Moderators & Panelists Announced For Women's Day on Broadway

Disney Theatrical Productions and Frozen have partnered with The Actors Fund to celebrate International Women's Day with two special events: "Women's Day on Broadway: Celebrating Stories By, For & About Women," a free symposium that will take place at The St. James Theatre and a special performance of Frozen to benefit The Actors Fund and its Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. The events aim to highlight the importance of a continued investment in the encouragement and mentorship of women that is crucial to establishing and maintaining gender equality in the Broadway community.

"Women's Day on Broadway: Celebrating Stories By, For & About Women" will be held on Monday, March 12th from 1pm - 5pm. The symposium will take place at the St. James Theatre, home of Broadway's new musical Frozen. This first-of-its-kind Broadway event will welcome some of the most accomplished women on Broadway and in the entertainment industry for a variety of panel discussions.

Gayle King, co-host of CBS This Morning, will open the day as moderator of the first panel, Spotlighting Marquee Women. This conversation will highlight perspectives from the creative forces behind many of this season's Broadway shows.

The second panel of the day will be Creating Leading Ladies, led by Whoopi Goldberg, most recently on Broadway as a producer of the musical Sister Act. This panel will explore iconic female roles on the page and on the stage.

Emerging from the Wings serves as the backbone for dialogue in the third panel moderated by Juju Chang, anchor of ABC's Nightline, in which panelists will discuss overcoming underrepresentation of women on and off stage.

Finally, Meredith Vieira, former co-host of NBC's Today show, will wrap-up the conversations with a focus on Pioneering a New (Broad)way, in which powerful leaders will discuss forging a new path for women.

Confirmed panelists for the day's events include Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Music & Lyrics, Frozen), Nell Benjamin (Lyricist, Mean Girls), Hillary Blanken (Technical Supervisor, Juniper Street Productions), Nancy Coyne (Chairman, Serino/Coyne), Tina Fey (Book writer, Mean Girls), Sonia Friedman (Producer, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Farinelli and the King, Mean Girls, Travesties), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, The Color Purple), Mandy Hackett (Associate Artistic Director, The Public Theater), Natasha Katz (Lighting Designer, Frozen), Tina Landau (Director, SpongeBob SquarePants), Marsha Norman (Book writer, The Color Purple), Diane Paulus (Artistic Director, American Repertory Theater), Chita Rivera (Broadway Legend), Daryl Roth (Producer, Kinky Boots, Indecent), Lea Salonga (Once on This Island, Miss Saigon), and Jeanine Tesori (Composer, Fun Home).

Advance ticketing is not required for "Women's Day on Broadway: Celebrating Stories By, For & About Women." Attendees will be admitted to this free event on March 12th on a first-come, first-seated basis. All seating is general admission. For more information about "Women's Day on Broadway" and to stay updated on panels and panelists, visit www.FrozenTheMusical.com/womensday.

The celebration continues on Wednesday, March 14th with a special performance of Frozen at 8pm that will benefit The Actors Fund and its Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.actorsfund.org/Frozen.

Founded by Tony Award winner and cancer survivor Phyllis Newman, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative offers women in entertainment and performing arts across the country a safe place to go to address serious medical concerns and get confidential and compassionate help. The program provides access to an extensive support network that includes health care, diagnostic, preventive, and mental health services, substance abuse treatment and emergency financial assistance.

Frozen joined Disney Theatrical hits Aladdin and The Lion King on Broadway, beginning previews at the St. James Theatre on Thursday, February 22, 2018 and opening Thursday, March 22, 2018.

This Broadway-bound Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film's creators; in fact, this new stage production features more than twice as much music as the film. Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre running over two hours.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph), the film's screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck). Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song ("Let It Go") and Best Animated Feature.

Frozen's director is Michael Grandage, a Tony Award winner (Red) and director of three Olivier Award-winning Outstanding Musicals (Merrily We Roll Along, Grand Hotel and Guys and Dolls), and Rob Ashford, Tony Award winner (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and multiple Tony and Olivier Award nominee, is choreographer.

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund serves everyone in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services. Visit www.actorsfund.org.