400 NYC Students Make B'way Debut With Corbin Bleu at Majestic Theatre 5/17

Over 400 students representing 18 New York City public middle schools will have the chance of a lifetime when they perform songs from Broadway musicals on the stage of the Majestic Theatre (245 W. 44 St.) on Monday, May 17 from 10:45 a.m. to noon, as part of the 5th annual BROADWAY JUNIOR STUDENT SHARE program, this year hosted by the popular young performer Corbin Bleu, currently starring on Broadway in the musical "In the Heights" and one of the stars of Disney's phenomenally successful "High School Musical" film and television series.

Sponsored by The Shubert Foundation, Musical Theatre International (MTI), along with the New York City Department of Education and Arts Connection, the BROADWAY JUNIOR STUDENT SHARE on May 17 marks the first time that the event has taken place on a Broadway stage.

The participating students (grades 6-8) come to BROADWAY JUNIOR STUDENT SHARE as part of a two-year arts and education program that sends teaching artists into public schools to instruct youngsters in all aspects of the performing arts and what it takes to put on a show, preparing the students to produce a musical in their schools.

On Monday, May 17, the students from the 18 public schools in New York City will take to the stage of the Majestic and perform numbers from the junior editions of such well-known musicals at "Annie," "Once on this Island," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Honk!," "Willy Wonka" and "Aladdin." Many of the 400-plus youngsters who will participate in BROADWAY JUNIOR STUDENT SHARE have never seen a Broadway show, let alone perform on a Broadway stage (not the least of which - the one where the famed PHANTOM has been performing more than 9000 times since 1987.)

Since 2005, The Shubert Foundation has provided nearly $1.5 million to the New York City Department of Education for Arts Education/theater programs. This year marks the Foundation's fifth year providing funds for BROADWAY JUNIOR STUDENT SHARE.

The Shubert Foundation is the nation's largest private foundation dedicated to unrestricted funding of not-for-profit performing arts organizations, and is especially interested in professional resident theatres that develop and produce new and significant work that expands the American theatrical repertoire. The Foundation is also committed to making quality theatre accessible nationwide, by extending support to theatre companies and groups that work on behalf of the underserved populations.

The Shubert Foundation, Inc. was established in 1945 by the legendary team of the brothers Lee and J.J. Shubert who produced more than 520 plays, musicals and revues as well as owned and operated a nationwide network of legitimate theatres.

The Shubert Archive, a comprehensive collection of more than 6,000,000 documents related to The Shuberts' historic and contemporary theatrical activities, also operates under the Foundation aegis. The Archive is accessible to scholars by appointment and at www.shubertarchive.org.

Philip J. Smith is Chairman of The Shubert Foundation and The Shubert Organization. Robert Wankel is President of The Shubert Organization. Michael I Sovern is President of The Shubert Foundation, Inc.

For more information about The Shubert Foundation visit www.shubertfoundation.org

Photo credit: Jennifer Forchelli