'This Is Broadway' video welcomes back audiences

As six big musicals get set to return to Broadway between Thursday and Sept. 14, the Broadway League has put together a little showstopper of its own to welcome back audiences.

On Monday, the League launched a 2½-minute video called "This Is Broadway" on all the network morning shows, digitally featuring a voice-over by Oprah Winfrey as clips of 99 shows past and present are unreeled. The scenes are peppered with a who's who of 735 Broadway talents — including Angela Lansbury, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Denzel Washington and two of Long Island's own — Northport native Patti LuPone and Syosset-raised Idina Menzel. The video is part of a $1.5 million campaign by the Broadway League to encourage people from the East Coast to enjoy all that Broadway has to offer.

Though "Springsteen on Broadway" came back June 26 and the play "Pass Over" opened Aug. 22, Broadway reopens in earnest with the returns of "Hadestown" and "Waitress" on Thursday and the fab four of "Chicago," "Hamilton," "The Lion King" and "Wicked" on Sept. 14.

That sextet of musicals is featured in the video along with clips from other current hits like "Hamilton" as well as classics from "West Side Story" to "Rent." All of the archival Broadway footage was provided through a joint commitment of the various theatrical unions.

Snippets from the video will also be excerpted in digital ads ranging from 6 to 30 seconds long. Viewers will also be directed to thisisbroadway.org for more information on buying show tickets.