The stage will see history come to life on March 24 as Bollywood Boulevard: A Journey Through Hindi Cinema will share more than 100 years of Hindi Cinema through live song, dance and short films.

The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Bromeley Family Theater at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

“It’s going to be a fun, fast-paced energetic Bollywood experience,” Heena Patel, show executive producer and creative director, said. “The show is a Bollywood songbook with dance. You can expect a lot of energy. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Patel is involved with MELA Productions. Rushi Vakil, the executive producer, music director and original music composer for the show, is involved with the Aaditaal Music Project.

“(Vakil is) a long time friend, and we have worked together in different capacities before. He is a musician, a multi-instrumentalist and a composer. I’m a dancer. We both have a different skill set, but sitting down to put together a great blend because neither is more important than the other. We find the balance of music and dance and the various other factors that make up Bollywood.”

Bollywood Boulevard has been touted as “a live 3D film experience on stage.” It premiered in front of 4,000 people at Lincoln Center in August 2017.

“One of biggest reasons to create this production is that there has been increased global interest thanks to ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and other recent films,” Patel said. People are being exposed to more recent Bollywood, but Hindi cinema is over 100 years old. There was incredible work created in the 50’s and 60’s. I wanted to bring the dance and culture that I grew up around to the stage.”

Patel’s childhood was filled with the rich entertainment of Bollywood movies, with music and dance that began in the theater and flowed into her various methods of entertainment and social interaction.

“I grew up in Toronto. During my childhood, there were two movie theaters in the greater Toronto area that showed Bollywood movies, and Tuesday they had $5 tickets. I think under 12 were even cheaper,” Patel reminisced. “Without fail, we went to the cinema. My aunt, uncle, my cousin all went with us to watch Bollywood movies. It was such a staple. It might not have been every week but once or twice a month, and it was a big part of my childhood, consuming these movies.”

Patel noted that a large part of the movies were the song and dance elements. As she grew older, a lot of time was spent watching VHS tapes in a bid to mimic both the movements and expressions exhibited during the dances. The songs were performed at local talent shows, and working as the master of ceremonies for similar events led to commentary that referenced the songs and dance moves that were used by contestants.

“Another big part of my childhood and inspiration for the production is the singing game that is all about these songs called Antakshari. I could play that game for hours, that is how extensive my song repertoire was,” she noted. “When we went to Chicago, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina to visit family or attend events, a lot of time was spent in the car playing this game.”

With multiple dancers that take to the stage in costumes ranging from grayscale for the black-and-white film era to brightly colored and modern styles, it stands to reason that the background of those involved is widely varied.

“Everyone involved has a passion for Bollywood and all it entails,” Patel said. “Our singers and dancers are an eclectic mix of performers, now based out of New Jersey and New York, but they originally come from all over the place. We have artists that were born and raised in India, someone born and raised in Tanzania, and we have someone from Malaysia in the cast. Another woman lived in the UK and is now based in New York. Some people were born and raised here as well.

“Everyone is united by a love and passion for Bollywood. Everyone has been a fan of Hindi cinema in some shape or form and has been influenced artistically, musically, culturally – by Bollywood and all that it is.”

The musical selections throughout the show have a depth and intent for recognition that the average audience member may not recognize.

“The secret sauce for the show is the song selection. Someone who really is well-versed in Bollywood can see how we tip our hat to so many people,” Patel said. “We were not only considering actors and actresses; we were considering lyricists, composers, looking at all facets that make a film, all the people involved in making that film and see how we could acknowledge them in some form.”

Each song is more than a nod to a specific time period. The song, while meant to engage the audience, tells a unique story above and beyond its lyrics.

“A single song is not just about the song itself. It is about who was the choreographer, actor or actress that portrayed it, what film is the song from, producer, director, composer, lyricists, looking at the whole credit that gets associated with the song,” she said. “With over 50 songs in the show, when you look at the entire credit, all of the credits for all of these different people associated with each song, you get a sense of who the people were that made India cinema and Bollywood what it is today.

“I don’t expect an audience member watching it to realize all of that, but that is the degree of thought we have put into the show.”

The show compresses a large amount of information into a short time frame, but its intent is beyond temporary entertainment.

“We don’t want people to attend a concert or Bollywood performance and think only ‘That was really fun’ but also ‘I learned something new or be inspired to learn more when they go home.

We looked at what was being authored now in Bollywood and thought something more was needed. We wondered, ‘How do we share the quality that came out prior to now?’”

The answer, as show attendees will recognize, became Bollywood Boulevard. For tickets, call Pitt-Bradford or visit the university website.