EGOT winner John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Barbara Freitag, and more than two dozen other producers have been named nominees for Broadway Global’s 2019 Producer of the Year.
In addition to Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan Jr. (producers on their biomusical On Your Feet!), Legend (Jitney), and Freitag (Hello, Dolly!, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), the full list of nominees is comprised of Corey Brunish, Scott Sanders, Andrew Kato, Marc Levine, Ken Mahoney, Elliott Masie, Wendy Radus Federman, Ron Simons, Ruth Hendel, Stephen Hendel, Stephen Byrd, Alia Harvey Jones, Jada Pinkett Smith, Wendy Gillespie, Dennis Grimaldi, Richard Winkler, Jhett Tolentino, Douglas Denoff, Stewart F Lane, Bonnie Comley, Will Prather, Michael Andrew Rubinstein, Bruce Robert Harris, and Jack W. Batman.
The honors celebrate producers for investing in theatrical work on and off the stage and diversifying the content mounted for audiences. Requirements to win include accessibility on social media and a legacy of work that celebrates diversity, respect, and unity. 2018 winner Tom Smedes (Bandstand) will honor the 2019 winners, to be announced October 2 at a private ceremony, with the Producer’s Puzzle, an original sculpture created by artist Steve Marshall.
Next season, Broadway Global intends to expand its honoring program by recognizing regional theatre producers. Richard Cameron and SDC director-choreographer Ron Hutchins founded Broadway Global in 2009. For more information, visit BroadwayGlobal.org.