U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) has joined the lineup for the Curtain Up! kick-off ceremony September 17 in Times Square. As previously announced, the festivities begin at noon ET in Duffy Square (7th Avenue and 47th Street), beginning a three-day, star-studded weekend festival celebrating the return of Broadway.

Hosting the event will be upcoming costars of Broadway's Chicken & Biscuits: Norm Lewis and Michael Urie. Joining them are New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Anne Del Castillo, Playbill Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Alex Birsh, The Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin, Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris, Chair of The Broadway League Lauren Reid, and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vikki Been.

The event is also slated to include special performances by Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me, Kate) and Broadway favorite Jessica Vosk (Wicked) with music direction by John McDaniel (Bonnie and Clyde).

Schumer has long been a supporter of Broadway and the arts in general. During the theatre shutdown, the senator championed several pieces of legislation, including the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program and the Save Our Stages Act.

The kick-off event, as well as all Curtain Up! mainstage events, will also be available to stream live at Playbill.com/CurtainUp.

Curtain Up! is produced by Playbill in partnership with The Broadway League, the Times Square Alliance, and presented by title sponsor Prudential; sponsored in part by Lexus, Netflix, and United Airlines; and with additional support from Audible. Live music is provided by Music Performance Trust Fund. Additional support for Curtain Up! is provided by the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.