Off Broadway
He Says: Off Broadway’s Trevor Stumbles a Bit as the New Musical Comes Out at Stage 42
I never did see the short film from twenty-seven years ago, but I do know how much it inspired and altered the culture of just accepting a homophobic stance within. If it weren’t for the film, The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, might never have reached the visibility it has to this day. It’s a mind-blowing shift, really, and one that has affected so many lives; saved so many lives, that a world without this organization is now unthinkable. Take it from me as the only out kid in my high school back in 1980 London, Ontario. Thankfully I wasn’t bullied or harrassed, like others in that very same high school, but the threat is real, regardless, and the process of coming out is tense with shame and discomfort. The film, I’ve been told, is a complete charmer (I’ll have to watch, as I also hear numerous things about it, mainly that it hasn’t aged well), but the darkness of what’s inside the structure, namely suicide within the young gay community, sat heavy in my heart from the moment I walked into the Stage 42 Theatre one Saturday night in NYC. I was here to see a musical about a gay teenage boy, bullied into attempting suicide, and that felt like a complicated journey to orchestrate. How was Trevor: A New Musical going to pull this off?
The musical adaptation, with book and lyrics by Dan Collins (Harold & Lillian; Southern Comfort) and music by Julianne Wick Davis (The Pen; Southern Comfort), starts out pretty joyous and fun. Yes, it’s another high school musical, with all the typical stereotypes paraded out by song, but the young titular lead, played wisely by Holden William Hagelberger (The Public SA’s Matilda) is a whole new breed. He’s filled, at least in Act One, with a solid worshiping energy of joyful adoration, specifically, in regard to sparkling diamond herself, Diana Ross, who shows up throughout, embodied by the delicious Yasmeen Sulieman (Broadway’s Beautiful) to sing some solid classics that are smartly stitched into the playful plot. She is Trevor’s emotional mentor, finding just the right thing, usually, to inspire and coax him along in his star-gazing journey. Act One feels as joyful as one could hope for, but in the back of our brain, we know where this is leading. The signs are all there, slipped in stereotypically, but we get caught up in Trevor’s excitement; both the boy’s and the musical’s, that only when we break for intermission, does the inevitable darkness of what is to come start to sneak into our consciousness.
We know the bullying will begin, and it’s gonna have to be strong enough to push our main character to attempt suicide. That we know, not deathly dark, but somehow we are tricked into thinking this might be going somewhere else, although we also know that’s foolhardy to hold on to that hope. It’s gotta go bad, but how will that balance with the feelings that have been heightened by director Marc Bruni’s (Broadway’s Beautiful) bubble gum beginning? And will it work emotionally?
Trevor sees the birth of potential stardom waiting for him within the high school’s annual talent show, but his not-so-loving teacher doesn’t want to give him a spot. She feels his ideas are inappropriate and not aligned with her gender-conforming constructs. It’s the first sign of trouble for Trevor, but he doesn’t let it deride his sparkly imaginary road to fame and fortune. Through a sweet friendship that slowly builds pretty authentically between Trevor and the popular high school jock, Pinky, played compassionately by Sammy Dell (School of Rock‘s first national tour), an alternative idea is born. Trevor wants to create, direct, and choreograph a new song and dance number, complete with top hat and canes, for the high school’s basketball team, with Pinky leading the charge. The dream sequence of what’s inside Trevor’s head is deliciously fun. So glad the writers give us the chance to see this spectacular high kicking Broadway-style number, choreographed with style by the magnificent Josh Prince (Encores’ The New Brain), but the reality is something completely different. No surprise there. In the talent show, traditionally, the team’s number is a complete shameful, sexist, and homophobic mess of toxic masculine stereotypes, making fun of anything feminine or artsy. The laughs you see come from the team members dancing and prancing around in pink tutus, mocking anything that doesn’t fit neatly and cleanly inside the gender conformist rule book within the school. That’s a pretty powerful idea that doesn’t really get the insight or attention it deserves from Trevor, but somehow inside that budding friendship, Pinky gets the team to go along with Trevor’s plan. It doesn’t mesh as well as it should although the cast of young performers sell the idea as well as they can. Right up until the ultimate betrayal of two friends. When the cruelty of teenagers comes stomping in for all to see. It is a heartbreaking scene that would sting even the hardest of souls.
