Virtual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature Broadway performances

The New York Times

Despite going virtual and crowd-free this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year's Macy's parade will include performances from the casts of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations -- all shows that haven't taken the stage since March. "Broadway may be dark for several months to come, but actors from four shuttered shows have been given the opportunity — a rare one during the coronavirus pandemic — to put on their costumes and perform. The venue: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade," reports The New York Times' Julia Jacobs. "The term parade is being used loosely this year. The helium-filled balloons and star-studded floats will not be traveling their typical jam-packed, two-and-a-half-mile route starting at West 77th Street. They will be gliding just one city block down 34th Street, near the flagship department store, and without an audience." Parade organizers say the performances will be pre-taped. "Given the virus, and the long layoff since March, the appearances are requiring rigorous rehearsals and meticulous planning to make sure that the entertainers are back on game and the performers and production team do not pose a health risk to one another," says Jacobs. Ain't Too Proud choreographer Sergio Trujillo adds that anyone involved in the performance receives coronavirus tests and temperature checks before convening, and everyone will wear masks on the set, though the performers will be able to remove them to sing.