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Broadway at the Beach Blog

February 2017

Sweet Sixteen: KidzTime Festival

Posted in Broadway at the Beach, Special Events

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity." ~Kay Redfield Jamison

Ahh… to be young again. We've all said it and in the midst of our daily responsibility routine of going to meetings, grocery shopping, carpooling, tee ball game attending and homework helping, we mean it! We long for the days of being a carefree kid again. However, on Saturday, February 25th, you and your little one can enjoy a day of kid friendly fun including live entertainment, interactive games and more at the 16th Annual KidzTime Festival at Broadway.

From feeding goats and llamas, to riding ponies and a train to jumping in bounce houses, your little one can run, jump and play from 11am-4pm.

Spinning his way into the festival tent from 11am -3:30pm is Marvel Comics Superhero Spiderman. His thrilling special visit will give kids an opportunity to get up close and personal with the comic book and movie hero. Outside the tent, community heroes from the Myrtle Beach Fire Department and the Myrtle Beach Police Department will allow your little one to experience what it's like to get behind the wheel of a fire truck and patrol car!

Before and after getting a picture with Spiderman and our community heroes, children can participate in a variety of kid-friendly games and interactive activities. A stage inside a large, circus-style tent will be the place to see live performances provided by Broadway at the Beach and WBTW featured emcee, Matt Gittins, including the NOIZ drumline from Christ United, Carolina Vocals, martial arts and gymnastic displays and even a knighting by Medieval Times!

New this year, we're giving away prizes every half hour beginning at noon with our Grand Prize featuring tickets to Legends in Concert, Myrtle Waves Water Park, WonderWorks and more! Just make sure you visit the Broadway at the Beach booth to be entered for your chance to win!

So bring the family and we'll supply the fun at the 16th Annual KidzTime Festival located in parking lot 17, next to Pavilion Park West and WonderWorks, on the 21st Avenue North side of the property.

See you there!

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Happy Valentine’s Day: 10 Things We Love About Broadway

Roses are Red. Violets are Blue.

You love Broadway at the Beach & We love you too!

Okay, so our poem producing skills could use some work; but on this day of love and affection, we're counting down the reasons why we love Broadway at the Beach!

10.) Home is where the heart is… in Myrtle Beach.

Whether you're a native of its sandy shores or a transplant from across the country or an annual visitor on vacation; Myrtle Beach is a place where memories are made in the sand, sun and with a hint of summer that can be enjoyed all year round. From the northern end of Little River to the southern end of Georgetown, Broadway at the Beach sits in the middle of the Grand Strand in the heart of Myrtle Beach and there's no other place we'd rather be!

9.) We love to light up the sky!

Regardless if you're a kid, a kid at heart or you've got a kid on top of your shoulders, there's just something special about taking in a fireworks show with the ones you love. Broadway at the Beach celebrates holidays and summer nights with our annual Fireworks Extravaganzas, weather permitting of course!

8.) For the love of snacks!

This will be the first of two appearances of food on our list of love because, well... we're foodies! When we're out and about at Broadway and not ready to head into one of the many restaurants, we love to satisfy our sweet and savory tooth cravings with a variety of snacks offered at every corner of Broadway at the Beach. In the summer, the flavorful fragrance of freshly popped popcorn from a kiosk fills the air and cold snow cones cool us down in the heat. All year round, the aroma of freshly made pralines from River Street Sweets and fine fudge from The Fudgery and Kilwins persuades us to purchase or at least sample every visit!

7.) Sweet souvenirs of your southern escape

Taking a piece of Broadway at the Beach with you is always a must-do when you visit! It's the Broadway at the Beach magnet on your fridge that reminds you of the tasty time spent walking around with a waffle cone of Ben & Jerry's or Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream. It's the Myrtle Beach hoodie from Vintage House that you bundle yourself up with in the cold. It's the pictures taken with the mermaids of Ripley's Aquarium that are framed forever in your hallway. We love that our souvenirs serve as a glimpse back to the annual vacation or weekends walking, shopping and eating at Broadway during those hectic every day schedules.

6.) Events for Everyone

Just when you think Broadway at the Beach couldn't get any better with our abundance of shops, restaurants and attractions, Broadway's Calendar of Events continues to fill up with events we love! From the annual KidzTime Festival to A Very Broadway Christmas, to walks to remember to car shows to food festivals and more; Broadway at the Beach is the home of special events, entertainers and festivals all throughout the year!

5.) We love to Dance!

Grab your dancing shoes and step on the dance floor! Whether you're dancing the night away to your favorite tunes at Club Oz, Senor Frog or you're testing your Salsa skills at Hard Rock Café, or you are line dancing with the wait staff at Johnny Rockets, Broadway offers plenty of options for you to get your boogie on!