On a solidly designed, but sometimes physically unstable set by Donyale Werle (Encores! Off-Center’s Road Show), with perfectly orchestrated costumes by Mara Blumenfeld (Broadway’s Metamorphoses), lighting by Peter Kaczorowski (Transport Group’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown), and sound design by Cody Spencer and Brian Ronan (Broadway’s War Paint), the switch from light to dark comes quick and complicated. Trevor’s best friend, Walter (a good Aryan Simhadri) throws Trevor under the gay bus almost too casually, mainly because he’s pissed about being sidelined by Trevor’s new friendship with Pinky. It’s obvious and completely understandable that Trevor is reading too much into the popular boy’s kindness and engagement. We all see it more clearly, and know that this is where the eventual hurt will come from, but that the wound is set in motion by Walter is a bit of a kicker. The kids, in general, do a respectable job becoming cruel and mean, although there are few moments for these kids to vocally shine in the spotlight beyond playing stereotypes from other high school musicals. I see you, Mean Girls, although that show has a sharper edge to its writing. The kids certainly are enthusiastic and obviously believe in the material and the idea of Trevor, especially in their descent into cruelty, but director Bruni and the musical itself fail to show off the young singers’ possible talent or range. It all feels a bit too high school if you know what I mean, like a high school musical production of the same show with a lot of earnestness and intent but not enough sharp focus on the whole.
There is a stiff and awkward weakness in the development of the adult characters, played by Sally Wilfert (Broadway’s Assassins) and Jarrod Zimmerman (Writers Theatre’s Sweet Charity). They come off more like sitcom characters in an overly simplistic family show, dulled of any real honest edge, negating the effectiveness within the construct, but the Frannie (a strong Isabel Medina) sidestep storyline is cute and enjoyable, although somewhat obvious. She, like many in this high school musical, isn’t really given the chance to truly shine in the spotlight. It’s all played somewhat too lightly and for laughs during the first act for the fall to feel all that devastating. We all get it, the hurt and the devastation of friendships broken, and see the moment with a pang to the heart, but I never felt that connected to Hagelberger’s Trevor to really feel the stab completely. The scene of a distraught and heartbroken Trevor making a half-hearted attempt at self-harm involving battery wires doesn’t electrify the moment as strongly as it should. His voice is good, and his energy infectious, but maybe when a character is played so lightly in the first half, the switch doesn’t register as deeply or strongly as I had hoped.
He survives the attempt, obviously (I don’t believe I’m spoiling anything really), but the switch from silly to serious doesn’t feel that authentically curated, that is until Aaron Alcaraz (Broadway’s Mean Girls) shows up as the hospital volunteer to deliver the strong “It Gets Better” number. This is where Trevor: A New Musical finally takes hold of the weight it has been given to present. This is serious stuff, teenage suicide because of sexual orientation and high school bullying, and Alcaraz does a fine job bringing the idea upfront and center.
Maybe I was wanting something different, or more serious from the very beginning, but this poppy big-hearted pop musical has a more big-hearted fun agenda stitched inside than maybe is necessary. The Diana Ross experience definitely adds to the enjoyment of the show, incorporating her well-known songs, “Do You Know?”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and the obviously appropriate “I’m Coming Out,” bringing this show to its foregone conclusion with a dancey energy. The show is light-hearted and fun in these moments, and when it tries to darken its shine, I never found myself fully invested. I’m not convinced by Trevor, but I think I was the odd gay man out here, cause the crowd, even though only 1/3rd full, is totally on board, and to be honest, that fact is all that truly matters, and it really does make me a happy camper.
The 2023 67th Drama Desk Awards, honoring artistic excellence on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway, will take place on June 6 at Sardi’s Restaurant. Today the winners were announced.
