Broadway in Worcester
{ Jenny Pacillo }
Seth Rudetsky and James Monroe Iglehart
Broadway in Worcester returns this fall with another powerhouse season, bringing three Tony Award–winning performers to the Jean McDonough Arts Center’s BrickBox Theater. Founder and producer Eric Butler continues to impress audiences with his incredible lineup.
“Broadway’s biggest celebrities performing in Worcester’s most intimate venue,” Butler says. “There are a handful of cities and series where Broadway stars (and their agents) look to perform. Worcester is quickly becoming one of the select few.”
Butler’s selections feel both strategic and personal. “I’m very fortunate to see many, many shows on Broadway and off-Broadway each year. I’m always on the lookout for talent—either new wave Broadway ‘legends’ or the up-and-comers,” he says. “I’ve had the great pleasure of working with artists who I’ve seen on Broadway a number of times and who I’m personally huge fans of. I’ve seen them all at their best and know they will land well in Worcester.”
A Season of Big Names in a Small Space
The new season opens on September 12th with James Monroe Iglehart, the charismatic Tony Award winner known for his high-energy turns in Aladdin, Hamilton, and Spamalot. He’ll be joined by Broadway mainstay Seth Rudetsky for a night of music, humor, and behind-the-scenes stories
. In December, Matt Doyle (Tony Award for Company) brings his holiday-themed concert Make the Season Bright to the BrickBox. Backed by Emmy and Grammy winner John McDaniel, Doyle’s program blends Broadway standards with seasonal favorites in a performance that’s equal parts festive and personal.
The season closes March 20 with Lindsay Mendez, a Tony Award winner for Carousel and a current star of Merrily We Roll Along. Known for her rich vocals and heartfelt storytelling, Mendez’s concert promises a mix of howstoppers and intimate ballads, offering a fitting finale for the series.
Why Worcester Works
The magic of Broadway in Worcester isn’t just the caliber of stars, it’s the experience. The Jean McDonough Arts Center’s BrickBox Theater creates an intimate atmosphere that allows the audience to connect with the performers in a way rarely possible in larger venues.
“The artists performing in our series have regularly sold out Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall! And in Worcester they agree to play an intimate 280-seat theater with seating wrapping around an intimate stage,” Butler explains. “It honestly feels like having some of the world’s biggest stars perform for you privately in your living room. The experience is up-close-personal. The material feels conversational and at times even confessional in a setting like this.”
That personal connection leaves a lasting impression on both artists and audiences. Tony winner Jessie Mueller called her BrickBox performance “an absolute joy,” adding that “the audience’s warmth and energy made it one of the most memorable nights of my career.”
Santino Fontana echoed that sentiment, “Performing in Worcester was such a unique and beautiful experience. The space is intimate, the crowd is incredible—you feel connected to every single person in the room.”
A Natural Home for LGBTQ+ Representation
Broadway in Worcester has also built a reputation for featuring artists who resonate deeply with the LGBTQ+ community, something that feels natural rather than forced.
“The Broadway community has always been known for its inclusivity,” Butler says. “There are so many stories where artists discovered theater and found their ‘home’—a chosen family where they have felt supported, valued, seen, and understood. The theater was a safe space for many before ‘safe spaces’ were a thing. And the LGBTQ+ community is just one of many who have found their place in the theater.”
Many of the series’ performers, like Matt Doyle and Lindsay Mendez, have been vocal advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. “It’s not uncommon that most, if not all, of the stars we’ve brought are very public champions and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and representation,” Butler says. “It really is a set of values that is embedded in this tight-knit community.”
That commitment isn’t just symbolic, it’s reflected on stage. Butler recalls Cheyenne Jackson’s deeply personal show Signs of Life, which included candid reflections on his queer identity. “Audiences were quite moved by Cheyenne’s stories,” Butler says. “While his storytelling was incredibly specific, audiences found universality in his experiences. Whether straight or queer, there was something for everyone in our audience to relate to. While the queer experience was explicitly represented in Cheyenne’s show, it was also a celebration of our shared humanity.”
Representation in the Spotlight and the Seats
Broadway in Worcester’s audiences have grown more diverse with each season, something Butler believes is essential to the series’ mission.
“Our audience, on a whole, definitely skews a bit younger than most theaters I’ve sat in,” he says. “These shows are just fun, memorable nights out. People come in groups of all kinds—friends, families, heterosexual couples, LGBTQ+ couples, etc. All are welcome at our events, but more importantly, I hope all feel welcome at our events.”
This year’s season reflects that diversity in the lineup itself. “James Monroe Iglehart is our first Black artist to perform in the series and Lindsay Mendez is our second Latina actress (Chita Rivera was our first) in the series. Matt Doyle is a member of the LGBTQ+ community,” says Butler.
The diversity in Broadway in Worcester’s performers“Around each concert, we offer free educational programs for any Worcester area student or arts educator. I can’t express how important it is for our students to see an element of themselves in the celebrity artists who teach in the series. Representation is essential. As we make sure the artists we work with represent the diversity of our community, there’s more opportunity to help our students work hard, dream big, and think ‘that could be me someday.’”
Worcester as a Creative Partner
Broadway in Worcester began in 2022, but it has quickly become a fixture in the city’s cultural renaissance. Butler sees the series as more than a run of concerts—it’s part of positioning Worcester as a true arts destination.
“As we try to build a first-rate New England city, it’s important that the caliber of talent performing in it matches the city we want to become,” he says.
Butler also emphasizes the unique way the city engages visiting performers. “The best way to help our artists get Worcester-specific is to embed them in our community before their concerts,” he says. “They get to know our students and teachers during a master class, Thomas Rothwell pampers them with a spa treatment, and we have lunch in the Canal District. Before they get in front of audiences they know and love Worcester—the connection falls into place after the perfect Worcester day.”
It’s this combination of world-class talent, community integration, and genuine connection that keeps performers coming back and recommending Worcester to their peers. “We’ve had artists go back to New York and LA and tell their friends, ‘You’ve gotta play Worcester,’” Butler says. “All of our artists are walking away feeling the love and generosity of our Worcester audiences. Because of the enthusiasm of our audience, our artists walk off the stage on cloud nine.”
More Than a Show
For Butler, the goal of Broadway in Worcester is all about connections. Whether between performer and audience, between professional artist and local student, and between Worcester and the larger Broadway world.
“Each show, each artist has provided unforgettable experiences for our audiences and students,” he says. “In an age with so many distractions—streaming services, smartphones with social media micro content at our fingertips 24/7—it’s so amazing to be at a Broadway in Worcester concert where the star and audience feel so present with each other.”
That presence is what turns a night at the theater into a shared moment of joy, something that feels particularly resonant in a community as diverse and engaged as Worcester’s.
Looking Ahead
With its 2025–26 season, Broadway in Worcester continues to carve out a distinctive niche: Broadway’s biggest celebrities, performing in Worcester’s most intimate venue, with the city’s most engaged audiences.
Tickets and subscriptions are now available at BroadwayInWorcester.com, but seats at the BrickBox go fast—especially when Carnegie Hall headliners are playing just a few feet away.
For Butler, the future is wide open. “Worcester is proving itself as a place where world-class talent wants to come,” he says. “The more we can connect artists to the city, the more we create moments of magic—for them and for us. And that’s what Broadway in Worcester is all about.”