Laura and Samara spend their days as non-profit unicorns and fill every spare minute exploring the world of musical theatre as BFFs (that’s Broadway Friends Forever). Follow @bffs613 on X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The neon lights are bright in Ottawa—and Broadway has made its mark in the nation’s capital! A few months ago, a theatre friend told us we had to go check out the monthly Broadway Nights at Red Bird Live. It combines Broadway-themed karaoke with an open mic, so we knew it was a must see. We’ve now been to the last two, and with its growing popularity and buzz throughout the theatre community and beyond, we wanted to find out more from the creator behind this idea—Emma Chin.
The BFFs sat down with her to discuss where this idea came from and what audiences can expect.
Tell us where the idea for Broadway Nights came from?
When I was living in Toronto pursuing a career in musical theatre, there was this amazing weekly event called Singular Sensation produced by the fabulous Jennifer Walls (who later became a mentor of mine), and her event is what Broadway Nights is based on. When I moved back to Ottawa during the pandemic, I so deeply missed the community I had found in the musical theatre world in Toronto, so I began thinking about what I could do to find or build something similar here. I decided to call up Jeni and ask her if I could put my own spin on what she’d done in Toronto and bring it to Ottawa. And now just six months in, it has totally blown past my wildest dreams for what this event could be and has gotten me thinking about so many more ways in which we could expand and build into this thriving community here in Ottawa!
Emma Chin of Broadway Nights at Red Bird Live speaking to the sold-out audience. Photo: Laura Gauthier.
For those who haven’t been before, what does Broadway Nights entail?
Broadway Nights is a musical theatre open mic/sing-along event with live musicians! You can sign up to sing any musical theatre song on the spot, accompanied by the unbelievably talented Wendy Berkelaar and Scott Latham. Many people also come just to enjoy the show and sing along from the audience. The whole room erupts with the background vocals for all the songs and the crowd gets super involved! That’s probably my favourite part, honestly. It just feels so magical to hear the whole room singing along! The crowd is also the MOST encouraging audience you are likely to encounter, cheering at the top of their lungs for each and every performer. That’s another thing that makes it so special—everyone is just SO supportive and I think people feel really safe on our stage—it’s an open space for anyone who loves theatre tunes and wants to live out their Broadway dreams, no matter your experience level with singing.
Performer Damien Broomes sings a song from Hamilton with the audience joining in. Photo: Emma Chin.
There has been a huge response so far! What do you think people are connecting with when it comes to this event?
This is a pretty niche event, but I think that’s part of why it’s been so popular. There isn’t a ton of opportunity for Canadian theatre performers in general; it’s a small industry and hard to break into. Whether you are involved in theatre as a career or a hobby, opportunities to actually do what we love in front of an audience are few and far between. It’s difficult to get cast in a show, and even then, you might get to perform once a year or so. Broadway Nights provides a place to regularly do what you love and live out your dreams in an accessible and supportive environment, and I think that’s part of what’s drawn theatre performers and theatre lovers alike. I also think a huge part of it has just been the community. You get to see your friends and have a drink and sing your favourite tunes—songs that only theatre lovers know! It’s just a super fun time and a place to connect with friends, new and old, who have similar interests.
The community at Broadway Nights is so supportive, warm and welcoming—how does it feel to see the community that this event has built?
It feels like magic. Genuinely, that’s the word that comes to mind every time I’m in that room. It’s just pure magic. I think everyone who frequents Broadway Nights just brings that in with them, honestly. From day one, it just felt like that. Everyone came in with open hearts and open arms, ready to mutually enjoy and celebrate this art form that we love. I’m so grateful for each and every person who has brought their heart and energy into these nights and shared their joy with everyone—that’s what makes the magic.
The lineup before doors even opened at the August Broadway Nights. Photo: Laura Gauthier
Tell us a little bit about what to expect for upcoming Broadway Nights in the fall?
Since our regular monthly events have been selling out in minutes, I wanted to put together a bigger event that would help facilitate all the amazing interest we’ve been getting, so we are throwing a huge Halloween Extravaganza at Overflow Brewing Company on Friday, October 13! This is going to be a super-sized version of Broadway Nights with tons of sing-alongs, Broadway-themed Halloween costumes, loot bags, tons of special guest performances, a bigger band, a bigger venue, local craft beer and so much more! Check out all the details and get your tickets (before they sell out!).
Broadway Nights takes place monthly at Red Bird Live and we recommend going to line up ahead of doors opening, as it reaches capacity quickly. More information and tickets are available for the Halloween Extravaganza (with more capacity) on Friday, October 13.
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