Tours of Cinderella, Kinky Boots, If/Then, The Wizard Of Oz, Cabaret and The Sound of Music will be featured in the series, which provides "behind-the-scenes access and interviews highlighting shows featured on Broadway Across America’s 2015-2016 Broadway series nationwide."
"I’m so proud to be a part of the Broadway community and it’s really rewarding to know that the True Colors Fund and Kinky Boots’ ‘Raise You Up’ community program is being supported by 'The Balancing Act' on Lifetime with a national spotlight in an upcoming ‘Broadway Balances America’ segment,” said Kinky Boots' Tony-winning composer Cyndi Lauper in a statement. “It means everything to me that we are giving LGBT youth and their allies a chance to experience Broadway and learn about careers in the theatre from the folks who make the magic happen. This program came about because we wanted to take the message of our show to heart, ‘just be who you want to be’ by introducing opportunities in the theatre that kids might not even know exist. It’s been a huge success in New York and across the country and I applaud 'The Balancing Act' and Lifetime for their support.”
Details about each of the segments, according to Lifetime, follow:
"The Balancing Act" correspondent Amber Milt takes viewers to Cleveland to see how the talented leading actress on the national tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella navigates the demands of her life on stage and off, raising her son on the road and performing eight times per week. Viewers will also meet her leading co-star who recently found his own “fairytale ending.”
Amber hits the boards on Broadway for a unique look backstage at Kinky Boots with an exciting interview with pop sensation Cyndi Lauper (music and lyrics) where they discuss the creation of the Tony-Award winning musical and its huge popularity with all types of audiences. Viewers also get the chance to see how the show gives back to the community by participating in events like the True Colors Fund’s “Raise You Up!” day in New York and on the road. The recent musical If/Then follows two distinct parallel paths in the life of Elizabeth, the leading character, and illustrates how fate plays a role in our own lives. As rehearsals begin in New York for the national tour, the creative team talks about the inspiration behind this new production.
Viewers will go behind the scenes at The Wizard of Oz – an adaptation of the classic, reconceived for the stage featuring new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Amber explores the show’s costume shop in Baltimore, MD, and meets the young woman who will be touring the country as “Dorothy” as she’s fitted for her costumes, and Amber also surprises viewers in a costume of her own.
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, with book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, is the series’ fifth segment, which explores recreating a classic for a new national audience. Three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O’Brien says, “We plan to look more closely at this remarkable work – to tear off the varnish of the past and reveal one of the great, fresh glories of musical theater.”
As part of their 50th Anniversary season, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony-winning production of Cabaret closes the series with a look at the Kit Kat Girls – the women of Cabaret’s nightclub who sing, dance, act, AND play instruments. Amber will become an honorary Kit Kat Girl as she meets the actors playing these tough-as-nails nightclub performers, all of whom know what it takes to balance their rigorous production schedule while keeping healthy and fit on the road.
For more information visit Broadwaybalancesamerica.com.
