Industry Theatre Newsroom Page 109

Theatre Forward is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of its Advancing Strong Theatre grant program, an initiative focused on funding and promoting greater access and opportunity in the American Theatre.  Advancing Strong Theatre seeks to accelerate change in the areas of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) by providing the resources for recipients to explore, initiate or deepen collaborative relationships with those from a group currently under-represented in the activities of the theatre as audience members or participants in other programs.

A new report published today by the Center for an Urban Future finds that the record increase in tourists to New York City over the past two decades sparked thousands of new jobs at the city's museums, performing arts venues, and Broadway theaters.

THE WANDERER, written by Charles Messina, is a new musical based on the life of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Dion DiMucci. The play chronicles Dion's life from his early years in The Bronx through his rise to fame and confronts Dion's struggles with his musical identity, his battle with drug addiction, his spiritual awakening and his place in Rock n' Roll history.  Through a musical journey that spans decades, THE WANDERER follows the extraordinary life of an ordinary kid from New York City

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) just presented an important conversation: Stream It and They Will Come: How Digital Capture Builds Audience Awareness. 

The DGF Fellows program is accepting applications until 12pm EDT on May 2.

First there was Grease: You're the One That I Want! On NBC in 2007. Then on MTV came Legally Blonde: The Search for the Next Elle Woods on Broadway in 2008. Soon, theater fans will be excited to watch the next Broadway-themed reality show.

Actors' Equity Association, the labor union for professional stage actors and stage managers, just presented the 2018 Rosetta LeNoire Award to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Drama League (Executive Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks) has announced the eleven exceptional stage directors who have been selected as the 2018 Directing Fellows of The Drama League Directors Project: Jake Beckhard, Jennifer Chang, Tara Elliott, Kyle Haden, Myeongsik Jason Jang, Kemar Jewel, Seonjae Kim, Margaret Lee, Dennis Yueh-Yeh Li, Ivey Lowe, and Christopher Nuñez. They will be publicly introduced to the professional theatre community during the 84th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held on Friday, May 18, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway). More information can be found at www.dramaleague.org.

Announcing a premier reading of a new musical comedy Connected...The Musical,a multimedia experience in the context of dating in the 21st Century.

According to Variety, the New York City Mayor's Office and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) have finalized the details of the grant program created to fund film and theater projects by, for, or about women.

Actress and activist Kathy Najimy is teaming up with playwright Lauren Gunderson (I and You) for a benefit reading of her new play Natural Shocks in support of the Ms. Foundation for Women whose programs and grants address domestic violence and gun violence against women. The benefit reading will take place on Monday April 23rd, 2018 at 7pm at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, between MacDougal & 6th Avenue - one block south of W. 3rd Street).

Broadway Licensing releases a new musical adaptation of the Netflix animated TV series Beat Bugs, which is inspired by and includes the music of the Beatles. The musical adaptation, Beat Bugs: Saving Strawberry Fields Forever, features an original script written by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti as well as new arrangements of one of the world's most celebrated music catalogs.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Julie Menin today announced the revitalization of the Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC) for New York City. Comprised of 18 leaders from the vibrant Latinx creative community here in New York, the commission will leverage partnerships with the city's entertainment, government, and business entities. The mission of the LMEC is to cultivate the next generation of New York City-based Latinx media and entertainment professionals; to promote enhanced Spanish language content on mainstream and emerging media platforms; to attract and retain major Latinx media events in New York City; and to expand the audience for premier Latinx cultural content in New York City.

An industry reading of the new play BACK by Matt Webster will take place on Tuesday, April 24 at 7:00 PM at the Studios at Manhattan Theatre Club (311 West 43rd Street, 8th Floor). Jenna Worsham (The Parisian Woman, The Heidi Chronicles) directs with Terra Mackintosh as 'Leah' and Matt Webster as 'Derek.'

After two readings in 2013 and 2014 sponsored by Roundabout Theatre Company, Brian Spector (Come From Away, The Woodsman, Transport) of Keaka Productions was brought on board as Executive Producer. A staged reading took place in August 2015 at Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY, and a table reading was held in September 2017 at Syracuse University Fisher Center in New York City.

The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has named Airness by Chelsea Marcantel the winner of the 2018 M. Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award. The award, which recognizes an emerging playwright, will be presented at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville on April 7. Airness, which premiered at Humana, concerns a woman entering her first air guitar competition. There she discovers there's an art form at the center of what may seem on the surface like just people pretending to play instruments.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Gordon Lane as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Gordon joins TCG after spending the last thirteen years at Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, a not-for-profit organization that facilitates the economic development of all communities in Upper Manhattan through job creation, strategic investments, and small business assistance. Serving as their Information Technology Officer, Lane's leadership supported the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone's greatest period of success in the revitalization of the Upper Manhattan community.

ARTHOUSE, one of New York City's leading creative media agencies led by CEO Sara Fitzpatrick, announced today that Rachel Donovan will join the ARTHOUSE team as Chief Creative Officer.

StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, announces today a first-of-its-kindpartnership with Roundabout Theatre Company (RTC), the nation's largest not-for-profit theater company, to provide access to RTC's diverse theatrical programming in five unique New York venues, to its global audience of users. StubHub will provide Roundabout Theatre Company with its vast multi-channel distribution network offering a fully-integrated platform to allow for seamless ticket buying and serve as RTC's premier secondary ticketing partner. In addition, StubHub will continue to work with Roundabout's family of artists on special programming and industry-leading events in its unique Times Square Black Box space.

The Directors Company and Dan Stone announce the industry reading of Beau, a new play inside a concert, being presented April 13th at The Directors Company.

The principals of Seattle-based hybrid experience agency MODE Studios are very proud to welcome three high-profile executives to the company, which is a Women's Business National Enterprise Council Certified business. According to CEO and Executive Producer Colleen Bonniol, and Global Creative Director Bob Bonniol, these new appointments, which are effective immediately, also expand the company's physical presence in Los Angeles and NYC.

Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) has secured worldwide licensing rights to Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook, an original new musical featuring the beloved songs of Academy and Grammy award winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell).

Veteran General Manager Daniel Kuney has formed KGM, a new full-service theatrical general management firm. Kuney leads the new venture after 16 years of experience as a General Manger both on and Off Broadway. The firm provides producers with a modern new approach that builds upon the best of what has come before while offering the expertise necessary to break ground in a new era of commercial theater.

Broadway Licensing has just announced the Junior Varsity Collection, which adapts some of their most popular titles into versions specifically created for young performers. Developed by leading educational experts and approved by school boards around the country, each show has been crafted to empower, engage and excite students while developing a life-long passion for theatre.

SpotCo, one of the world's leading full-service entertainment advertising and branding agencies, has announced that Shelby Ladd and Stephen Santore have been promoted to Managing Directors. They will assume their new positions immediately.