Outstanding Play: “Leopoldstadt,” by Tom Stoppard
Outstanding Musical: “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Revival of a Play: “The Piano Lesson”
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: “Parade”
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play: Jessica Chastain, “A Doll’s House” and Sean Hayes, “Good Night, Oscar”
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical: Annaleigh Ashford, “Sweeney Todd”
and J. Harrison Ghee, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Miriam Silverman, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” Brooklyn Academy of Music and Brandon Uranowitz, “Leopoldstadt”
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical: Kevin Del Aguila, “Some Like it Hot” and Alex Newell, “Shucked”
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Max Webster, “Life of Pi”
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Thomas Kail, “Sweeney Todd”
Outstanding Choreography: Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Music: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, “Shucked”
Outstanding Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Orchestrations: Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Music in a Play: Suzan-Lori Parks, “Plays for the Plague Year,” The Public Theater
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play: Tim Hatley, “Life of Pi”
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical: Beowulf Boritt, “New York, New York”
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play: Emilio Sosa, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical: Gregg Barnes, “Some Like it Hot”
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play: Natasha Chivers and Willie Williams (video), “Prima Facie”
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical: Natasha Katz, “Sweeney Todd”
Outstanding Projection and Video Design: Andrzej Goulding, “Life of Pi”
Outstanding Sound Design of a Play: Ben & Max Ringham, “A Doll’s House”
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical: Scott Lehrer and Alex Neumann, “Into the Woods”
Outstanding Wig and Hair: Mia M. Neal, “Ain’t No Mo’”
Outstanding Solo Performance: Jodie Comer, “Prima Facie”
Unique Theatrical Experience: “Peter Pan Goes Wrong”
Outstanding Fight Choreography: B.H. Barry, “Camelot”
Outstanding Adaptation: “A Doll’s House,” by Amy Herzog
Outstanding Puppetry: Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, “Life of Pi”
Shows with multiple wins
Some Like It Hot: 8
Life of Pi: 4
A Doll’s House: 3
Sweeney Todd: 3
Ain’t No Mo’: 2
Leopoldstadt: 2
Prima Facie: 2
Shucked: 2
Special Awards
Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award
Stephen McKinley Henderson has been bringing in-depth, gripping portrayals of memorable characters to the stage for over four decades. With his return to Broadway this season as Pops in “Between Riverside and Crazy,” which the Drama Desk previously nominated in 2015, this year’s Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement Award marks Henderson’s role in this powerful production as a celebration of his brilliant career.
Ensemble Award
The cast of Soho Rep’s “Public Obscenities” – Tashnuva Anan, Abrar Haque, Golam Sarwar Harun, Gargi Mukherjee, NaFis, Jakeem Dante Powell, and Debashis Roy Chowdhury – embodied the transnational world of Shayok Misha Chowdhury’s bilingual play with memorable authenticity, remarkable specificity, and extraordinary warmth.
Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award
From his standout performance in american (tele)visions, to writing and performing the autobiographical “Dark Disabled Stories,” Ryan J. Haddad’s work this season has expanded on and interrogated what the idea of “accessibility” really means. Whether riding a shopping cart like a throne, or relating his experiences on a “gay, pink bus,” Haddad shared with audiences an unabashed queer fabulosity that was both unforgettable and deeply human.
The 72nd Annual Awards honoring achievements in the 2022-2023 Broadway and Off-Broadway season were presented on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Executive Producer Lauren Yager, did a marvelous job and the event was enjoyed by all.
Here are highlights from the show.
President of the Outer Critics Circle David Gordon and Vice President Richard Ridge welcomed everyone.
Presenter Lea Solonga presented Outstanding Director of a Musical to Michael Arden – Parade
Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play Sean Hayes – Good Night, Oscar was hysterical and the highlight of the afternoon.
Outstanding Solo Performance Jodie Comer – Prima Facie
T2C had a chance to talk to Lea beforehand
John Gassner Award for New American Play (Preferably by a New Playwright): Fat Ham by James Ijames
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Robert Horn – Shucked
We talked to Robert prior to his speech.
Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play: K. Todd Freeman – Downstate
Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical:Lindsay Mendez – Merrily We Roll Along
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical: The Harder They Come and Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway):Topdog/Underdog Suzan Lori Parks
More tomorrow.
Off Broadway
New York Classical Theatre All-Female, Gender-Fluid, and Disability-Forward Shakespeare’s Richard III
New York Classical Theatre (Stephen Burdman, Founding Artistic Director, Matthieu Chapman, Literary Director) is thrilled to announce the all-female, gender-fluid, and disability-forward cast for Shakespeare’s Richard III. The production, directed by Burdman, will play in Central Park from June 13 to June 25; in Brooklyn Commons at Metrotech from June 27 to July 2; and in Carl Schurz Park from July 4 to July 9. All performances are free and open to the public.
