Inside Broadway Collaborates With Nearly 50 NYC Public Schools to Partner with CASA in 2023

Inside Broadway recently launched their signature "Build A Musical" program in 2023, which is part of NYC's Cultural After-School Adventures Program (CASA), an initiative created and fully funded by New York City Council with support from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs that offers after-school cultural activities at public schools in all five boroughs. Students in second through twelfth grade will perform an original musical while learning choreography, acting and voice, and gain social skills in a collaborative environment. This year's show theme is "The Broadway Rewind," which goes back various decades and highlights iconic Broadway shows and legendary musical artists throughout the century. Parents and family can all attend the big opening night performance at the conclusion of the 12-week program.

"Our Build A Musical program is one of our most popular initiatives during the year, since NYC kids themselves get a moment in the spotlight, learning from the best in the industry - both on and off stage - from acting, singing, choreography, set design, directing, and so much more," said Michael Presser, President & CEO of Inside Broadway.

As one of the largest providers of CASA and available in nearly 50 public schools across all five boroughs, Inside Broadway's Build A Musical after-school workshop includes 25-35 students at each school, who all receive individualized attention and have the opportunity to work directly with diverse, professional teaching artists who specialize in voice, dance, acting, directing, set and costume design, lighting, and sound. Students meet twice a week after school for two hours each session. As an additional resource for students, Inside Broadway provides a virtual Google classroom filled with choreography videos, professionally prepared music tracks, and related educational tools to enhance their in-person learning. The program concludes with a show for parents and the school community.

"For decades, Inside Broadway has introduced thousands of public-school students to the world of Broadway and performing arts and created educational and professional opportunities for young people across our city. I've been a proud supporter of Inside Broadway's work for years, and I look forward to partnering with them to help reach even more students across the five boroughs. New York City has the best theatre in the world, and every New Yorker should be able to experience the magic of Broadway," said Majority Leader of the NYC Council Keith Powers.

"Arts and culture are a critical component of our young people's education here in New York City. That's why I'm proud to support Inside Broadway and their after-school programming in my district," said Council Member Erik Bottcher, District 3 of Manhattan.

"Inside Broadway brings the best of New York City's performing arts -- music, dance, and singing -- directly into our communities and public-school classrooms. Thousands of students in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst have learned the joy of performance and expression through this program, and I'm proud to support their continued work here and throughout the city," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25 of Queens.

"I am proud to fund Inside Broadway, a great CASA program that serves several schools in my district. The Arts saved my life, and it is essential to provide our youth with the opportunity to enjoy and learn. This program allows our students to do just that, and I could not be more delighted to be a part of it," said Council Member Robert Holden, District 30 of Queens.

For public elementary schools, Inside Broadway's "The Broadway Rewind" show transports the audience back in time starting from Mary Poppins at the turn of the 20th century to Duke Ellington in the 1920's, the musical Annie for the 1930's, Elvis Presley in the 1950's, Hairspray in the 1960's, and finally ending with the 1980's with Rock of Ages. Inside Broadway's CASA programs for junior high and high schools focus on supporting the school's full scale theater productions by connecting students with theatre professionals who work with them on directing, choreography, set and costume design, and technical theatre elements.

For the FY23 year, Inside Broadway's CASA program had its first show on December 16, 2022 at P.S. 86K in Brooklyn and will wrap in June 2023 in the Bronx, when they reach all five boroughs. Inside Broadway has participated in NYC Council's CASA program since 2010.

For more information on Inside Broadway, visit https://insidebroadway.org. Follow Inside Broadway on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ABOUT Inside Broadway

Founded in 1982, Inside Broadway was first created as a free ticket program at the invitation of the late Bernard Jacobs, President of The Shubert Organization. During the entire Broadway run of CATS, The Shubert Organization provided Inside Broadway with 50 tickets to every Wednesday matinee performance to NYC's public-school students. Throughout the years, the nonprofit has produced professional tours of classic Broadway musicals directly to school auditoriums throughout the city. Inside Broadway serves approximately over 90,000 students throughout five boroughs through the in-class residency programs, after school workshops, summer theatre camp, senior citizen program, and the popular "Creating the Magic" series. In 2022, Inside Broadway celebrated its 40th anniversary, reaching nearly 3 million New York City public school students over four decades.