Governor Kathy Hochul announced November 10 that more than 100,000 low- or no-cost tickets have been made available by Broadway and Off-Broadway productions participating in the NYC Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit.

Under the tax credit, Broadway and Off-Broadway productions are required to implement a plan to ensure that tickets are available and accessible for low or no cost to low-income New Yorkers. Productions may work directly with the State or with a third-party partner, such as the Theatre Development Fund, which provides low- or no-cost tickets to students, veterans, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and other groups.

Those shows participating in the program are also required to participate in a New York State-approved diversity and arts job training program. Productions may work with pre-approved formalized fellowship programs from The Theatre Leadership Project or the Black Theatre Coalition or create a self-operated fellowship program. Through this requirement, 75 fellows from underrepresented communities have been employed on productions.

The 100,000 discounted tickets, priced as little as $20, were sold to members of the community who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to experience a Broadway or Off-Broadway show. There are over 90 plays and musicals participating in the program that represent at least $1.7 billion in spending and more than 11,000 hires.

“New York is hitting a blockbuster milestone, with top Broadway and Off-Broadway productions making more than 100,000 discounted tickets available to New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. “Broadway is central to New York’s identity as a global hub for arts and culture, and my Administration will continue supporting this industry through the transformative New York City Musical & Theatrical Production Tax Credit.”

TDF Managing Director Michael Naumann added, “It has been an honor to develop the TDF Passport Series through the New York City Musical & Theatrical Production Tax Credit program with Governor Hochul and Empire State Development. It is TDF’s mission to make the theatre accessible to everyone and build new audiences. This program does just that—it allows New Yorkers, most of whom are first-time theatregoers who could not afford to attend Broadway and Off Broadway, to finally get the chance to enjoy live performance.”

The Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin stated, “Governor Hochul is Broadway’s best partner in working to drive economic development while also diversifying our audiences and workforce. As we continue to bring tourists back to Broadway, we are including more members of our community in the audience and working backstage. Governor Hochul’s efforts, in partnership with the Senate and Assembly, have resulted in our shows providing more than 100,000 low- or no-cost tickets to New Yorkers while also creating 75 diverse fellowships on Broadway. We could not be prouder of this effective and balanced effort by our Governor.”

The Theatre Leadership Project Founders Travis Ballenger, Barbara Broccoli, Patrick Daly, Alecia Parker, and Lia Vollack said, “The Theatre Leadership Project is grateful for the many ways we've been able to add value to the growing theatrical workforce in New York City for the last three years. We feel proud of the work we've achieved in partnership with the NYC Musical and Theatrical Tax Credit program and look forward to continuing the work ahead."

Warren Adams and T. Oliver Reid from the Black Theatre Coalition said, “Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) is thrilled to continue our work with ESD for the third year. When BTC was founded, Black professionals made up less than 1% of the workforce not related to acting, singing, and dancing. The lived experiences and careers of our theatre-makers have been enhanced and in some cases, made possible by BTC’s Fellowship program and our partnership with ESD.”

As part of the FY 2024 New York State Budget, Governor Hochul secured a major expansion of the New York City Musical and Theatrical Tax Credit program to include Off-Broadway productions, which are major contributors to New York’s live entertainment economy.