Every day is opening night.

Press Contacts:
Rick Miramontez / Marie Bshara / Kendall Edwards
rick@omdkc.com / marie@omdkc.com / kendall@omdkc.com
212 695 7400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

MEREDITH WILLSON’S
“THE MUSIC MAN”
SUBSIDIZES 10,000 TICKETS
FOR NYC SCHOOL COMMUNITIES

IN TRADITIONALLY UNDER-RESOURCED POPULATIONS
IN A BROAD EFFORT TO MAKE BROADWAY MORE ACCESSIBLE
AND FOSTER LOVE FOR THE ARTS

New York, NY (February 9, 2022) – Producers Barry Diller, David Geffen, and Kate Horton announced today that the smash hit Broadway musical The Music Man is making available 10,000 tickets at just $20 each to New York City students, their families, and their teachers to help foster a love and appreciation for the arts by making Broadway more accessible. This broad effort, created and spearheaded by The Music Man’s Black Theatre Coalition fellow, Amy Marie Haven, is built around partnerships with the New York City Department of Education and a dozen local youth non-profits, including Artists Striving to End Poverty, Art Start, Arts For All, Arthur Miller Foundation, On Broadway Performing Arts Training Program, Young People’s Chorus of NYC, Education Through Music, Rosie’s Theatre Kids, R Evolucion Latina, and Broadway Bridges.

The extensive effort will be accompanied by curated initiatives designed to engage with the community.

Haven commented, “For me, The Music Man is all about transformation. Theatre totally transformed my life. I was a displaced low-income student that ultimately became an arts teacher/ nonprofit administrator because of accessible programming. With The Music Man’s Audience Development Initiative, we are hoping to plant the seed for further transformation- investing in and cultivating our next generation of citizens and storytellers.”

Rashad V. Chambers, Associated Producer of The Music Man, added, “The Music Man is a story about hope and that is something we all need right now. It is an honor to share this story with New York City teachers, students and their families.”

In a statement, Producer Kate Horton said, “As a long-term advocate of accessible ticketing and arts access schemes I’m delighted to be launching our Audience Development Initiative, particularly given the struggles and difficulties faced by school communities over the past two years. Live events have a unique power to heal, and it is both our responsibility and privilege to provide access in this moment in particular, when it is so badly needed.”

“Diverse audiences are the lifeblood and creative spark for theater,” said Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Hope Knight. “The Music Man’s effort to make Broadway more affordable and accessible to deserving students, their families, and their teachers not only provides meaningful educational opportunities, but ensures the future strength of New York’s vibrant entertainment industry.”

This broad effort is comprised of four separate initiatives:

Through Teachers Night Out, The Music Man is inviting teachers from the five boroughs to attend for $20 on various Tuesdays throughout the run of the production.

Family Shows will help students from traditionally under-resourced communities to bring their families to The Music Man, with sets of four tickets being offered to each participating student. Each Wednesday night will be earmarked as a Family Show, accommodating ten families per week.

Approximately 3,500 tickets will be allotted annually for a Classroom Ticket initiative, offering tickets to schools and education non-profits as part of a larger, integrated curriculum.

Finally, on two Wednesdays in September, The Music Man will mark “back-to-school” month with Student Matinees, accommodating 600 students at each. A Cast Talk Back will take place immediately following the performances.

ABOUT BLACK THEATRE COALITION

Black Theatre Coalition was founded by T. Oliver Reid and Warren Adams during the Summer of 2019. They identified the disparity between the growing inclusivity onstage, versus the almost non-existence of Black professionals off stage. They invited their colleague, Reggie Van Lee, (Chief Transformation Officer of the Carlyle Group) to join them as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Board. Afton Battle is the Executive Strategist and Tamica Clanton is Digital Marketing Strategist.

BTC’s mission is to remove the “illusion of inclusion” in the American Theatre, by building a sustainable ethical roadmap that will increase employment opportunities for Black theatre professionals. Their vision is to reshape the working ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systemically racist and biased ideology.
Black Theatre Coalition officially filed as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in June of 2020.
www.BlackTheatreCoalition.org

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