Lea Michele, Alan Cumming, Darren Criss to headline 2017's Elsie Fest
Over the weekend, Darren Criss made us all very emotional with a YouTube video of him singing a acoustic version of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. He also snuck in the announcement for Elsie Fest 2017, his annual one-day musical festival that features Hollywood and Broadway stars.
Criss’ Glee costar and Spring Awakening alumna Lea Michele and Tony winner Alan Cumming will join him in headlining the festival on Sunday, Oct. 8 in New York City, it was announced Tuesday. The event also features singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, who will end her run in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 on Aug. 13, as well as Broadway veteran Norm Lewis (Sweeney Todd).
“Being a ‘musical theater fan’ has never been just about loving musical theater,” says Criss, who co-founded Elsie Fest. “It’s about loving the things in pop culture that inspire it; from the actors, recording artists and personalities, to the songs — which not only include Broadway and Great American songbook classics, but hits from film, TV, radio and the internet. Elsie Fest brings all of that together in one place. It’s a pop culture cabaret.”
This year, the festival will be hosted by Z100’s Elvis Duran, and changes locations to the Central Park SummerStage. Learn more about the event and buy tickets here.
At last year’s Elsie Fest, Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) rocked the Coney Island Boardwalk with her rendition of “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen (which you can watch above). Other past performers include Tituss Burgess, Aaron Tveit, Leslie Odom Jr., Lea Salonga, and Megan Hilty.