The production stars Delaney Feener (Single (SXSW), Oregon Shakespeare Festival)–a performer with a limb difference–as Richard, Kristen Calgaro(NYCT’s The Importance of Being Earnest, The Rivals, HBO’s “Exeunt”) as Queen Elizabeth/Richmond, Connie Castanzo (NYCT’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Romeo & Juliet) as Lady Anne/Prince Edward/Rivers/Tyrell, Briana Gibson Reeves (Off-Broadway’s Made By God, American Shakespeare Center) as King Edward/Catesby/Archbishop, Lucy Lavely (Off-Broadway’s Arthur & Esther, Self-Help In the Anthropocene, Knots) as Buckingham/Clarence, Rami Margron (La Jolla Playhouse’s As You Like It, Hulu’s “Wedding Season,” HBO’s “That Damn Michael Che”) as Hastings/Ratcliffe, and Pamela Sabaugh (Off-Broadway’s Molly Sweeney, The Healing) as Duchess of York/Stanley.
Richard III may be Shakespeare’s most evil character. See an ensemble of seven women and gender-fluid performers tackle his rise to power in a story filled with familial manipulation, egregious murder, and political deceit.
Richard III features production design by Sabrinna Fabi (NYCT’s Cymbeline, King Lear; Broadway’s Moulin Rouge!), voice and speech coaching by Nora Leonhardt (NYCT’s King Lear, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), fight direction by Sean Michael Chin (NYCT’s Cymbeline, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, Greek National Opera’s Medea), production stage management by Madison Lane (NYCT’s King Lear), assistant stage management by Miriam Hyfler (NYCT’s Henry V), production supervision by Yetti Steinman (New York Classical Theatre), wardrobe supervision by Zola Gray, and casting by Stephanie Klapper.
All performances run from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. New York Classical Theatre requests that all planning to attend make a free reservation for access to the Digital Playbill and for inclement weather updates. Walk-up participants are welcome on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day of the performance based on the size of the park lawn. Free reservations, performance details, and weather updates can be found at nyclassical.org/richardiii.
Kristen Calgaro (Queen Elizabeth/Richmond)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre: Cymbeline, It Can’t Happen Here (reading), Three Sisters (reading), The Importance of Being Earnest (Two Ways), The Rivals, Malvolio’s Revenge (workshop), Playing Moliere, Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Mourning Becomes Electra (Target Margin Theater), Brigadoon (Broadway workshop). National Tour: Dr. Doolittle with Tommy Tune. Selected Regional: Dancing at Lughnasa (Barnstormers), Boeing-Boeing (Totem Pole Playhouse), The Understudy (Cape May Stage), And The Curtain Rises (Signature Theatre), Broadway: 3 Generations (The Kennedy Center), The Glass Menagerie (Bay Theatre). Film: Kumare (SXSW Audience Award), Exeunt (HBO’s NYFF). Directing: AMiOS, New York Theater Fesitval, The Tank. BA Religious Studies/Spanish, University of Virginia. Kristencalgaro.com. 
Connie Costanzo (Lady Anne/Prince Edward/Rivers/Tyrell)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre: King Lear (2021, 2020 Zoom workshop), Three Sisters (reading), The Importance of Being Earnest (Two Ways), Romeo & Juliet, The Rivals, As You Like It. NYC: Gigi (Storm Theatre); Diaspora (Gym at Judson); Time Stands Still (Theatre of the New City); City Girls & Desperadoes (The Secret Theatre). Regional: The Wolves (BCT); Lost Boy Found in Wholefoods (Pittsburgh REP); Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley (Capital REP). Winner of “Best Actress in a Play” in BroadwayWorld 2019 Regional Awards. Connie was born and raised in Scranton, PA and she received her BFA in Acting from Point Park Conservatory of Performing Arts. Connie is also an animation voice over artist and postpartum doula. New York Classical has always been another home for her–she is so proud & honored to represent as an Artistic Associate.
Delaney Feener (Richard)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre debut. Regional: Bring Down the House, Midsummer (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Othello, Twelfth Night (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). TV/Film: Single (SXSW), Come as Your Are. BFA from the Theatre School at DePaul University. Current acting company member at The Mercury Store. @delaneyfeener
Briana Gibson Reeves (King Edward/Catesby/Archbishop)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: Made By God (Irish Repertory Theatre). National Tours: Amazing Grace (Troika Productions). Selected Regional Theatre: Flyin’ West (Everyman Theatre); Stick Fly(Meadow Brook Theatre); As You Like It, Richard III, Emma, Man of La Mode (American Shakespeare Center); Midsummer, Coriolanus (Shakespeare Center); Don Juan (Taffety Punk); Amen Corner, Fabulation (On Q Productions); Funnyhouse (JCSU Light Factory).
