New 42 Studios is also a meaningful place for Groff. From his 2005 Broadway debut, in the musical In My Life, and his breakout role in the 2006 rock musical Spring Awakening to his comedic portrayal of King George III in Hamilton and his Tony-winning performance in Merrily We Roll Along, “I’ve pretty much rehearsed every Broadway show that I’ve ever done here,” he told Vogue. “It’s really special to get off the subway today and walk over to this event and be in this building. I felt the butterflies from 21 years ago again inside of me. It’s the feeling of being painfully excited, and that’s what I remember as I walked up into this space today.”
Groff also knows firsthand why being exposed to arts early on is important: He remembered his parents letting him dress up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz at age four and putting on a production with his brother and friends at his dad’s horse farm. “That creativity and the ability to express yourself, especially when you’re a young kid, is everything,” he said. “Putting on plays as a kid, those are the most fond memories that I have, and it’s the way we learn how to communicate with each other, collaborate with each other, and express our emotions. So, the more theater is available to people, especially at a young age, it’s essential. I found something that I was actually passionate about early on, and it changed the whole course of my life.”
Longtime stage actor Claybourne Elder—recently seen as John Adams in The Gilded Age—recalled a “horrible” audition experience at New 42 Studios when he tried out for a part in The Last Ship, a musical created by Sting. “I dropped something and while picking it up, I hit the back of my head on a desk. Sting was there, and I was like, I’m not going to get this job,” Elder said, laughing, during a red carpet interview. “That’s one of the worst I’ve had in this building. I was just embarrassed!”
The festivities officially began with a parade of Broadway community members streaming into the third-floor studio of the New 42 building for cocktails. Cynthia Nixon, another member of the New 42 Artist Council, caught up with her Gilded Age costars Elder and Celia Keenan-Bolger. Nearby, Parker shared big laughs with Marc Shaiman, the composer for the musical Hairspray, and lyricist Scott Wittman, while Groff mingled with Bee Carrozzini near the bar. Soon, Erik Bottcher, a New York City Council Member representing the Times Square neighborhood, announced that the city is investing millions of dollars into New 42 and other studios.
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