Katie McAllister Named Executive Director of Inside Broadway

Inside Broadway has just announced Katie McAllister as the Executive Director of the nonprofit that has introduced the magic of Broadway to New York City public school students for free for over four decades. Previously as Program Director of Inside Broadway for over 17 years, McAllister has been promoted to Executive Director, spearheading Inside Broadway’s diverse and rich programming throughout the year including the professional touring production performed at public schools across the five boroughs, additional in-school (and after school) programs, Creating the Magic in Times Square, summer theatre camp, and the senior citizen program.

“I am delighted to be appointing my long serving colleague, Katie McAllister, as our new Executive Director. Over her long career at Inside Broadway, Katie has been a valuable collaborator in helping to develop our organization and her knowledge of arts and education has helped make our programs much loved by our school partners. I am eagerly looking forward to a continued collaboration and the future of Inside Broadway,” said Michael Presser, Founder, President & CEO of Inside Broadway.

As a Bronx resident, Katie McAllister is an accomplished leader in arts education for over 35 years. She first started her career at Maryland Hall Story Theatre in 1987.  Following, McAllister moved to Inside Broadway for the “Be the Artist” program at Donnell Library and joined full-time as a teaching artist staff of the nonprofit shortly thereafter. Once promoted to Program Director at Inside Broadway, McAllister leveraged her experience as a teacher, as well as a performer to shape Inside Broadway’s Teaching Artist Residency Programs to reflect both the artistic and academic needs of students in NYC schools today, developing programming for students of all abilities. Today, she oversees all of Inside Broadway’s programming that reaches approximately 75,000 NYC public school students throughout the five boroughs from elementary to high school students every year.

“The arts are for everyone, no matter where you come from or who you are. As a kid, being in theatre gave me a sense of self and a community to be a part of. The arts give students the chance to explore new worlds through the creative process and help to build empathy and understanding for themselves and others,” said Katie McAllister, Executive Director of Inside Broadway.

McAllister is passionate about bringing arts services to students of all abilities and is the proud recipient of the Herbert Birch Friendship Award for excellence in Arts and Education for exceptional children. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland. Originally from Maryland, She lives in the Bronxdale neighborhood of the Bronx and volunteers for Friends of Pelham Parkway and is a founder of Paws on Pelham Parkway which organizes events that serve both pets and people.

ABOUT Inside Broadway

Founded in 1982 by Michael Presser, Inside Broadway was first created as a free ticket program at the invitation of the late Bernard Jacobs, President of The Shubert Organization. During the entire Broadway run of CATS, The Shubert Organization provided Inside Broadway with 50 tickets to every Wednesday matinee performance to NYC’s public-school students. Throughout the years, the nonprofit has produced professional tours of classic Broadway musicals directly to school auditoriums throughout the city. Inside Broadway serves approximately over 75,000 students throughout five boroughs through the in-class residency programs, after school workshops, summer theatre camp, senior citizen program, and the popular “Creating the Magic” series. In 2022, Inside Broadway celebrated its 40th anniversary, reaching nearly 3 million New York City public school students over four decades.