Lucy Lavely (Clarence/Buckingham)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: Arthur & Esther, Self-Help In the Anthropocene (New Light Theatre Project); Knots (Players Theatre). Regional: Macbeth (Orlando Shakes); Macbeth (Theater at Monmouth); Grapes of Wrath (Asolo Rep); One Man Two Guvnors (Pioneer Theatre Co.); The White Snake (Baltimore Center Stage); The Last Match (Florida Studio Theatre). BA from University of Notre Dame, MFA from FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Proud Member of SAG/AFTRA/AEA. Thanks to mom and dad, Vern, Stephen, cast, crew and YOU for joining us tonight!
Rami Margron (Hastings/Ratcliffe)(they/them)New York Classical Theatre debut. Off-Broadway: Angry Young Man. Selected Regional Theatre: Hurricane Diane (Old Globe Theatre); Pride and Prejudice (Long Wharf); Angels in America (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Three Sisters (Two River Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Much Ado (Cal Shakes); Macbeth, Pericles (Berkeley Rep); Moll Flanders, The Clean House (Pac Rep); Antigonick, Dog Act, Precious Little (Shotgun Players); The Lily’s Revenge (Magic Theatre); Around the World in 80 Days (Marin Theatre Co.); The Listener (Crowded Fire). TV/Film: Alberto and the Concrete Jungle, Burn Country, Messina High, Love AnyWay, “Wedding Season” (Hulu), “New Amsterdam” (NBC), “The Damn Michael Che” (HBO), “Law & Order” (NBC), “Manifest” (Netflix). 
Pamela Sabaugh (Duchess of York/Stanley)(she/her)New York Classical Theatre debut. Pamela has worked extensively on stage from Regional to Off-Broadway, including at The Attic Theatre (Detroit), The Court Theatre of Chicago, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Amaryllis Theater. She is a long time company member of the critically acclaimed Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB), and has performed with them in numerous Off-Broadway productions–most recently as Portia in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice at Theater Row on 42nd Street. Pamela has had recurring feature roles on the daytime dramas “One Life To Live” and “Guiding Light.” Pamela is a co-founder of WoodwardAvenue Productions which produced her first play, Woman In The Animal Kingdom, in the 2000 New York International Fringe Festival-for which she received the award for Outstanding Performance. Her solo cabaret, Immaculate Degeneration was first workshopped at the 6th International Blind In Theatre (BIT) Festival in Zagreb, Croatia. She returned to Zagreb in October 2011 to perform an expanded version. And in August 2012 WoodwardAvenue Productions premiered Immaculate Degeneration at the New York International Fringe Festival. Stephen Burdman (Director/Artistic Director). New York Classical Theatre: The Rewards of Being Frank (also at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company), Cymbeline, King Lear (2021, 2020 Zoom workshop, 2009); The Importance of Being Earnest (Two Ways), 2019 Best Show TheatreScene.net), Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth (2017, 2008, 2001), The Rivals, The Winter’s Tale (2016, 2004), Measure for Measure, As You Like It (2014, 2005), The Seagull, Malvolio’s Revenge (workshop), A {15-Min!} Christmas Carol, Twelfth Night (2012, 2002), Playing Moliere, Henry V (New York Times Critic’s Pick), The School for Husbands, Much Ado About Nothing (2010, 2003), Hamlet, Misalliance, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Comedy of Errors, Mary Stuart, Scapin, The Feigned Courtesans, The Triumph of Love, The Taming of the Shrew, King Ubu, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Producer: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, The Rover, Richard III, Cymbeline, The Recruiting Officer, All’s Well That Ends Well. Selected productions: Cymbeline (NYU), The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Waiting for Godot, Hamlet (Outstanding Production 1994 Season, Los Angeles Times), Three Sisters. MFA from the University of California, Irvine and graduate of the National Theater Institute. Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society since 1994. Recipient of 2022 Sidney Berger award from the Shakespeare Theatre Association for outstanding talent and commitment to the works of William Shakespeare. All my love to Adena (my wife) and son, Zeke, who are the guiding stars of my life.
