Off Broadway Alliance Hosts ABCs OF PRODUCING OFF BROADWAY Seminar Today

The Off Broadway Alliance, the organization of Off Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing firms, will hold another in its series of seminars focused on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway today, April 7th.

The seminar, titled "ABCs of Producing Off Broadway" will feature Laura Cronin, General Manager from Brierpatch Productions (Triassic Parq, The Two Character Play), producer Jeremy Handelman (F#%king Up Everything, White's Lies, The King's Speech) and theatrical attorney Peter Breger (Freud's Last Session, Forbidden Broadway, The Fantasticks, Cougar the Musical). John Capo, President of John Capo Public Relations, will moderate the discussion.

"ABCs of Producing Off Broadway" will be held at The Snapple Theater Center's Jerry Orbach Theater. Doors will open at 11:30am for complimentary coffee and bagels. The panel will take place from Noon - 1:30pm with additional time allotted afterward for conversation with fellow attendees. The Snapple Theater Center is located at 210 West 50th Street (at Broadway).

Admission for the seminar is free, however reservations are a must. To RSVP for the event, visit www.offbroadwayseminar.eventbrite.com before April 6th. Attendees are encouraged to pre-submit questions for the panelists when they submit their reservations. Questions will be asked live at the seminar.

The Off Broadway Alliance is a non-profit corporation organized by theater professionals dedicated to supporting, promoting and encouraging the production of Off Broadway theater and to making live theater increasingly accessible to new and diverse audiences. The Alliance holds monthly meetings and membership is open to everyone in the Off Broadway theater community.

Among its initiatives, The Off Broadway Alliance sponsors 20at20, the event that runs twice a year for 20 days and lets theatergoers purchase $20 tickets to dozens of Off Broadway shows 20 minutes before curtain.

The Alliance also presents the Off Broadway Alliance Awards, including an annual tribute to the Legends of Off Broadway and inductees to the Off Broadway Hall of Fame. It also produces a free Sunday Seminar Series focusing on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway featuring major players from the Off Broadway scene. And the Alliance created the Off Broadway Economic Impact Report, which outlines Off Broadway's over $500 million annual impact on the economy of the City of New York.

Laura Janik Cronin is a partner with Scott Newsome in Brierpatch Productions, which provides general management services for theatrical productions and events. Productions managed by Brierpatch include Off-Broadway: Sleeping Rough (Spring 2013); Tennessee Williams' The Two Character Play (Spring 2013); Handle With Care (Spring 2013); Triassic Parq (Soho Playhouse); 7th Monarch (Acorn Theatre). Showcase productions: A Thick Description of Harry Smith (Page 73), Kiki Baby and The Brain That Wouldn't Die! In 3D (both NYMF 2011), Boomers (MITF 2011); Frog Kiss (NYMF 2010), Shine! (NYMF 2010), and Bloodties (NYMF 2010). In addition, Brierpatch provides ongoing annual management of The Actors' Studio Drama School MFA Repertory Season (2011, 2012, 2013 seasons). Prior to forming Brierpatch, Laura worked for over 16 years in theatrical management on and Off-Broadway, including The Lion King, Chicago, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, August: Osage County, November, The Look of Love, Jackie Mason: Prune Danish, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, Triumph of Love, Hamlet with Ralph Fiennes, Beauty and the Beast, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (first national tour); Jacques Brel is Alive..., Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, Don't Quit Your Night Job, and My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy.

Jeremy Handelman is the lead producer of the hit rock musical comedy F#%king Up Everything, which just began its Off-Broadway run at the Elektra Theatre. In addition to pouring his heart into F#%king Up Everything, Jeremy is developing two exciting new musicals for the stage: Shim Sham and Cruel Shoes. He assisted with financing for the London production of The King's Speech. Past producing credits include White's Lies, Cycle, The Aspern Papers, and Five by Tenn. Jeremy is the author of The Bronx Balmers and several short plays. His company, Off The Leash Productions, provides a wide range of video production and videography services. In a previous life, Jeremy was Vice President, Programming for CBS Sports. He serves on the board of Theater Resources Unlimited.

Peter Breger is an entertainment attorney and general manager who has represented theatre and film producers, investors, commercial and non-profit theatres, writers, directors, and performers for over 25 years. He is a Tony-nominated producer of Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre. He owned and operated The Actors' Playhouse in Greenwich Village for 12 years. Mr. Breger is the Chairman of the Off Broadway Alliance.

John Capo is the president of John Capo Public Relations. Current and recent clients include Prospect Theater Company, Unsung Musicals Company, Aquila Theatre Company, Beautiful Soup Theater Collective and the first revival of Broadway's biggest flop Moose Murders, Living Dead in Denmark at the Gene Frankel Theatre, Canton Theatricals' RIDE, Tony Lo Bianco's The Little Flower, the international blockbuster Fame, Son of a Gun at Theatre Row, the New York No Limits Film Festival, McSorley's Ale House, Amigo Duende at El Museo del Barrio, the YouTube series PZAZZ101 featuring Laura Osnes, Donna McKechnie and Beth Leavel, Cole Porter's Nymph Errant at Theatre Row, a site-specific production of Amelia on Governors Island, Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns at the West End Theatre, the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival productions of Flambe Dreams, Le Cabaret Grimm, Stuck, Trouble The Musical and Zapata! The Musical, the 2012 FringeNYC productions of Have I Got a Girl for You, Scarlett Fever and Pulp Shakespeare, Marcia Milgrom Dodge's Venus Flytrap, Daily News reporter Robert Dominguez's Midnight in Havana, Magnetic North starring Christian Campbell, the world's longest-running musical The Fantasticks, New York's longest-running play Perfect Crime, the long-running spoof of the news NEWSical the Musical, a developmental reading of I Was a Teenage B-Movie King starring Alexander Gemignani and Will Swenson, Channeling Kevin Spacey at St. Luke's Theater, the launch of Elaine and Jerry Orbach's posthumous memoir Remember How I Love You, Follies star Ron Raines (Tony nomination for Lead Actor) and author Arthur Bicknell.

For more information, visit www.OffBroadwayAlliance.com.

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