Tony Award Winning Producer Tyler Mount Joins the Board of Rise Above Performing Arts

Rise Above began its annual Board of Directors meeting this month with a monumental achievement; adding Tony Award Winning Producer, Tyler Mount, to its Board of Directors.

Rise Above is the fastest growing community theatre in the area bringing in over 10,000 patrons in 2022. Artistic Director, Jacob Ruscoe, notes this in part was what allowed them to add such a prominent name to their organization. "We are extremely blessed that our young theatre is exploding. To add someone of Mr. Mount's notoriety and stature will only further our mission. When you have someone currently producing on Broadway, it adds another layer of credibility to our theatre and what we are trying to achieve. Mr. Mount has been able to see our vision and wants to be a part of it and we are thrilled to bring his expertise to Rise Above.

Rise Above which opened in 2016 is currently in its 7th Season and the addition of Tyler Mount to the Board comes on the heels of a year of record ticket sales and donations. The organization which began in its infancy, serving middle school students, now spans from elementary age through college and each year provides over 500 local young performers the opportunity to excel in the performing arts.

In joining the Board of Directors of Rise Above, Tyler stated "I'm thrilled to join Rise Above to share my commercial theatre experience to advance their mission further. Growing up with a strong theatre education, I know how vital the arts are to young people. Rise Above provides this rare opportunity to students to be involved in theatre and do it at the highest echelons of the industry. The quality of their productions far exceeds expectations, and it is this high level of excellence that excites me to be an intricate part of this organization. As a Broadway producer, it is exciting to see the next generation of performers get the opportunity that Rise Above provides. "

During his tenure as a producer, Tyler Mount has been the recipient of three Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, an Olivier Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Drama League Awards, a Drama Desk Award, and a GLAAD Media Award. His years of experience span Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theater. His Tony Award for Once on This Island (Best Revival of a Musical) made Tyler one of the youngest Tony Award-winning producers in history. In October of 2020, Tyler received his third and fourth Tony Award nominations making him the youngest individual producer to be nominated for Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Revival of a Musical.

As an industry-leading digital strategy expert and owner of Tyler Mount Ventures, a digital agency specializing in social media strategy for the world's most influential thought leaders and celebrities, Tyler has managed digital campaigns for Biden for America, NBC, Playbill, IBM, Hilton Hotels, Sofitel, T-Mobile, the Tony Awards, the Grammy Awards, the Olivier Awards, and countless others.

Tyler's digital strategy expertise can be seen throughout the nearly two hundred videos he created for Playbill's The Tyler Mount Vlog, a web series that has been seen by over 25 million viewers in 168 different countries. Guests included Lin Manuel-Miranda, Gloria Estefan, Billy Porter, Perez Hilton, Jerry Mitchell, and Ali Stroker. Tyler has been profiled in dozens of esteemed publications including The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, and Out Magazine.

Tyler's Broadway/West End credits include: Hadestown, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, The Inheritance, Once on This Island, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan, An American in Paris, ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices: Gloria Estefan LIVE!, and The Acting Company's 2014 benefit concert of The Cradle Will Rock, starring Patti LuPone. He is currently producing the United Kingdom tour of Dream Girls, which is scheduled to make its triumphant return to Broadway in 2023.

Tyler earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance and Arts Administration from St. Edward's University, attended CAP21 in New York City, now the Molloy College/CAP21 Theatre Arts Program, and holds a postgraduate certificate from MIT in Digital Marketing and Social Media Analytics.

Rise Above's current production, Little Women runs through this weekend and they round out their season with Pippin and 13 the Musical. Rise Above will hold its Season 8 Announcement Party March 8th before a packed house. Tickets and more information about the organization can be found at www.riseabovearts or by calling 941-702-4747.