to get your seat, to revisit your favorite shows, and to decide which of the sensational Broadway musicals you want to see next!

Running Time: Approximately one hour, without intermission.

Broadway in Bryant Park plays on Thursdays, July 17, 24, and 31, 2025, 12:30-1:30 pm, on the stage at Bryant Park, 41st Street and Sixth Avenue, NYC. Admission is free and no tickets are required; the lawn opens at 11 am.

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Deb Miller
Deb Miller (PhD, Art History) is the Senior Correspondent and Editor for New York City, where she grew up seeing every show on Broadway. She is an active member of the Outer Critics Circle and served for more than a decade as a Voter, Nominator, and Judge for the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. Outside of her home base in NYC, she has written and lectured extensively on the arts and theater throughout the world (including her many years in Amsterdam, London, and Venice, and her extensive work and personal connections with Andy Warhol and his circle) and previously served as a lead writer for Stage Magazine, Phindie, and Central Voice.

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