"Listen" from Broadway Backwards 2024 featuring Jordan Fisher and John McGinty
Published 2024-03-15
Daniel Marmion and Morgana Shaw played McGinty’s parents. The number was written and directed by Broadway Backwards creator Robert Bartley.
A brilliant string of 11-o’clock numbers, standing ovations and LGBTQ+ joy reverberated through the historic walls at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre on March 11, 2024, when Tony Award winners, Broadway legends and newcomers alike spectacularly shared LGBTQ+ stories through show tunes at Broadway Backwards.
The show raised a record $917,651 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) in New York City. The one-night-only, annual event is produced by Broadway Cares.
The elevated evening of love, community and unparalleled performances is the only annual Broadway event custom-made for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. By taking familiar songs in the Broadway canon and transforming them into queer anthems, lighthearted romps and emotional ballads, Broadway Backwards tells stories that deserve to be told onstage.
“Listen”
By Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Samantha Worley and Anne Preven from Dreamgirls (2006 film)
Costume Design by Nicole Zausmer
Music Direction, Arranged, Orchestrated and Conducted by Nicholas Connors
Director of Artistic Sign Language: Christopher Tester
Broadway Backwards
Directed, Written and Choreographed by Robert Bartley.
Producers: Jeff Brancato, Scott T. Stevens and Danny Whitman
Music Supervisors: Ted Arthur and Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Music Director: Michael Gacetta
Associate Music Directors: Nicholas Connors and Nick Wilders
Choreographers and Associate Directors: Skye Mattox and Adam Roberts
Production Stage Manager: E Sara Barnes
Casting Consultants: Mark Brandon, CSA, and Jarrett Reiche from Casting by ARC
Lighting Design: Carolyn Wong
Sound Design: Maria Renee Foucher
Prop Design: Jenna Snyder and Alexander Wylie
Costume Designers: Kitty Cassetti, Jess Gersz, Vanessa Leuck, Natalie Loveland, Tyler Carlton Williams and Nicole Zausmer
Hair Design: Ian Joseph
Makeup Design: Megan Burke
All Comments (21)
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THIS is what theater can be. So vulnerable, so honest, so moving!
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I already know this is going to go down in history as one of the best performances to ever come out of Broadway Backwards
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This is the most magnificent thing I have seen in a very long time. I'm a gay man, Dreamgirls is my favorite musical, I teach beginning ASL classes at a local LGBTQ Center...my god, this just speaks to me on SO many levels! May innumerable blessings forever be upon all those who put this together!!!
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This is so powerful. I was surprised to learn that 70% of parents of who have deaf children never learn ASL.
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This is so incredibly powerful. I am almost 60. I have been screaming this for decades and still, no one listens. I am crying alone now, with a mixture of decades-long bottled -up pain and intense gratitude that someone out there understands so very deeply and has translated those feelings into incredibly beautiful and pougnat art. Just incredible. Prayers.
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WOW! Just...WOW! I'm sobbing. This interpretation takes this song to a whole new level. It's why I love theater so much. Bravo!
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WHAT A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS, JORDAN AND JOHN!!! ✨✨✨
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John McGinty. Jordan Fisher. I'm going to remember those names. And I'll never forget this performance.
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As a gay, theatre dude who is hard of hearing. I love this so much. ❤️🩹
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I was a deaf teacher in teacher for 10 years, and interprerter in Italy - interpreted for the deaf in several concerts and I am sure the work they put in was more than just learning how to sign and being in sync but find soul and meaning to both of them for that song to come out the way it did. what a spectacular performance.
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You betta sing Jordan Fisher. Amazing performances by all. 💓
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I was lucky enough to be there and experience this live. It was brilliant. What this clip doesn't show is that after they did a group bow at the end, they stepped back as the curtain began to come done and went into a group hug, knowing they had hit it out of the park.
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Gosh, we're lucky to be alive at the same time as Jordan Fisher.
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jordan always singing the house down😭😭😭
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This is it. This is everything we need in theatre. Thank you to everyone who had a part in creating this.
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Wow. This is what I love of about theater and true caring. The blend of ASL and spoken word is so powerful. Thank you for this beautiful testament. Even if you have ears to hear you may not hear and even if you have eyes to see you may not see.
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i desprately need this number to be turned into a full musical
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God damn….. this was so beautiful. As someone who uses ASL as a first language I can sincerely appreciate how well this song was translated into ASL. The translation was beautiful.
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When someone tells you from the bottom of their heart what they need, people should listen. No waiting, no j7dging, no patronizing. Just listen and get out of the way. Prayers.
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Stunning. This was amazing on every level. What a fantastic choice and subject material pairing. I don't think I've ever seen a Backwards piece that was recontextualized like this into something entirely new and not just gender or age reversed. Brilliance.
