\u201c11 to Midnight\u201d.<\/a> This lively show unfolds over the course of an hour at a New Year\u2019s Eve apartment party, somehwre in New York. Here, the music is on full force and the room is algow.<\/p>\nGet ready to dance! The wildly popular dance duo Cost n\u2019 Mayor created this high-energy theatrical street-style dance party where it\u2019s all about the moves on the floor. <\/p>\n
Connor Leavitt, famous for his appearances on \u201cThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives\u201d and his weekly themed \u201cDancing with the Stars\u201d outfits, recently joined the cast and will stay on for three weeks as of May 8th. <\/p>\n
Where do you live in the city?<\/p>\n
We call the Upper West Side of Manhattan home and we LOVE IT!<\/p>\n
What is your favorite neighborhood in NYC and why?<\/p>\n
Mine is Central Park. I know technically it\u2019s not a neighborhood, but honestly it feels like it should be. Taking my kids there always feels special.<\/p>\n
Every time we go, it feels like we\u2019re discovering something new. Whether it\u2019s a caf\u00e9, playground, musician, or street performer, everything feels like a hidden treasure waiting to be found. The other day, we randomly stumbled onto the carousel and the kids acted like we\u2019d hit the jackpot.<\/p>\n
So no, Central Park may not officially be a neighborhood, but for my family, it\u2019s our favorite place in New York. Every visit feels like a little adventure.<\/p>\n
Can you share some of your favorite spots in the Theater District and what makes them so great?<\/p>\n
There are three spots that stand out most to me.<\/p>\n
First, Bryant Park. It feels like a playground for theater lovers. There are restaurants, bars, performances, gardens, and people gathering before and after shows. It\u2019s one of the best places to feel the pulse of the performing arts in New York.<\/p>\n
Second is Shubert Alley, especially at night. Between the lights, the Playbill signs, and the crowds gathering at stage doors, you can physically feel the excitement in the air.<\/p>\n
And lastly, honestly, stage doors themselves. Any stage door after a performance you loved.<\/p>\n
One of the things that makes live theater so special to me is that it\u2019s happening right there in front of you. You can see the sweat, emotion, and humanity of the performers in real time. Then afterward, you sometimes get the chance to meet the artists who just moved you emotionally for the last two hours. That connection feels incredibly unique.<\/p>\n
The best place for a pre- or post-theater meal and why? What are the dishes to order?<\/p>\n
I actually don\u2019t love eating before a show because I like saving room for a cheeky treat during intermission, but post-show is a completely different story.<\/p>\n
After a great performance, all I want to do is sit down with friends or family and talk about the show. So I love restaurants that encourage conversation while still carrying that Broadway atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Places like Joe Allen or Sardi’s are perfect for that. Sardi\u2019s has the legendary caricatures on the walls, while Joe Allen is lined with iconic theater posters. Both feel like extensions of the theater experience itself.<\/p>\n
Plus, the food is comfort food in the best way. I love the meatloaf at Joe Allen or a pasta at Sardi\u2019s after a show.<\/p>\n
Any insider tips for enjoying an Off-Broadway or Broadway show?<\/p>\n
Tip #1: Use the bathroom before the show. Those lines can get longer than the DMV.<\/p>\n
Tip #2: Shows can be expensive, so please be respectful of the performers and the people around you. Theater etiquette matters, and everyone deserves to have a great experience.<\/p>\n
Tip #3: Come open-minded and ready to share your enthusiasm with the performers. I\u2019ve seen \u201cChicago\u201d many times, and the performances where the audience was clapping and cheering always felt the most electric. When I asked performers about it, they told me they genuinely feed off the crowd\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t be afraid to show your excitement when appropriate. Chances are, the show will feel even better because of it.<\/p>\n
What is the New York City theater you love going to most and why?<\/p>\n
The Ambassador Theatre, home of \u201cChicago.\u201d<\/p>\n
That theater holds so much sentimental value for my family that it honestly feels like a second home. My wife\u2019s name is painted on those walls.<\/p>\n
On two-show days, I would bring our kids into the theater to have picnic lunches with Whitney between performances. We\u2019d explore backstage, wander through the front of house, and sit in different seats throughout the theater. Sometimes our kids would even put on mini performances of their own for us.<\/p>\n
Overall, the Ambassador is the place that gave Whitney the opportunity to showcase her talent, and it\u2019s where I watched her perform 21 times from seat D114. At this point, that seat strangely feels like mine.<\/p>\n
What other Off-Broadway or Broadway shows are on your radar right now?Off-Broadway:<\/p>\n
\u201c11 to Midnight.\u201d It\u2019s the best party in the East Village \u2014 arguably all of New York City if you ask me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMasquerade.\u201d My jaw was on the floor by the end of it. I actually cried. It\u2019s immersive, emotional, and visually stunning in a way that feels completely unique.<\/p>\n
Broadway:<\/p>\n
\u201cSchmigadoon!\u201d It feels very theater-coded in the best possible way. From everything I\u2019ve heard, it captures that big classic musical spirit while still being self-aware and hilarious.<\/p>\n
\u201cLost Boys.\u201d I\u2019ve heard it\u2019s a massive spectacle, and since I\u2019m a huge rock music fan, it immediately shot to the top of my list.<\/p>\n
My favorite moment in \u201c11 to Midnight\u201d is\u2026<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a scene where one of the characters, Lover Boy, dances with a broom.<\/p>\n
Tyson Hill, who plays Lover Boy, does an incredible job communicating longing, vulnerability, humor, and the desire for companionship entirely through choreography.<\/p>\n
That moment always sticks with me because it feels deeply human. We\u2019ve all had moments where we freely express ourselves when we think no one is watching, only to suddenly feel timid once we\u2019re seen.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s funny, emotional, relatable, and beautifully performed all at once.<\/p>\n
My biggest takeaway from \u201c11 to Midnight\u201d is\u2026<\/p>\n
Give yourself ambitious goals and be proud of what you\u2019re chasing.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the show, all of the characters are trying to come up with New Year\u2019s resolutions. Throughout the performance, we watch them slowly commit to those goals and become courageous enough to pursue them.<\/p>\n
My character\u2019s resolution is: \u201cQuest accepted. Become legendary.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a moment where I completely disappear into my imagination and go on this fantasy quest to slay a dragon. At the end of the scene, my friends basically look at me like, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
But instead of shrinking or feeling embarrassed, I own it.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s probably my biggest takeaway from the show: go after what you want and don\u2019t apologize for caring deeply about it.<\/p>\n
My biggest challenge as a performer is\u2026<\/p>\n
Stillness.<\/p>\n
It can be difficult for me to leave room for silence and stillness in a performance. I\u2019ve had to learn that audiences need space to think, feel, and absorb what\u2019s happening \u2014 and often that only happens in quieter moments.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a temptation to constantly move, speak, or fill every second in order to stay entertaining. But I\u2019ve realized that stillness gives meaning to movement. Silence can make a moment feel larger, more honest, and more emotionally impactful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Star Connor Leavitt Connor Leavitt It\u2019s the best kind of party there is: \u201c11 to Midnight\u201d. This lively…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":231848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[91049,91052,91050,4709,91053,9,11,10,91051,46171],"class_list":["post-231847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-nbsp","tag-11-to-midnight","tag-ambassador-theatre","tag-central-park","tag-connor-leavitt","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-whitney","tag-whitney-leavitt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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