Broadway
Roundabout Theatre Company, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Create The Theatrical Workforce Development Program
Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, President/CEO, in memoriam; Scott Ellis, Acting Artistic Director) and Education at Roundabout (Jennifer DiBella, Director of Education) are proud to announce a Mayoral Citation honoring the Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP), the theatre industry’s first workforce development program to train and place young adults in professional technical theatre careers.
Following a recent “Final Share Out,” showcasing what TWDP’s fifth cohort has learned during training this past year, Mayor Eric Adams praised the program: “I applaud everyone associated with TWDP for their efforts to connect young New Yorkers to long term careers, build a more diverse talent pipeline, and strengthen the technical workforce that powers our theater community. I look forward to the many ways Roundabout and TWDP will continue to make a positive difference as we take bold steps to #GetStuffDone, revitalize our cultural and economic vibrancy, and forge a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future for all.”
“Culture is the heart of New York City, and we know that nothing happens in New York City without art and culture. As the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, I know that our cultural institutions have the experience and deep community relationships to continue to create a workforce that is more reflective of the City of New York. I really want to celebrate Roundabout, and I want to thank all of the TWDP fellows. You persevered and now you are here today making it all happen backstage,” added NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo.
“As a founding partner of the Theatrical Workforce Development Program, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment is proud to join the Roundabout Theatre Company in celebrating the success of the program,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “The ‘Made in NY’ Stagecraft Bootcamp is one of our signature training initiatives which works to diversify NYC’s theatre workforce and develop a strong local talent pipeline to support the industry’s present and future.”
As we celebrate the 100% retention rate of Cohort 5, with all 20 fellows advancing from training onto summer internships across the City, we also acknowledge the six TWDP alumni that have successfully joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union and the 60 more maintaining their careers backstage on and off Broadway.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Founded in 2016, the Theatrical Workforce Development Program aims to break down the barriers that prevent young adults from joining the industry and empower a diverse new generation of theatre professionals. Roundabout’s Theatrical Workforce Development Program is the first collaboration between a theatrical employer and the union that represents backstage workers to train and place young adults in professional careers as Stagehands, Electricians, Sound Engineers, Carpenters, and Wardrobe Workers.
Recruitment is now open for the next group of participants, Cohort 6, who will begin their training in September 2023. Application is contingent on attending either of the remaining information sessions at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center (111 West 46th Street) on Friday, May 26 or Thursday, June 8. Additional information is available at roundabouttheatre.org/twdp.
TWDP includes three years of training, job placement, and one-on-one mentorship with top industry professionals to ensure a smooth and successful transition to professional theatre work. Each year, the program will provide a group of up to 20 fellows with hourly wages, relevant skills and industry knowledge, work experience, access to world-class venues, and resources and support services to navigate this environment.
Roundabout employs more than 400 technical theatre professionals annually and its education programs reach more than 30,000 people each year. For more than twenty years, Roundabout has trained teachers, teaching artists, and high school students in technical theatre skills. In addition to lead partners The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), The Door, and National Black Theatre, additional partners include: Atlantic Theatre Company, New Victory Theater, New 42 Studios, The Public Theater, Dixon Place, Abrons Arts Center, Irish Arts Center, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, City Lyric Opera, Signature Theatre, Gala Productions, Peterborough Players, and Emursive Productions.
Recruitment
The Theatrical Workforce Development Program accepts applications from young adults from New York City who have a high school diploma or HSE. This includes alumni from the existing Roundabout partner schools and on-site after school programs.
Training
In the first year, fellows kick off their training at Roundabout Theatre Company with an intensive six-week “Made in NY” Stagecraft Bootcamp, presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and the NYC Dept. of Small Business Services. For the following six months, fellows are engaging in progressive, hands-on skills and theory training for 29 hours a week in Roundabout’s education spaces and theatre venues, in addition to observing theatre professionals on the job at Roundabout and National Black Theatre, all in preparation for full-time internship placements at a participating theatre or studio in the late spring and summer. Throughout the training program, fellows will receive a living wage, reimbursed travel, one-on-one mentorship with an IATSE professional, access to additional IATSE industry professionals and retention support services.
