‘The Struggles Were Real’: Actor Don Darryl Rivera On CBSN Documentary ‘Ghost Light: The Year Broadway Went Dark’

(CBS Local)– The past twelvemonth and a fractional has been 1 of the astir challenging times for Don Darryl Rivera and his family. The histrion and his woman are some performers connected Broadway and they weren’t capable to bash what they emotion oregon supply for their household done their enactment connected the signifier due to the fact that the pandemic unopen down Broadway. Rivera is 1 of the galore radical interviewed astir this clip successful a caller documentary CBSN called “Ghost Light: The Year Broadway Went Dark.”

The documentary shines a airy connected however Broadway’s workers kept anticipation live erstwhile their full manufacture went dark, however they adjusted and however excited they are for the instrumentality of their shows. CBS Local’s DJ Sixsmith spoke with Rivera astir the biggest challenges helium faced, his travel arsenic Iago successful the Broadway accumulation of “Aladdin” and however helium became a existent property cause during the pandemic.

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“Ghost Light: The Year Broadway Went Dark” streams connected CBSN Thursday, September 16 astatine 9pm EST/PST.

“Tuesday nighttime was the reopening of The Lion King and I got to beryllium successful the audience,” said Rivera. “It was incredibly magical. The vigor coming from New York City and the radical sitting successful the assemblage was incredible. I americium conscionable implicit the satellite and thrilled for me, my friends and my household to bring theatre backmost to the radical and bring Broadway backmost to New York City.”

Viewers of the documentary volition beryllium capable to perceive from actors, theatre workers, composers and producers who were each impacted by Broadway being unopen down. While Rivera was capable to pivot to existent property and supply for his household successful that way, the past twelvemonth and a fractional has been 1 of the astir hard times successful his life.

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“I’m the archetypal Iago successful Disney’s Aladdin, truthful I’ve been with the amusement since 2014 erstwhile we opened connected Broadway,” said Rivera. “This amusement has been a portion of my beingness for a agelong clip and to not person it, my beingness present connected the East Coast has virtually lone revolved astir the show. When we unopen down, it was devastating. I person a 5-year-old astatine location and my woman besides works connected Broadway and we weren’t utilized to putting our girl to slumber astatine night. The babysitter would travel and tuck her successful connected weeknights and play nights and each of the abrupt we had these metallic linings. The struggles were real. It was a truly unusual adjustment.”

Rivera says helium was initially counting the days helium was not connected signifier and not performing. He changed his mindset and focused connected the anticipation of returning to the signifier 1 day. The histrion volition get the accidental to bash that erstwhile “Aladdin” reopens connected Broadway aboriginal this month.

“People privation to spot Broadway and we are truthful bare to springiness it to them,” said Rivera. “That narration of having audiences and being capable to archer stories again, it made the anticipation 1000% real.”

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Download the CBS News app and ticker the documentary Thursday nighttime astatine 9pm EST/PST connected CBSN.