The Broadway League and COBUG Present 'Broadway Salutes' Celebration 9/22

On Tuesday, September 22, 2009, The Broadway League and the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) will present "Broadway Salutes," a unique public celebration honoring the myriad of artists who have made Broadway great for decades - with special recognition for those individuals who have worked 25, 35 and 50 years in their respective theatrical craft.

The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. at a soon-to-be-announced location in the heart of the Broadway Theatre district.

"Broadway Salutes" will honor a wide-range of theatre professionals - including stagehands, actors, producers, casting directors, general managers, theater owners, publicists, ushers, designers, directors, choreographers, musicians - who have dedicated their careers to the Broadway theatre industry.

"This event is an opportunity for all of us to recognize the immense talent and dedication of hundreds of people who make Broadway happen including artists, crafts people, and technicians who work behind the scenes," said Nina Lannan, Chair of The Broadway League. "They support not only individual shows, but an entire industry that annually delivers more than 5.1 billion dollars to the city of New York and provides countless hours of enjoyment for residents and tourists alike."

"‘Broadway Salutes' is about joining together to honor our colleagues for their years of service to our industry," said COBUG Chair Tony DePaulo. "It also provides a moment for labor to join with the Broadway League in educating the community. Broadway jobs are a critical driver in New York City's economy and we're looking forward to recognizing the contributions of the artists, the craftsmen and women, and the professionals who do this work - day in and day out."

An industry-wide celebration co-chaired by Daniel Adamian (General Manager and Counsel for Jujamcyn Theatres) and Laura Penn (Executive Director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society), the "Broadway Salutes" planning committee is comprised of Michael David (Dodger Theatricals), Tony DePaulo (IATSE), Cecilia Friederichs (USA), Nick Kaledin (ATPAM), Nina Lannan (Nina Lannan and Associates), Mary McColl (The Broadway League), Lawrence Paone (Local 751), Paige Price (AEA), Charlotte St. Martin (The Broadway League), Robert Score (Local One), Herschel Waxman (The Nederlander Organization), Charlotte Wilcox (The Charlotte Wilcox Company) and Beth Williams (Broadway Across America).

"‘Broadway Salutes' is about the stories of the people working on Broadway, many of whom you don't always see onstage, who never get a chance to take a bow," said event Co-Chair Daniel Adamian. "It's about people like Theoni and Thomas Aldredge, a costume designer and an actor, a husband and wife team that has been working together on Broadway for over 50 years. Or someone like Harriet Slaughter, who recently concluded 29 years of service as Co-Director of Benefits for The Broadway League. She got her first Broadway gig 49 years ago as production assistant for the Broadway production of Brendan Behan's The Hostage. While doing this, she was still perfecting her tap routine and learning to become a dancer who sings and an actress who dances, all of which led to her appearing as Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof in 1972."

"It's also about the unexpected paths people take," said event Co-Chair Laura Penn. "Who would have thought watching Walter Bobbie in the 1972 Broadway production of Grease that the mooning champ of Rydell High would one day be awarded the Tony for Best Director of a Musical for Chicago? These are the people and the stories that we know and don't know - New Yorkers, doing extraordinary work that defines our city. ‘Broadway Salutes' brings them all together for a moment for us to say thank you."

Additional details for "Broadway Salutes" will be announced soon.

The Broadway League, founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. Visit www.BroadwayLeague.com.

The members of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) have labor contracts or work for or with the Broadway League. COBUG was established to strengthen the position of Unions and Guilds within the industry, to participate in decision making that affects Broadway and the art and craft of theatre at large, and to educate the broader community about the collective role Coalition members play in keeping our industry vibrant and healthy.