Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Announce Premiere of New Original Series A DAY'S WORK

Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin today announced that A Day's Work, a new original series on NYC Life, the City's flagship broadcast network, will premiere on Monday, April 23 at 9:00 PM. A Day's Work is a half-hour show featuring industrious, real-life New Yorkers as they go about their jobs. The show's first season will focus on careers in the arts and entertainment industries. Each episode follows three people working in different aspects of the same field to provide viewers with a sense of the breadth of jobs in that particular industry. New episodes each week will focus on different fields, including dance, publishing, and the fast-growing field of virtual reality.

"New York City offers the greatest variety of jobs in the world, and A Day's Work provides a real inside perspective on what it's like to work in different industries and roles," said Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin. "It is especially fitting that the first season of the show will focus on arts and entertainment, as these industries are booming in New York City, generating BILLIONS of dollars in revenue and creating more jobs than ever for hard-working and creative New Yorkers. We're so proud of the show and hope New Yorkers will tune in and be inspired by all of the opportunities for career growth that our city provides."

A Day's Work aims to shed light on the numerous ways New Yorkers make a living in one of the most competitive cities in the world. Many of the careers featured in the show are lesser-known, or behind-the-scenes, and can appear inaccessible to the general public. In many cases, the people pursuing those careers have surprising and compelling backstories. By bringing them to light, the series entertainingly provides useful insights into what people in those fields actually do every day, the kinds of salaries they command and how they navigated their career path.

"Growing up as the daughter of Korean immigrants, I had very little access to people or information that could show me the vast range of career choices one could pursue," said NYC General Manager and the show's Executive Producer Janet Choi. "So, this show is exactly the type of show that I wish I had growing up."

Here are descriptions for the first three episodes of A Day's Work:

April 23: Theatre

The theatres on Broadway are some of New York City's greatest attractions, but how much do you know about the people who actually work there? On this episode of A Day's Work, meet three people who Disney's landmark Broadway musical, The Lion King. Brenda O'Brien is a makeup artist who spends her nights preparing the fantastical Disney characters. Paul Perez is a house manager at the Minskoff Theatre, and is tasked with the safety and hospitality of more than 1,600 patrons, six days a week. Kenny Ingram is an actor responsible for up to nine different characters and has been performing in The Lion King for more than a decade.

April 30: Dance

When you work in the dance industry, in a city that is home to some of the most renowned dance companies in the world, your job is more than just a paycheck - it's a way of life. On this episode of A Day's Work, we go inside Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the most prolific and iconic companies in the business. Hope Boykin is a seasoned company dancer who goes to great lengths to condition her body. Dr. Shaw Bronner is a dance physical therapist charged with the wellness of the team. Al Crawford has been the company's lighting director for more than 20 seasons.

May 7: Publishing

On this episode of A Day's Work, we spend a day with an author, a book cover designer and a printer. Danya Kukafka is an author whose debut novel is about to be published by Simon & Schuster. Sammy Yuen is a freelance book cover designer with several New York Times bestsellers under his belt. Lantz Arroyo is a printer and co-owner of Radix Media, a worker-owned union print shop and publisher.

"We know that New York City is home to the most diverse and talented workforce in the world," said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez. "The working men and women featured in this new series help make our city great. We're excited that NYC Media is celebrating their contributions with A Day's Work and we look forward to watching them take their place in the spotlight."

"It's a pleasure to invite viewers behind the scenes to see what goes into bringing dance to New York City and the world," said Robert Battle, Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. "From performer to physical therapist to lighting designer, these artistic and technical careers support Ailey's mission to inspire audiences through dance. We are thrilled to be spotlighted on A Day's Work and applaud the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for producing this one-of-a-kind series."

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