The Broadway League, the national trade association for the theater industry, has launched a program called Broadway Bridges on the Road. The audience engagement initiative expands upon the League’s original Broadway Bridges program, which aims to ensure every New York City high school sees a Broadway show before graduation. The road counterpart will allow students across the country the opportunity to see Broadway national tours.
“Broadway Bridges has been hugely successful in New York, introducing 120,000 local public school sophomores and chaperones to Broadway since its inception in 2017,” said Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “We aim to emulate that success nationwide with the launch of Broadway Bridges on the Road. The work of our road-member venues cannot be overstated, as they are often the first institutions to provide young people with the opportunity to experience a Broadway show. Our hope is that the launch of this new initiative will help our colleagues to streamline their efforts, expand their reach and provide unforgettable experiences to increasing numbers of young people across the country, instilling in them [with] a lifelong love of live theater. We are thankful to our members for their partnership and support as we launch this important initiative.”
“Those of us who work on touring Broadway know very well that attendance at Broadway shows has a lasting impact on the young people in our local communities,” said Susie Krajsa, president of Broadway Across America (part of the John Gore Organization, parent organization of Broadway News) and co-chair of the Broadway League’s audience engagement committee. “Our missions are often focused on fostering deeper connections to these communities and encouraging young theatergoers to develop into lifelong subscribers, supporters and patrons of live theater. Broadway Bridges on the Road is precisely the sort of program that will help us achieve these missions, and I am proud to have been a part of its development.”
Twenty-four League member venues from 16 states will be participate in Broadway Bridges on the Road, including Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, ASU Gammage in Tempe, Bass Concert Hall in Fort Worth, Blumenthal Arts in Charlotte, the National Theatre in Washington D.C., Broadway San Diego, Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Ensemble Arts Philly, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque, the Robinson Center in Little Rock, the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, the Hobby Center in Houston, the Morrison Center in Boise, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota and Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, in addition to cities within the American Theatre Guild’s purview.
Participating touring productions will include “Company,” “Les Misérables,” “Life of Pi,” “MJ,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “The Lion King,” among others.
