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MEMPHIS Launches INSPIRE CHANGE Campaign to Bring Students to Broadway
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 02, 2010
The thrilling new musical MEMPHIS will fuel the imaginations of thousands of New York and New Jersey students through the new educational program INSPIRE CHANGE. Students from arts-poor schools will experience historical events in a new musical way, through tickets to the Broadway production, an in-school dynamic pre-show workshop led by a MEMPHIS cast member and teaching artists, as well as a post-show discussion with the MEMPHIS actors. Ticket to MEMPHIS, round-trip transportation and the workshop/post-show experience will be provided by the funders of INSPIRE CHANGE. The program is run by educational consultancy group iTheatrics (www.itheatrics.com).
To date donors have generously provided funding for more than 1,000 students to experience INSPIRE CHANGE at MEMPHIS, including KIPP: STAR School in Harlem, which was the impetus for this program. After seeing the show on his own, middle school English teacher Trenton Price of KIPP: STAR School wrote to the MEMPHIS producers stating that "I know it's rare to see a show with which my student population in Harlem can identify (through music, racial identities, and civil rights history). While our school runs nicely, we are not, unfortunately, able to financially look at events like Broadway shows for our students. Nevertheless, given the subject matter and the amazingly talented cast and production I was wondering if there were any events you sponsor for New York City public schools".The Kenneth and Marleen Alhadeff Charitable Foundation
Bill and Linda Potter
Jim and Susan Blair
Rick and Linda LinnewehDonors are invited to join the students at the performance and take part in their post show discussion with the cast about their experiences with MEMPHIS. Other schools participating in the launch of INSPIRE CHANGE include Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School in Staten Island and Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School.
MEMPHIS features a brand new score with music by Bon Jovi's founding member/keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical's book. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).
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