NY Press interviews Ryan (BREAK OUT’s producer)
Breaking Out! Guerilla Musical Numbers Take Manhattan
In Section: NY comPRESSed »Posted By: Will Alden
Ryan Mackey had a dream, and today it’s coming true. His theater group, Break Out in Song, is staging its first performance, a large-scale pseudo-spontaneous dance number at Time Warner Center. Think of it as street performance with Broadway choreographers, hours of rehearsal and hundreds of dancers. Bring your friends, but don’t tell them what’s going on—Mackey wants them to be surprised. New York Press spoke with Mackey to get the secret scoop on the biggest, happiest and weirdest musical theater event of the summer.
You’re the creator of Break Out in Song. Where did the idea come from?
Maybe you’ve seen the “Sound of Music” video that’s on YouTube, with 200 dancers in a train station in Antwerp, Belgium. It’s a promotional stunt for a reality TV show. I’ve always wanted to have spontaneous musical theater happen but I didn’t know what to do with it. I saw that video and went, Oh my God, that’s what I could do.
That video is from March. Break Out in Song must be pretty new.
Yeah. Literally I’ve thrown everything together in about two-and-a-half or three months. We’re launching it Thursday. Nothing like this has been done in the city.
You organized several large-scale theatrical performances in public spaces. How?
I looked for iconic Broadway songs that most people would know or would have heard. Then I reached out to a lot of people I knew from working in the business. I only got one response. And then it sort of snowballed, all because of that one person—Jessica Hartman, a choreographer. I got all these choreographers giving me their names. And while I was trying to get the rights to the music, I ended up approaching a lot of venues—iconic locations in New York City. Big areas with open space. The first place I went was Time Warner Center, and they jumped on it. I was really surprised. It was one of those things where they were like, “Please, yes, come here, we want this so badly.” Then I went to South Street Seaport and then the Intrepid Battleship Museum. And finally, Times Square.
Are you making money from this at all?
No, no. I cashed in my 401(k). My partner and I had a house fund that we tapped into because the donations weren’t coming in as much as we wanted. But we’re pretty much on budget. If a dream of mine is about to come true, it’s worth investing my own money for it. I just can’t believe that somebody else likes my idea.
You’ve called the performances “spontaneous.” Does that word really describe what you do?
Well, they are rehearsed. And on our website we are announcing where and when the performances are happening, because we want people to go. But at the same time we want people to be surprised. We want it to feel spontaneous, like in a musical. Not everybody reads the newspaper—that’s the audience we’re looking for.
How do you recruit performers?
We had an open call. People we were so nervous—it was sweet. We told them it’s not about how good you are, it’s about having fun. We just need to assess your dancing ability so we know where to place you. If you show up, you’re going to get cast.
Do you expect passersby to join in?
I hope so. It’s up to them. More than anything I just want to see their reactions.
Do the sites correspond at all to the numbers performed there?
Yeah. For the Intrepid, “Anything Goes” takes place on a cruise ship. And then the number from Sweet Charity, which we’re doing at the Time Warner Center, takes place in a dance hall that’s like a palace. The Time Warner Center is very shiny and big, kind of like a palace.
What are you hoping to accomplish?
I want to inspire audiences to go see a show. There’s nothing like a Broadway musical. It’s one of those art forms you either love or hate, but when it’s done well, people really eat it up. I’ve been in love with musicals since I was seven years old. I would love to inspire another seven-year-old. Really we just want to make people smile, make people happy. There’s something universal about music itself. Everyone has a song in their heart, and this is a way to let it out.
Break Out in Song’s first performance is Thursday at 6 at the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Cir. (at Broadway). The performances continue for three more days, at various public spaces around the city. The full schedule is online, at breakoutinsong.com.
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