Broadway Bridges: Back to School, Back to Broadway

BroadwayBridges.org

New York, NY – The Broadway League, with the support of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), has announced 17 participating shows for the fall 2018 season of Broadway Bridges.

“There’s not much that’s more exciting than seeing the faces of kids when they attend their first Broadway show, and Broadway Bridges gives students in the New York City public school system the chance to do just that. This year even more Broadway producers and nearly half of all current shows are involved in the program,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “Our goal is to have every public high school student in the city see a Broadway show before graduation. We appreciate all the support for the program from the Department of Education, the United Federation of Teachers and the New York City Council led by Speaker Corey Johnson as we work together to make sure that the young people of this city have access to the arts and are part of its future.”

“Expanding access to the arts can have a transformative effect on young people, and Broadway Bridges helps us do just that,” said New York City Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Through this partnership, 10th graders from across the City are getting a quintessential New York experience of culture and creativity, and we look forward to continuing this program.”

“Students respond to the arts. I saw that while teaching film to at-risk high school students in Brooklyn. By expanding the Broadway Bridges program, more students will have access to a vital part of New York’s cultural landscape. It is a pleasure to work with our partners at the Broadway League, the city Department of Education and the New York City Council to make this happen,” said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers.

Launched in 2017, the Broadway Bridges program is offered to public high schools in the five boroughs. It was developed by a group of leading commercial and non-profit industry professionals to build on the significant work the Broadway community already does in bringing New York City students to Broadway. Independently, Broadway-based commercial producers and not-for-profit institutions such as Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, and TDF already bring nearly 30,000 students to live theatre each year. In complementing the long-standing work of these programs, Broadway Bridges has the ability to reach students who may not otherwise have the chance to attend a Broadway show.

Broadway Bridges offers high schools $10 Broadway tickets for their tenth grade students. The tickets are purchased based on availability and are timed to coincide with the demands of the school calendar.

Broadway Bridges expects to bring 17,500 tenth grade students and chaperones to a show during the 2018-2019 season. This will bring the accumulative total of participants to 26,000 since the program’s launch in January 2017.

A new video was released with more about the impact the program is having and can be viewed below.