4.) Our Legendary Loves of Hollywood

The music lover in all of us can take a trip down memory lane when we have a meal among authentic Hollywood memorabilia of Hard Rock Café and see the tribute artist stars of yesteryear and chart toppers of today take the stage at Legends in Concert. Broadway isn't just a place for retro revelers, we love catching the latest flicks and blockbusters from a seat in Broadway 17 and the Big D!

3.) Our love for Broadway is as deep as the ocean and out of this world!

Not only can we shop, eat and be entertained at Broadway; but we love how we can have an out of this world experience at Broadway and beyond without leaving Celebrity Circle! From seeing sharks to being able to touch sting rays at Ripley's Aquarium to challenging yourself to stand up against hurricane force winds and piloting a fighter jet at WonderWorks, our capabilities are endless. Let's not forget that we can putt into another world while experiencing Dragon's Lair Fantasy Golf and listening to the tales of Sir Alfred the dragon!

2.) Endless love for shopping

You know our love to shop was near the top of our list of love! From designer eyewear at Sunglass Hut to the exquisite Pandora Jewelry line at The Mole Hole and Alex & Ani of Gemini Boutique to fashion finds of Bijuju and holistic essentials of Earthbound Trading Co., shoppers can shop 'til they drop all day long at Broadway at the Beach. Since it's Valentine's Day, don't forget, our retail shops are open until 6pm for you late love procrastinators!

1.) Eat, drink & be in love with Broadway at the Beach

You could probably guess our love of food was going to claim the #1 spot of our top 10 loves of Broadway! But it's more than just the sitting down and eating; it's the classic All-American burgers and milkshakes of Johnny Rockets before watching the 4th of July fireworks. It's the drinking of carefully crafted beer of American Tap House and Liberty Brewery & Grill while cheering on our favorite team in the playoffs. It's teaching our young ones how to crack their first crab leg at Joe's Crab Shack and Landry's Seafood. It's the happy hour sushi specials at King Kong Sushi with a group of coworkers to discuss the latest news (or gossip) at the office. It's the coastal tastes of California at Extreme Pizza and the Boston flare of Wahlburgers. It's the hibachi chef at Yamato's Japanese Grill that makes us laugh while watching our spouse try to catch a shrimp with their mouth. It's the first sip of a sweet Margarita while listening to the sounds of Jimmy Buffet at Margaritavillle that can take you back to summer during the winter months or cools us down in the midst of the summer heat.

The list goes on and so does our love of all things Broadway at the Beach. However, our list wouldn't be complete without our most important love of our all, our visitors. From seeing your memories being made with young ones enjoying the summer at Pavilion Park; to young and old loves walking hand in hand across the Center Bridge; to a group celebrating the upcoming nuptials with a Bachelorette and/or Bachelor party at Crocodile Rocks; to little leaguers celebrating a win in Myrtle Beach at their favorite burger place; to seeing your #BroadwayAtTheBeach pictures through social media, you make Broadway at the Beach what it is, the place where memories last forever and this Valentine's Day that's what we are celebrating with love!

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She’s A Little Bit Country & A Whole Bunch Of Rock n’ Roll: Meet Retro Active’s Amy Leonard

Posted in Broadway at the Beach, Featured Posts

It was January 1st, 2005 when Amy Leonard was let go from her job in the restaurant industry. The day that many were starting their New Year resolutions and new beginnings, the New York native was faced with a crossroads of unemployment or pursuing her passion and making her dream a reality. More than 12 years later, Amy is the owner of Retro Active at Broadway at the Beach; the shop for rock fans of yesteryear and consumers of classic movie and television memorabilia.

Check out our Q & A with Amy:

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from originally? How long have you been in Myrtle Beach?

"I am from Skaneateles, New York, a little Finger lakes town in upstate NY, near Syracuse. I went to college in Rochester, NY and from there moved to Virginia Beach. I moved to MB in July of 2004."

2.) We know women don't typically like to tell their age, but what decade of rock were you born in?

"Let's just say that I was on high school in the 80s!"

3.) What is your favorite genre of music and why?

"Can't really say that I have a favorite genre, I obviously have a great fondness for the "glam" or "hair" bands from the 80s. But I am also a big fan of the pop music that came from the 80s too. Duran Duran, Adam Ant, journey etc."

4.) List your top 5 favorite artists if all time:

"Journey, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Prince, The J Geils Band. My first concert was July 25, 1981: Headeast, Good Rats and Todd Hobin. My first big concert was Journey with Steve Perry on the Escape tour October 9, 1981 at the Syracuse Carrier Dome and the ticket cost $9.50!!"

