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For three years now, the arrival of massive Broadway-themed snow globes smack-dab in the middle of Times Square has functioned as a sort of kick-off to the holiday season.
The project was first imagined by Times Square Alliance “as a celebration of Broadway design for live theater and to encourage people visiting the [area] to see a show while here,” explains TJ Witham, vice president of communications at the Time Square Alliance. Since then, the presentation has turned into a go-to destination as the weather turns colder, with Broadway aficionados pondering about which shows should get the snow globe treatment each year.
Found on the Broadway Plaza between 45 and 46th streets, this year's globes feature three of the most successful shows to ever grace the Theater District: Aladdin, Wicked and The Lion King.
What's fun about the annual exhibit of sorts is the story behind each globe, usually inspired both by its corresponding musical and the cultural events of the past year.
On that note, here is the story behind each one of this year's picks, which will be on display through December 26:
Aladdin
Specifically inspired by the iconic scene during which Aladdin first discovers the magic lamp, this globe also takes a key from Bob Crowley’s set design for the show. "From within the magic lamp, a Genie springs forth, offering our hero three wishes and a whole new world of glittering possibilities," reads an official press release. "Suddenly, Broadway’s Biggest Party is under way!"
The Lion King
No scene better encompasses the character and flair of The Lion King than the Circle of Life segment, when Rafiki introduces the kingdom to its future king while the sun is rising in the background. Rafiki himself is seen as a wax figure inside the globe, courtesy of Madame Tussauds, while the birds and giraffes surrounding him are mini replicas of the ones that appear in the Broadway show, which is, by the way, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Wicked
"Inspired by the bond between Wicked‘s two iconic witches, Elphaba and Glinda, this show globe features the Land of Oz skyline, striking clock gears motif and magnificent costumes from the musical’s Tony Award-winning scenic and costume designs,” the alliance says. How awesome!