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Theater fans gear up for first-ever fan fest, BroadwayCon
By Mark Kennedy
Associated Press

If you’re in midtown Manhattan late next month and see women in green makeup or folks strutting around in Colonial outfits, fear not. They’re attending the inaugural fan convention for Broadway.

The three-day BroadwayCon — sort of like a Comic Con for thespians — promises to connect theater fans with stage stars, but also wants them to leave with more than an autograph.

There will be meet-ups for fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim and one for theater fans who have tattoos. There will be panels about sound and costume design. ‘‘Cosplay With the Pros’’ will features tips from Broadway costumers.

The casts of ‘‘Rent,’’ ‘’Fun Home,’’ and ‘‘Hamilton’’ will talk about their shows. There will be a seminar on producing and plenty of master classes led by veterans. There will be singalongs, a game show, and a cabaret.

The event was conceived by Melissa Anelli and Stephanie Dornhelm, who cofounded and lead GeekyCon, and the original ‘‘Rent’’ star Anthony Rapp. It will be held Jan. 22-24 at the New York Hilton Midtown.

Although the Broadway community does have gatherings throughout the year — benefit shows, a flea market, and fund-raising concerts — it hasn’t had a full-on convention until now.

Enter the masterminds of GeekyCon, which grew from a love of Harry Potter to one of the largest and most recognized conventions for fans of fantasy films, television shows, and young adult books.

‘‘I think and I hope it’s going to help people really understand why fandom and passion is so powerful,’’ said Anelli. ‘‘Passion has been nothing but amazing in our world, so I’m excited for the Broadway world to discover it.’’

The BroadwayCon lineup is constantly being updated, but some of the stars slated to appear include Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of ‘‘Hamilton,’’ Jeremy Jordan, Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, James Monroe Iglehart, Billy Porter, Melissa Errico, Gavin Creel, Seth Rudetsky, Kerry Butler, and Christian Borle and Brian d’Arcy James from ‘‘Something Rotten!’’

Anelli, who was such a passionate fan of ‘‘Rent’’ that she slept outside its Broadway home at age 16 and eventually befriended Rapp, said BroadwayCon will attract at least two large groups of fans.

‘‘One is the one who heard the word BroadwayCon and said, ‘Move all of my cast albums out of the way so I can get to my computer to buy a ticket,’ ’’ she said.

Tickets start at $50 and go up to a general pass with full access to everything on offer for $250. Ten percent of all profits go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

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