Thumbs Up! Darren Criss and His Electrifying Elsie Fest Are Exactly What Broadway Needs

Darren Criss is exactly what today’s Broadway needs.

The multimedia wonder kid—who became famous for a YouTube musical spoof of the Harry Potter franchise—is clearly the next generation of stage star. Musically talented, wildly passionate about theater and in touch with the uber-connected younger set of Broadway fans whose energy can fuel the kind of buzz that professional marketers couldn’t pay for. After a summer that found him fulfilling a fantasy by headlining Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Criss set his sights on giving theater kids like himself a super-hip outdoor festival that mirrored the kind of legendary day-long events enjoyed by music fans of just about every other genre.

The result—the seven-hour Elsie Fest that brought thousands to a pier under a gorgeous sky on the Manhattan’s west side on September 27—was an audacious, electrifying success. Perfectly “cast”—the day’s line-up read like a who’s who of Broadway.com traffic magnets—and beautifully executed, Elsie Fest was easily the coolest Broadway event of the year. Just taking stage stars Aaron Tveit, Laura Osnes, Leslie Odom Jr and Lea Salonga off the fancy stages of Broadway and the nightclub scene and into a real rock and roll venue with kick ass musicians to sing not only show tunes but also pop hits was a thrill to watch. The highlights were too numerous to name and the fans ate up every second.

During his killer set that closed the show—which offered not only Glee hits, but some sweet acoustic Broadway standards and a genius reunion with his Star Kid friends from Hogwarts—Criss promised to bring Elsie Fest back next year. For the sake of Broadway and the most passionate pack of fans we know, we’re gonna hold him to it.