BroadwayCon was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I feel so fortunate to have been able to a part of the premiere of the event! I had previously been to two Mischief Management events: LeakyCon 2014 and GeekyCon 2015– both in Orlando, Florida. They both had small Broadway influences throughout, including the Opening Ceremonies, the Market Place (in which nerdy merchandise is sold), the events, and the guests. However, BroadwayCon 2016 takes the cake for the best even yet! I may be a tad biased considering my overwhelming obsession with The Great White Way, but I know there are plenty of attendees who would happen to agree.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend a majority of the events on Friday, January 22nd, due to my class schedule and timing with transportation. On Saturday, January 23rd, however, I had quite a full day! A major part of my day consisted of autographs from some of the magnificent special guests attending the convention. I ended up getting autographs from Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Emily Skeggs, Lisa Kron, Jonathan Groff, Anthony Rapp, Tamika Lawrence, Jen Colella, and Ryann Redmond. It took quite a long time, but it was so worth it!
At Mischief Management events, there is a belief that no convention attendee should pay for either photos or autographs. Each attendee enters a lottery and is distributed the tickets they won. Attendees are there to connect to the Broadway community through events like panels. Convention attendee, Sam Levine, says “It’s really nice to have panels where you can connect to Broadway stars and have conversations with them and not feel like their on a different level.”
At 10 AM I’m outside of the Market Place, ticket in one hand, Fun Home t-shirt in the other. After an hour of sitting in the (front of the) line, we were marched to the back of the Market Place where the cast of Fun Home sat, smiling eagerly at the anxious fans around me. I was instructed to make my way towards them and begin the process. Each person was so friendly and took a second to chat with me. I was thanked by each of the guests as I walked by, getting compliments on the shirt I had purchased when I saw Fun Home this past Sunday.
Each of the autographs proceeded exactly like that. Jonathan Groff introduced himself (in the most adorable and humble manner) to every single person who visited him for a photo or autograph. Since he had one of the longest turn outs in the convention, it was pretty clear we all knew exactly who he was. However, basic manners didn’t escape this gentleman as he gave everyone a charming smile and his complete attention. (He also thought it was super neat I had brought my first edition copy of The Normal Heart for him to sign.)
Anthony Rapp was friendly as ever and seemed like a pro, signing my If/Then CD by opening the package and signing the lyric book inside. The few members of the original Broadway cast of If/Then I had met later that day had been super friendly and eager to begin the signing. Each star I’ve met has seemed completely down to Earth and quite genuine.
A few tips if you’re attending a Mischief Management event in the future:
1. Bring entertainment.
If you arrive quite early to get a good spot for a signing or photobooth, you might be sitting for awhile. And, if you’re like me, you’re trying to save your phone battery because it’s dying and you don’t have a break in your schedule until 2 AM. (Another tip, don’t do that to yourself because it’s so exhausting.)
2. Don’t be shy!
The environment of these conventions is so friendly, warm, and encouraging. There is a massive sense of community at every convention I’ve been to of theirs. People in line next to you will probably talk to you a bit. You might even want to be the one to start the conversation! Everyone is super friendly and they’re all there to make new, geeky friends! “The Broadway community has always been so friendly and BroadwayCon brings all of us together in the most positive environment.” said attendee Emily McNally.
3. Be prepared.
Being prepared means being early, having your ticket ready, having what you want autographed out, knowing what you’d like to say, and/or knowing how you’d like to pose for your picture. It will move quickly and you don’t want to be caught off guard!
4. Don’t be afraid.
These people are all there because they love their fans and they love interacting with them! They are all as excited as you are to be there, so don’t be afraid of the stars. I promise you, they’re all quite humble. So show off that cosplay of the character they played! Compliment them on their work! Let them know how much you appreciate them!
These are the best pieces of advice I could give to a first timer at a Mischief Management event. Thank you so much to Melissa Anelli, Anthony Rapp, and the rest of the creative team and staff for BroadwayCon for making this dream a reality! From one Broadway fan to another, thank you for not only giving us the convention we wanted, but the one we so desperately needed. As attendee Isaac Grivett said “it’s clear the creators put a lot of effort into the convention and making it accessible and everything a Broadway fan could ever want.”