5.) List your top 5 favorite songs of all time:

"New York Groove- Ace Frehley, Godzilla- Blue Oyster Cult, Dixie Highway- Journey, Fantasy- Aldo Nova, Lunatic Fringe- Red Rider"

6.) How many concerts have you been to? Name some of your favorites:

"I have every ticket stub from every concert that I have been to (that still had actual tickets). So I have tickets for about 350 concerts. But that doesn't really cover how many bands I have seen. Festivals really changed the game for me.
I did Rocklahoma in 2007, 2008 and 2009, Rock in America in 2010, The M3 Rock Festival from 2010 -2017, Farm Rock Nashville in 2016, Monsters of Rock cruises 2012-2017, the one next week will be my 7th MOR cruise. All of these feature anywhere from 20-40 bands over the course of 2-5 days. Favorite would be: Journey back in 1981, Prince on the Purple Rain tour, The J Geils Band, Zebra, Motley Crue on the Shout at The Devil Tour, Adam Ant, and Billy Idol."

7.) Tell us a little bit about the history of Retro Active:

"The idea of the store began forming back in 2004 when Motley Crue reunited and went on tour. I wished that I still had all the shirts I had bought at the shows back in the 80s (and paid $8-$10 for!!). I began looking around for stores to buy a Motley Crue shirt...there just weren't any. From music shirts, we expanded on the idea to include all those cool things we had in the 80s, along with the TV shows and the awesome movies. On January 1, 2005, I got laid off from the job I moved here for and decided that now was the perfect time to make the dream a reality. We opened May 2, 2005. Retro Active celebrated 12 years at Broadway, last May and I have just signed a new lease for 7 more years."

8.) If you could meet any artist from past or present, who would it be?

"Through the store, I have met so many very cool people. I would have said Steve Perry from Journey, but since he actually came in to the store back in 2007 and I got to meet him, I would have to say I would have loved to have met Prince.

We have had at the store Steven Adler from Guns N Roses, John Corabi from Motley Crue, Mili Matijevic from Steelheart, Faster Pussycat, La Guns with Tracii Guns, and Bang Tango. We have done book signings with Lydia Criss, Bobby Blotzer from Ratt and a huge one with Eddie Trunk. We also and Jim Florentine from That Metal Show and he is a standup comedian.
Alice Cooper and his band just wandered in while they were in town. One of the most fun was, when we first opened Wendy the Snapple Lady came in! She was in town for a Pez convention."

9.) Tell us about the Rock cruise you are going on? How many music cruises have you been on and where do you go on them?

"Monsters of Rock is the name of the Cruise. Out of 7 cruises, all have gone out of Florida, except for one, back in October, we went out of LA. (I got off the boat to find out a huge hurricane was heading toward Myrtle Beach...not the news I was hoping for!!). The ports have been places like Key West, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Catalina Island, some private island and this trip we are hitting Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. But it isn't so much about the ports, some people don't even get off the boat. Bands play most of the day and well into the night. While in port, they do meet n greets and Q&As etc., So even in port there is stuff going on, on the ship. You also never know what Rock Star you might run into, wandering around the boat.
The cruises have been the most fun vacations I have ever been on. You need a vacation from your vacation when you get home, but they are so much fun."

10.) What's the most unique item in Retro Active? (Music or non-music related)

"Most unique item I carry would be the Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead baby strollers!!"

11.) What is your favorite item in Retro Active?

"My Luke's Diner shirt!! (Gilmore Girls) and my Captain Caveman tote bag."

12.) Is there anything else you would like us to pass to the patrons of Broadway?

"We offer a 15% local, military and Broadway discount year round."


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Restaurant Week: Broadway Style

Posted in Broadway at the Beach, Featured Posts, Dining

If you're like us, you remember being told by a parent, "you need to eat your vegetables" or "you have to eat something" or "you can't go outside until you finish your plate". Nowadays, it doesn't take any parental persuasion to get us to chow down during our daily cuisine routine. Whether it's three square meals a day, grabbing something to go or snacking throughout the day, what we put on our plate often serves as tasty comfort to our otherwise hectic (and hungry) schedule.

However, picking a place the whole family or group can agree on can be as divisive as asking a group of NFL fans to agree upon who the greatest quarterback of all time is; but we've got something at Broadway at the Beach we believe we can all look forward to; the first Broadway Restaurant Week featuring some of your favorites as well as a few new Broadway venues!

Beginning Friday, February 3rd through Sunday, February 12th, join us and experience new menu items or enjoy some of your favorite go to dishes at participating Broadway restaurants. From American classics at Johnny Rockets, Hard Rock Café, Liberty Brewery & Grill and Good Time Charley's to savory seafood selections at Joe's Crab Shack and Landry's Seafood to stepping outside your cuisine comfort zone with the unique creations of Extreme Pizza, American Tap House, Rooster's Restaurant & Bar and Wahlburgers; Broadway Restaurant Week has something different for everyone in your party every night of the week.

Broadway Restaurant Week can also serve as a cure for those whom suffer from what we like to call a "restaurant rut" where the common symptoms are eating the same food at the same place every time you dine outside your own dinner table. Let Broadway Restaurant Week be your excuse to try somewhere and something different as you dine for lunch and dinner with us.

So grab your friends, family and if possible, that parent you hid your vegetables from as a child and experience the inaugural Broadway Restaurant Week where there's always a seat waiting for you.

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