Xanadu (musical) - Cubby Bernstein Promotion

Cubby Bernstein Promotion

On May 10, 2008, a video introducing "Tony Campaign Manager Cubby Bernstein" was released on YouTube. The video features past Tony Award winners like Duncan Sheik, Julie White, Beth Leavel, John Cullum, Martin Richards and Carole Shelley. Pre-pubescent "Cubby" claims to have been behind 63 Tony wins. Additional videos were released every few days. On the second episode, the producers of Xanadu ask Cubby if he would campaign for their show, but Cubby refuses, saying that it is a show for "the gay boys". However, the producers convince Cubby to go and see the show, which "bowls him over". He then says that Xanadu can win the Tony, creating the campaign's slogan "Yes It Can!"

Subsequent episodes feature more Tony Award winners like Patti LuPone, Cynthia Nixon, Adriane Lenox, John Lloyd Young and John Gallagher Jr., and follow Cubby while he shows the cast of Xanadu the "Cubby steps to the Tony". Cubby makes them sell "Cub-Cakes" to benefit the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS during the one-year anniversary of Xanadu on Broadway, teaches them "the art of the shmooze" and helps them build up their confidence. The sixth and most popular video is the only one in which Cubby doesn't appear. It features Tony winner Nathan Lane and most of the Xanadu male cast.

Xanadu producers never acknowledged that Cubby Bernstein was a publicity stunt, although Douglas Carter Beane stated on May 15 that he believed this year" is going to go with Xanadu". Cubby Bernstein has been identified by Variety as child actor Adam Riegler, who appeared in the 2007 revival of I and Albert and as Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family. Playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo helped to create and also appeared in the series. Xanadu did not win any Tony Awards.