Theatre League Honors Jerry Herman with Distinguished Lifetime Service Award for Touring Broadway

Legendary Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman has been awarded with The League of American Theatres and Producers' Distinguished Lifetime Service Award for Touring Broadway. The Award was bestowed to Mr. Herman at the League's 2005 Spring Road Conference League Awards Ceremony, held at the Hilton Hotel in New York City.

The 2005 awards ceremony was sponsored by Chase.

The Award was presented to Mr. Herman by legendary Broadway actor Robert Goulet, currently starring in the Tony-nominated revival of Mr. Herman's La Cage aux Folles.

"It is an honor to present this Distinguished Lifetime Service Award to Jerry Herman," commented Jed. Bernstein, President of The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. "Jerry Herman's work has brought joy to countless theatergoers and music-lovers for decades. As one of the greatest living composers for the Broadway musical, we celebrate him today for that unique contribution he has made to American musical theatre."

Mr. Herman, addressing the audience of touring Broadway professionals, commented: "I am deeply moved by this very meaningful award. I should be giving it to you for all that you do to keep my musicals alive. If you will share this with me, I will thank you with all my heart."

One of the theatre's most celebrated composers, Jerry Herman has written the scores for such Broadway musicals as Milk and Honey; Hello, Dolly!; Mame; Dear World; Mack & Mabel; The Grand Tour and La Cage aux Folles. He also contributed songs to A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, and revues of his work include Jerry's Girls and An Evening with Jerry Herman. The songwriter won Tony Awards ® for his scores for Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles. A new revue of Herman's work, Showtune, which recently played the Helen Hayes Theatre Company in Nyack, New York, will begin performances at Off Broadway's Theatre at St. Peter's Feb. 18.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. also presented the following Awards:

Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management (Samuel J. L'Hommedieu Award) was given to Jeff Chelesvig, President & CEO of the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, who has demonstrated excellence in management over the past year.

Outstanding Achievement in Road Marketing was given to Anne Rippey, National Marketing Director, The Marketing Group, for demonstrating quantitatively successful marketing results in the touring Broadway community over the past year.

"Star of Touring Broadway"Awards, which are designed to honor board members, politicians, donors and volunteers who have given support "beyond the call of duty" to promote and enrich the Broadway Series in their hometowns, were given to:

• Lisa Goodman, City Council Member, nominated by Fred Krohn from the State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• J. Frank Miller III, nominated by Michael Jenkins from Dallas Summer Musicals in Dallas, Texas
• PNC Bank, nominated by Leslie Broecker from Clear Channel/Broadway Series Management Group, Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky.

About The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., founded in 1930 and operating under the trademark "Live Broadway," is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 500-plus members include theater owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 140 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theater industry.

Broadway industry programs initiated by the League include Kids' Night on Broadway, Broadway On Broadway, an annual outdoor concert in Times Square, The Broadway Line, a national toll-free Broadway information hotline (888-BROADWAY), Broadway Ticket Center, LiveBroadway.com., and a new multi-lingual website, ILoveNYTheater.com.

Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada, contributing $4.3 billion to the New York economy and billions more to the national economy.