A three-day outdoor music festival featuring Broadway stars and personalities, blending concert performances, campfire sing-alongs and other fan experiences has been announced. The event, dubbed “The Festival,” will take place at Hutton Brickyards in Kingston, New York, from Aug. 14-16. It is being produced by the company A Weekend in the Country, founded by entertainment attorney and executive Joshua Saltman.
“The Festival” has already announced a lineup of Main Stem talent, including Amber Ardolino, Julie Benko, Denée Benton, Tommy Bracco, Jason Robert Brown, Norbert Leo Butz, Jenn Colella, Tyler Joseph Ellis, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Mandy Gonzalez, James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Jackson, Tom Kitt, Casey Likes, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Eva Noblezada, Kelli O’Hara, Lauren Patten, Ben Levi Ross, Seth Rudetsky, Talia Suskauer, Adrienne Warren and Joy Woods as well as actor-influencer Cara Rose DiPietro. More names will be announced.
Additionally, the weekend will feature a piano bar (called Club Cumming on the Hudson), a dance party from Broadway Rave and theatrical costume contests. Each evening, “The Festival” will conclude with solo and ensemble performances of Broadway tunes, mashups and medleys. “The Festival” will be directed by Tony Award-winning choreographer and Tony-nominated director Jerry Mitchell alongside director D.B. Bonds. The pair have been longtime collaborators, with Bonds serving as associate director to director Mitchell on Broadway’s “Kinky Boots,” “Pretty Woman” and “Boop!”
Beyond the stage, “The Festival” will offer lessons, lectures, panels and masterclasses. Food and beverage will be provided by local Hudson Valley chefs and mixologists. There will also be a curated marketplace. Throughout the weekend, there will be events to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the nonprofit organization that assists those across the country in receiving lifesaving medications, health care, meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance.
