Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support “gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America,” according to press notes.
“The National Endowment for the Arts’s contribution to the theatre community is incalculable,” stated Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “Over the past 50 years, since its inception, the agency has funded 18 Tony Award-winning plays and 15 Tony award-winning musicals, not to mention offering vital support to hundreds of theatre professionals. They are invaluable to our industry, and to our nation’s cultural legacy!”
Six-time Tony winner Miles Wilkin is the COO and executive vice president of Key Brand Entertainment, where he provides the vision for theatre and e-commerce. Wilkin, an original founder of Broadway Across America, is more broadly recognized as one of the founders of North American Touring Theatre.
“Miles paved ‘the road’ for the modern Broadway touring system, and his accomplishments have been monumental and central to the success and economic growth of our industry,” stated St. Martin and Hitchens. “Because of his innovative and groundbreaking touring systems, theatre fans across the country have been able to experience the magic of Broadway.”
The American Theatre Wing’s 70th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Tony Award winner James Corden, will air on CBS June 12 live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced April 19 that two-time Tony Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick and multiple Tony-nominated director Marshall W. Mason will be this year’s recipients of the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
For more information on the Tony Awards, visit TonyAwards.com.
