There are more than 40 official Broadway theaters in New York City, including the Ambassador Theatre, the George Gershwin Theatre, and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The owners of these theaters, as well as Broadway producers, managers, and presenters, belong to the Broadway League. As the national trade membership group for the Broadway industry, the Broadway League is composed of more than 700 members who produce and host Broadway plays and musicals in New York and more than 200 other North American cities.
Established in 1930, the League promotes Broadway as North America’s premier entertainment medium through a variety of programs and events. It has hosted the Tony Awards in partnership with the American Theatre Wing every year since 1967 and organizes the following five programs to inspire a love of live theater in high school and college students.
Broadway Bridges
Developed in partnership with the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Arts and Special Projects and the United Federation of Teachers, Broadway Bridges is an ambitious program that strives to ensure every tenth-grade student in NYC public schools gets to attend a Broadway show. Teachers can request to join the Broadway Bridges program by filling out a form at BroadwayBridges.org.
The League has yet to announce participating shows for the Spring 2023 Broadway season. In the past, however, it has sponsored tenth-grade students on trips to see productions such as A Christmas Carol, Aladdin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, MJ The Musical, The Lion King, and The Phantom of the Opera.
High School Broadway Shadowing Program
Through the High School Broadway Shadowing Program, New York City public high school students are paired with theater professionals who work behind the scenes, including stage and general managers, marketing and advertising staff, and press agents. Students shadow these workers to learn about theater management and the different jobs required to produce a play or musical.
This program was created in 2013 in partnership with the NYC Department of Education to provide enriching opportunities in the business of theater to students of diverse backgrounds and ensure that Broadway audiences reflect the diversity in the US.
“As a person of color, I don’t think there are a lot of opportunities to dive this deep in theater,” one student told the League. “So, getting to be out here and having that experience is definitely a great way for me to have a bit more sense of what I want to do in college.”
Kids’ Night on Broadway
The League also works to cultivate the next generation of theatergoers through the Kids’ Night on Broadway (KNOB) annual event. Typically held in February, the nationwide audience development program is presented by The New York Times and provides free tickets to participating Broadway shows for people 18 and under as long as they’re accompanied by an adult who pays the full ticket price.
KNOB tickets include discounts for select restaurants and parking, and children can attend pre-show parties and educational events free of charge. Those who are particularly passionate about theater can sign up for the Broadway Fan Club, which includes benefits such as monthly e-newsletters with insider information, trivia, discounted tickets, and event invitations.
There are more than 30 participating KNOB theaters throughout the US, including the 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle), the Belk Theatre (Charlotte), the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (St. Paul), and the Hippodrome Theatre (Baltimore).
The Jimmy Awards
Also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Jimmy Awards impact 140,000 high school musical theater students in the US every year. Created in 2009 to boost the profile of theater arts education and honor outstanding student achievement, it has since awarded more than $5 million in educational scholarships to youth performers. The program is named in honor of James “Jimmy” M. Nederlander, a visionary theatrical impresario who founded the Nederlander Organization and produced more than 100 Broadway musicals and plays, including The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby and Annie.
The 2023 Jimmy Awards are scheduled for June 26 at the Minskoff Theatre in Manhattan. Award winners, including the recipients of the Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor, are selected by industry experts and receive scholarships.
Broadway Speakers Bureau
The Broadway League hosts free career panel discussions with non-performers to highlight the many different types of jobs in the theater industry. Guests include producers, managers, marketing and design professionals, and stage managers. In the past, seminars have included representatives from award-winning shows like Come From Away and Hadestown. Founded in 2003, the program hosts events at its midtown offices or partner school campuses in Manhattan. The League has also brought the Broadway Speakers Bureau to students around the country via Zoom.