The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, has announced the return of Broadway Bridges, an audience development program that aims to ensure every New York City public high school student sees a Broadway show before graduation.
A partnership with NYC Public Schools and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) with support from the New York City Council, Broadway Bridges offers New York City public high schools throughout all five boroughs $10 tickets to participating Main Stem productions. Since the program’s inception in 2017, there have been nearly 135,000 admissions by students and chaperones to Broadway shows. To date, 487 schools have participated in Broadway Bridges, marking the largest theater education partnership in the history of New York City.
“Broadway Bridges impacted over 25,000 students and chaperones from New York City high schools last year, and we are on track to exceed that this year,” said League president Jason Laks in a statement. “This program would not be possible without the generous support of our many donors and the incredible collaboration of our partners. We are deeply grateful to all 23 productions that have opened their doors to students, as well as our partners at the UFT and NYC Public Schools, whose dedication helps make this initiative a reality. Together, we are striving to ensure that young people from all over New York City have the opportunity to experience the magic of live theater, fostering the next generation of theatergoers and artists.”
In a broader sense, Broadway Bridges hopes to foster an increase in youth theatergoing. While individuals under the age of 18 make up 20.7% of the U.S. population, young people are underrepresented in the Broadway audience, making up 10.1% of the Broadway audience during the 2023-2024 season. According to the League’s recently released audience demographic data, there were 1.2 million admissions by theatergoers under the age of 18 during the 2023-2024 season, which is down from 1.4 million in the season prior.
Beyond increasing theatergoing, Broadway Bridges can plant the seed for future theater artists. “Broadway Bridges gives our students more than a seat in a fantastic play or musical,” noted UFT president Michael Mulgrew. “This partnership gives our students a glimpse of their possible future — as playwrights, set designers, musicians, and all the careers in the arts. It is invaluable exposure.”
A total of 23 Broadway productions will participate in the spring 2025 cycle of Broadway Bridges, including “& Juliet,” “A Wonderful World,” “Aladdin,” “BOOP! The Musical,” “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Chicago,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Gypsy,” “Hadestown,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Maybe Happy Ending,” “MJ,” “Moulin Rouge!,” “Operation Mincemeat,” “Redwood,” “SIX,” “Smash,” “Old Friends,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Lion King” and “The Outsiders.”
Broadway Bridges recently expanded beyond New York City with a national counterpart. Broadway Bridges on the Road allows high school students to see touring Broadway productions at performing arts centers across the United States.