The second year includes placement in an entry-level job at a not-for-profit theatre, production, or shop in their chosen trade. Fellows will continue to receive one-on-one mentorship with IATSE professionals, Roundabout-led wrap-around career programming, and retention support services from The Door. At the end of this phase, in the third year of the program, fellows will continue to be supported while they pursue contract work from their new professional networks and our cultivated network of theatres and performance, sports, cruise line, and conference venues.
Roundabout’s Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) is made possible through the generosity of Denise Littlefield Sobel, the Mellon Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, the Altman Foundation, the Kaplen Foundation, Capitol One, and the Herbert M. Citrin Foundation.
Major funding to establish the “Made in NY” Stagecraft Bootcamp is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Department of Small Business Services.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, NYC’s Human Resources Administration and Center for Economic Opportunity’s joint support through the Work Progress Program, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
TWDP is made possible by the Champions for Inclusive Theatre and Roundabout’s Forward Fund. We acknowledge the generous friends who support our many efforts to increase representation and inclusion in all aspects of theatre: Elizabeth Armstrong, Bank of America, Eugene and Joann Bissell and the Lillian Lincoln Foundation, Kevin Brown, Barbara and Peter Bye, Ginger McKnight Chavers, Ford Foundation, Jill and Barry Lafer, Gina Maria Leonetti, Iva Mills, Beryl Snyder, and Denise Littlefield Sobel.
Education at Roundabout, including TWDP, is made possible by the leadership and generosity of Roundabout’s Board Education Committee, helmed by Co-Chairs Gess LeBlanc and Jennie Thomas.
Established in 1996, Education at Roundabout annually serves over 30,000 people throughout New York City’s five boroughs and beyond. Roundabout offers nationally recognized programs that use the power of theatre to inspire, engage, and promote social equity through three core areas: Career Training, Community Partnerships, and Teaching and Learning. The deep impact and breadth of our work is a result of programs and curricula curated specifically to build lasting relationships with students, teachers, early-career professionals, audiences, and our local communities. roundabouttheatre.org/education
Roundabout Theatre Company has been working to prioritize and actively incorporate anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion and accountability throughout the institution. Read more about the company’s social justice progress and timeline at roundabouttheatre.org/socialjustic
Roundabout Theatre Company celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, cultivating new works of the present, and educating minds for the future. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills that mission by producing familiar and lesser-known plays and musicals; discovering and supporting talented playwrights; reducing the barriers that can inhibit theatergoing; collaborating with a diverse team of artists; building educational experiences; and archiving over five decades of production history.
Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays and musicals on its five stages: Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre, Studio 54 and Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and Off-Broadway’s Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre.
American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Roundabout’s current and upcoming productions include: Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, directed by Knud Adams; The Refuge Plays by Nathan Alan Davis, directed by Patricia McGregor; Covenant by York Walker, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene; I Need That by Theresa Rebeck, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel; Home by Samm-Art Williams, directed by Kenny Leon; and Jonah by Rachel Bonds.
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The 2023 Chita Rivera Awards were presented at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
The winners were announced and in keeping with the mission of the Chita Rivera Awards, nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensembles in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as outstanding choreography in film that opened during the 2022-2023 season.
The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education and investing in the next generation.
To see the winners and the interviews click here.
John Kander, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell
John Kander, Chita Rivera
Derek Hough, Jared Grimes
Derek Hough, Jared Grimes
Joe Lanteri, Riki Kane Larimer
Riki Kane Larimer
Joe Lanteri, Bonnie Comley, Stewart F. Lane
Tony Yazbeck
Tony Yazbeck
Bebe Neuwirth
Bebe Neuwirth
Clyde Alves, Robyn Hurder
Rob Ashford
Kolton Krouse
Kolton Krouse
Kolton Krouse
Peter John Chursin
Cast members of NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The cast of “New York, New York”
Cast of Bob Fosse’s Dancin
Alyssa Sarnoff, Charlotte d’Amboise
Mattie Love
Joe Lanteri, Andy Blankenbuehler
Andy Blankenbuehler
Jerry Mitchell
Cast of “Gimme Love”
Jeffrey L. Page
Cast members of SOME LIKE IT HOT
J. Harrison Ghee
J. Harrison Ghee
Jordan Roth
Lee Roy Reams
Jennifer Weber
Leo Moctezuma
Davide Torchio, Desmond Richardson
Jacob Guzman
Cast members of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE
Chloe Arnold
And The Winners of The 2023 Drama Desk Awards Are ………
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