Ticket Sales for 'Kids Night on Broadway' Extended Through December 15 for Select Shows

Tickets for this year's "Kids' Night on Broadway: 10th Birthday Edition" -- that once-a year-opportunity for young people, age 6-18, to attend a Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult - are on sale for select shows from now through December 15.

The following shows have extended their deadlines: Rent, The Woman in White, Altar Boyz, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (extended Wednesday only), Rabbit Hole, Souvenir, The Phantom of the Opera, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Madame Tussauds is presenting sponsor for Kids' Night, returning for a second fun-filled year.

Kids' Nights will take place in New York City on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 and Wednesday, February 1, 2006.

This year's celebration marks a decade for the most popular audience development program of The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. (www.LiveBroadway.com). Since its inception, more than 200,000 young people have participated in Kids' Night on Broadway.

This year, there are nearly 20 shows participating in Kids' Night, including Altar Boyz, Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, Mamma Mia!, Rent, Sweet Charity, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life, Rabbit Hole, Souvenir, Sweeney Todd, The Color Purple, Stomp! and The Woman in White.

John Lithgow, a Tony®, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner, is this year's Celebrity Spokesperson. Currently starring on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mr. Lithgow made his Tony-winning debut in The Changing Room in 1973, and since then has appeared in 18 Broadway shows. Notable among them were Comedians, Anna Christie, Bedroom Farce, Spokesong, Once in a Lifetime, Beyond Therapy, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Front Page, M. Butterfly and the musical Sweet Smell of Success, for which he won his second Tony.

For children, Mr. Lithgow has written six best-selling books, released two CDs, performed concerts with several major symphony orchestras and recently dipped into the world of dance, narrating Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals for the New York City Ballet, and even dancing the role of the Elephant!

In addition to theatre tickets, Kids' Night offers loads of fun for families including a pre-theatre party with Broadway performances at Madame Tussauds, held on Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

On Tuesday at 3:00 p.m., young people will have the opportunity to experience for themselves how live theatre is created through special activities hosted by the cast and crew of participating shows. The activities include: special Broadway exhibits at Madame Tussauds, theatrical makeup stations, Broadway dance lessons, karaoke with a live deejay, and much more. Stars will also be on hand to sign autographs in Autograph Alley. Free admission to Madame Tussauds will also be offered for those children attending Kids' Night performances on Wednesday.

After the party, area restaurants are offering family-friendly dinner discounts. Cast members of participating shows add special fun to the evening with individual post-performance curtain speeches welcoming kids in the audience. Special parking discounts are available. Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is also providing a special souvenir Playbill, written entirely by local teens who love theatre.

This year's Kids' Night features a special writing contest for children ages 8 to 18 entitled "My Favorite Broadway Memory" or "Why theatre is important to me." The winning essay will be published in the Kids' Night on Broadway: 10th Birthday Edition souvenir Playbill and the winner will receive a $100 TDF gift card and a dinner gift certificate to a local Broadway restaurant of his/her choice. A panel of judges will select the winning entry, which will be announced on the Kids' Night website in January. Entries must be received no later than December 1st. Submit essays of no more than 500 words to www.kidsnightonbroadway.com.

Through Kids' Night on Broadway, The League of American Theatres and Producers hopes to share the message that Broadway is an open and accessible experience for kids and parents. According to The League, children and teens accounted for nearly 1.2 million tickets during the 2004-05 season, the 4th largest number in the past decade - and the numbers continue to grow this season.

"We know that theatergoers who are exposed to the theatre at a young age are more likely to see shows as adults," commented Jed Bernstein, President, The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. "The fact that the number of youngsters coming to Broadway has been growing at such a significant rate is indeed encouraging for the future of Broadway. With the array of family-oriented entertainment currently on Broadway, and in development, this trend is sure to continue."

To continue to develop this generation and future generations of theatergoers, The League engages in various audience development and marketing activities. In addition to Kids' Night, last year The League launched GenerationBroadway.com, an interactive website designed to help parents and educators. Other League audience development programs targeted at young people include Educator "Apple" awards, recognizing the efforts of schools across the country that promote theatre education, and "Family First Nights," an initiative that encourages family theatergoing. The League also supports education through grants aimed at developing innovative educational programs relating to the presentation of Broadway shows in New York and on tour.

