Byline: Miriam Kreinin Souccar

On Jan. 26 more than 15,000 theater fans are expected to flock to the Javits Center for a two-day Broadway convention where they can meet such big names as Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, seek autographs from stars including Next to Normal's Alice Ripley and get a sneak peek at every incoming show this season, among them The Band's Visit and SpongeBob SquarePants.

BroadwayCon is the brainchild of Melissa Anelli, a self-described theater nerd who began producing conventions in 2009. Her first, LeakyCon, assembled the stars of Harry Potter films and drew 2,200 costume- wearing attendees over three days. She also runs Con of Thrones, which features cast members of the HBO megahit, and this year she will take the reins of the two-year-old AlienCon....