MAMMA MIA! Kicks Off GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP NYC's Times Square Earth Day Celebration, 4/19

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will kick off the annual Times Square Alliance Earth Day celebration with a special live performance of "Dancing Queen" at "Keep America Beautiful"'s 2012 Great American Cleanup NYC Kickoff in the middle of Times Square Thursday, April 19 at 12:20pm on Military Island (Broadway & 7th Avenue between 43rd & 44th Streets).

Hosted by Keep America Beautiful Senior Vice President Gail Cunningham, the annual event will also feature appearances by New York City elected officials and Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler opening the festivities with a performance of the National Anthem.

Local dignitaries, area school students and members of the Keep New York City Beautiful Coalition join national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful for a kickoff celebration of the Great American Cleanup. This event spotlights the city's role in the Great American Cleanup, which mobilizes millions of volunteers for over 30,000 community improvements events in all 50 states. It also celebrates citywide sustainability efforts and partnerships that make New York City cleaner, greener, and more beautiful throughout the year.

Now celebrating 10 smash hit years on Broadway, MAMMA MIA! is one of the most successful musicals of all time anywhere in the world and is now 10th longest running show in Broadway history.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. Its signature program, the Great American Cleanup, is the nation's largest community improvement program. To learn more, visit www.kab.org.

Seen by over 50 million people around the world, MAMMA MIA!, is celebrating over 4,300 performances at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre and remains among Broadway's top selling musicals. The current North American Tour has played over 3,700 performances in over 150 cities with 145 repeat visits. The originAl West End production of MAMMA MIA! is now in its thirteenth year and has celebrated over 5,000 performances in London and the international tour has visited more than 74 foreign cities in 25 countries and been seen by over 4.3 million people. The blockbuster feature film adaptation of MAMMA MIA!, produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, is the most successful movie musical of all time grossing $600 million worldwide.

For tickets, schedule and information about MAMMA MIA! : www.mammamianorthamerica.com

Photo by Laura Enrech