"We are proud to be involved with Kids' Night and fully support the mission of the program," said Janine DiGioacchino, General Manager of Madame Tussauds. "The program allows a younger audience to experience the incredible and unique talent showcased on Broadway, and we are looking forward to kicking off the event in true Broadway style - in the heart of Times Square with live performances and fun for all."

Kids' Night on Broadway is a program of the League of American Theatres and Producers, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, which created this audience-building program (with TDF) in 1997. Kids' Night on Broadway is a national program that takes place throughout the winter and spring months when touring Broadway shows come to town. For more information on touring Broadway shows participating in Kids' Night, visit www.kidsnightonbroadway.com or call the Broadway Line (1-888-Broadway)

The New York Times is an official sponsor of Kids' Night on Broadway, and additional support is provided by WNBC-TV, and Theatre Development Fund (TDF).

"We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of Kids' Night on Broadway, and to join in this exciting 10th birthday celebration," said Jyll Holzman, senior vice president of advertising, The New York Times. "We share with The League of American Theatres and Producers, a commitment to the importance of making Broadway as relevant and accessible as possible to this and future generations of loyal theatre-goers."

Since its inception, more than 200,000 youngsters have participated in Kids Night on Broadway. To purchase tickets, or for more information and to view the list of discounted restaurants and parking garages, log on to www.kidsnightonbroadway.com.

Tickets can also be purchased by phone via Telecharge.com or Ticketmaster (depending on ticket agent), or at the individual theatre boxes.

About The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres and operating under the "Live Broadway" trademark, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 500-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in 140 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theater industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 25 million people in New York and across the U.S. and Canada.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. reported a gross of $769 million in New York for the 2004-5 season. The number of tickets sold for Broadway during the 2004-5 season reached 11.5 million.

About Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is an interactive "must do" attraction that provides guests with unique opportunities to create memories with some of the world's biggest icons. Visitors who stop by to see our new Teri Hatcher figure can take a quiz to find out what kind of housewife they are - naughty or neighborly. At the "Movie Star Experience," visitors enter the movie studio and audition for blockbuster films in front of silicon figure Will Smith, while guests who stop by "Chamber Live! Featuring House of Wax" are transported to Trudy's House of Wax in the eerie town of Ambrose, which is filled with remarkably life-like wax sculptures.

The Tussauds Group brought its unique brand to New York City when it opened its $52 million attraction in the heart of Times Square in October 2000. Prominently located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussauds is open 365 days a year at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.nycwax.com or call (800) 246-8872.

About The New York Times

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2004 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. For the fifth consecutive year, the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's 2005 list of America's Most Admired Companies. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

About John Lithgow

John Lithgow is currently appearing on Broadway in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." His performance earned him a 2005 Tony® Award nomination as Best Lead Actor. He was seen last season in The Retreat From Moscow at the Booth and in Mrs. Farnsworth at the Flea Theater. Since his Tony-winning debut in The Changing Room in 1973, Mr. Lithgow has appeared in 18 Broadway shows. Notable among them were Comedians, Anna Christie, Bedroom Farce, Spokesong, Once in a Lifetime, Beyond Therapy, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Front Page, M. Butterfly and the musical Sweet Smell of Success, for which he won his second Tony®. On screen, Mr. Lithgow appeared this year in Kinsey. His 30 other films include Oscar-nominated roles in The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment and appearances in Twilight Zone: The Movie, Footloose, Buckaroo Banzai, Harry and the Hendersons, Cliffhanger, Raising Cain, A Civil Action and Shrek. For various TV shows, Mr. Lithgow has been nominated for ten Emmy Awards. He has won four of them, three for his role on NBC's "3rd Rock From the Sun," the hit comedy series which also brought him a Golden Globe, two SAG Awards and the American Comedy Award. For children, Mr. Lithgow has written six best-selling books, released two CDs, performed concerts with several major symphony orchestras and recently dipped into the world of dance, narrating Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals for the New York City Ballet, and even dancing the role of the Elephant!