After completing her own parade obligations, Broadway actress Brittney Mack faithfully watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV while growing up in Chicago. Now she’s getting set to bundle up, take to the streets of Manhattan, and take part in her first big event.
Mack, who portrays one of Henry VIII’s wives in the hit musical “Six,” is set to perform a live mashup of some of the show’s songs in front of a televised audience of millions on Thursday.
She says, “I’ve got my long johns on and it’s going to be spectacular.” “At long last, I get to meet Snoopy.” To see the giant Snoopy balloon, honestly, that’s my dream.”
As the parade returns to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored across Manhattan and high-flying helium balloons once again pushed by handlers, astronaut Snoopy will hover overhead.
After surrendering to pandemic restrictions last year, the 95th annual march will return to form this year. It will include 15 enormous character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, over 800 clowns, 10 marching bands, and nine performance groups, as well as Santa Claus.
Ada Twist, Scientist, the pint-sized hero from “The Mandalorian,” and the Pokémon characters Pikachu and Eevee on a sled are among the new balloon giants joining the lineup.
Mack and her fellow cast members have studied new choreography, gone over the new music, and will rehearse on the street in front of the department store to make sure everything is in order. She’s graciously ordered handwarmers and footwarmers for her fellow “Six” performers, as the weather looks chilly. “I won’t be able to see it since I won’t be at home,” she explains, “but I believe the trade-off is quite excellent.”
Her grandma is filming the parade from Mississippi, while her mother and the rest of her family are watching from Chicago. Mack is used to performing in front of an audience, but this time is different.
“‘You know what?’ says the adult in me, who has worked so hard to get here. You’re going to be OK. You’re a part of it. “Get your act together,” she advises. “I suppose seeing Snoopy will make me feel better, so it’ll all work out.”
Broadway will be represented by the casts of “Chicago,” “Waitress,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” and “Wicked,” in addition to “Six.” The Rockettes, as well as the actors of the upcoming NBC live performance of “Annie,” will be in attendance.
Maya Bowles, who will be representing the Tony-winning “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” remembers cooking pound cake with her mother while watching the parade before gathering with her family at her grandmother’s house every Thanksgiving in Atlanta.
“It feels so amazing to be back after such a long time,” she expressed her delight. “So much has changed in such a short period of time. I find it strange not to be with them over the holidays, but I’m grateful to be doing what I’ll be doing.”
The New York Police Department has announced that it will block all vehicle entry points to the parade route with sand-filled garbage trucks, other heavy vehicles, and roughly 360,000 pounds of concrete obstacles, as it has in previous years. Thousands of officers, including counterterrorism squads, are assigned to the parade route. There were no specific, credible threats to the procession, according to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
New floats will be led by Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps from “Girls5eva,” as well as Nelly and Jordan Fisher, while Jon Batiste will be aboard an alligator-themed float showcasing Louisiana’s music, food, and culture.
Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland, Rob Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Foreigner, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Chris Lane, Miss America Camille Schrier, Muppets from “Sesame Street,” and the three past and current hosts of “Blue’s Clues” — Steve Burns, Donovan Patton, and Josh Dela Cruz — are among the other celebrities expected to attend.
“The Boss Baby,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Chase from “Paw Patrol,” the Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald, Red Titan from “Ryan’s World,” Papa Smurf, Sonic the Hedgehog, and SpongeBob SquarePants are among the returning balloons.
The Macy’s parade has long been a popular way to kick off the holiday season, with spectators frequently lining up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer on the parade’s 8,000 marchers, two dozen floats, entertainers, and marching bands.
Last year, the typical 2 1/2-mile path across congested Manhattan was abandoned in favor of concentrating celebrations on a one-block length of 34th Street in front of the retailer’s Manhattan flagship shop. To save down on travel, many of the parade’s performances were pre-taped, and the majority of the parade’s artists were local. Instead than being controlled by handlers, the balloons were connected to specialized vehicles.