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New York City Experienced A Massive Blackout, So Broadway Stars Took To The Streets

A New York City blackout stretching from Times Square to the Upper West Side wasn’t enough to keep some of Broadway’s biggest stars from going on stage Saturday night.

Except in this case, the stage was replaced by the actual streets of NYC, where thespians from musicals like Hamilton, Rock of Ages and Waitress put on a show despite most theaters canceling their evening performances.

The blackout began at 6:47 p.m. EST Saturday, according to CNN, when the first of many transformer fires broke out at West 64th Street and West End Avenue in Manhattan.

Ticketholders gathered outside Broadway theater entrances were greeted with news both good and bad when company members announced their respective cancellations — with a twist.

To kick things off, Tony winner André De Shields (who plays Hermes in Hadestown) performed a blackout-themed version of “Road to Hell,” the show’s opening number:

The cast and band of Come From Away treated fans to a high-energy rendition of “Welcome to the Rock”:

Meanwhile, the stars of Hamilton sang to the crowd gathered below them at Rodgers Theater:

The Waitress cast didn’t disappoint, either:

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Of course, nothing could stop the Rock of Ages company from rocking the streets outside off-Broadway’s New World Stages:

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Frozen on Broadway stars Bobby Creighton and Patti Murin dropped a freestyle rap to announce their show’s cancellation:

Even the Carnegie Hall choir got into the spirit with an impromptu outdoor concert:

Elsewhere, New Yorkers took it upon themselves to direct traffic at busy intersections in hopes of keeping drivers and pedestrians safe amid non-working traffic lights.

The literal party in the streets exemplified the enduring spirit of what’s often called the greatest city in the world.

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The power outage hit parts of Manhattan on the 42nd anniversary of The Great Blackout of 1977 that resulted in widespread looting, fires, and thousands of arrests and injuries across the city. This time, New York authorities said there were “no reports of fatalities or injuries,” according to USA Today.

Kelli Pate