The Broadway League is expanding their Broadway Bridges program into Broadway Bridges on the Road, a new initiative that aims to expand high school students' access to Broadway touring performances across the country.
The nationwide program will build on the success of its New York City counterpart by collaborating with touring productions to offer affordable tickets to local high schools. Performances will take place during the school year and are open to select high school groups in participating cities.
Scheduling and ticketing will be handled by local venues, and participating shows, dates, and times will all vary based on city. Current participating touring productions include Company, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, The Lion King, MJ The Musical, and Mrs. Doubtfire, with more to come.
Participating venues will include the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County; American Theatre Guild; ASU Gammage; Bass Concert Hall; Bass Performance Hall; Blumenthal Arts; Broadway at the National; Broadway San Diego; Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Ensemble Arts Philly; Fox Cities Performing Arts Center; Majestic Theatre; Marcus Performing Arts Center; Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Benedum Center; Popejoy Hall; Robinson Center; Saenger Theatre; Shea's Performing Arts Center; Tennessee Theatre; The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts; The Morrison Center for the Performing Arts; Tulsa PAC; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; and Walton Arts Center.
“Broadway Bridges has been hugely successful in New York, introducing 120,000 local public school sophomores and chaperones to Broadway since its inception in 2017. We aim to emulate that success nationwide with the launch of Broadway Bridges on the Road,” Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, said in a statement. “The work of our Road Member venues cannot be overstated, as they are often the first institutions to provide young people with the opportunity to experience a Broadway show. Our hope is that the launch of this new initiative will help our colleagues to streamline their efforts, expand their reach, and provide unforgettable experiences to increasing numbers of young people across the country, instilling in them a lifelong love of live theatre. We are thankful to our Members for their partnership and support as we launch this important initiative.”
“Those of us who work on Touring Broadway know very well that attendance at Broadway shows has a lasting impact on the young people in our local communities,” added Susie Krajsa, President of Broadway Across America and Co-Chair of The Broadway League’s Audience Engagement Committee. “Our missions are often focused on fostering deeper connections to these communities and encouraging young theatregoers to develop into lifelong subscribers, supporters, and patrons of live theatre. Broadway Bridges on the Road is precisely the sort of program that will help us achieve these missions, and I am proud to have been a part of its development.”
Visit BroadwayBridges.org for more information.
