NEWSIES Announces Special Opening Night Ticket Lottery!

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) has just announced that 100 tickets to Newsies will be available via lottery for the opening night performance on Thursday, March 29th. The ticket allotment has been donated by Disney Theatrical Productions, allowing 100% of the proceeds to benefit BC/EFA. Beginning at Noon, patrons are invited to enter the lottery for 100 tickets; winners will be drawn at 12:30PM. Winners may then purchase up to two $30.00 cash only tickets to that evening's performance. Winners must be present with valid identification at the time of the drawing.

Newsies has established itself as one of the hottest shows of the spring season, its limited run already extended to meet ticket demand. This opening night lottery – along with the lottery offered at regular performances – affords access to seats at a significantly reduced rate.

Newsies, the new American musical, is playing out Broadway's Nederlander Theatre (208 W 41st St) for a limited performance run following its critically-hailed stint at Paper Mill Playhouse last fall. The musical, featuring music by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Sister Act), lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony® Award winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), will play through August 19th. Newsies, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, is directed by Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun (Big River revival) and choreographed by Tony nominee Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific revival).

The Broadway company of Newsies features Jeremy Jordan (Bonnie & Clyde) as Jack Kelly, John Dossett (2003 revival of Gypsy) as Joseph Pulitzer, Kara Lindsay (Little House on the Prairie) as Katherine Plumber, Capathia Jenkins (Caroline, or Change) as Medda, Ben Fankhauser (Spring Awakening national tour) as Davey, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Mary Poppins) as Crutchie, and Lewis Grosso (Mary Poppins), and Matthew Schechter (Elf) alternating the role of Les. Jordan, Dossett, Lindsay, Fankhauser and Keenan-Bolger will all reprise the roles they created in the Paper Mill Playhouse production last fall.

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged 'newsies,' who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys' expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what's right.

Newsies is inspired by the real-life 'Newsboy Strike of 1899,' when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers.

Tickets for Newsies are available for purchase through NewsiesTheMusical.com, by calling Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at 866-870-2717, or in person at the Nederlander Theatre box office (208 W. 41st Street). Box office hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00am – 8:00pm and Sunday 10:30am – 7:00pm.

Newsies Ticket Lottery: 100 tickets for the Opening Night performance on March 29, 2012 at 6:30pm will be sold through a lottery. Entries will be accepted at the Nederlander Theatre box office beginning at Noon for up to two tickets.

· At 12:30pm, names will be drawn at random for 100 tickets priced at $30 each.

· Only one entry is allowed per person.

· Entries are checked for duplication prior to drawing.

· Winners must be present at the time of the drawing and show valid ID to purchase tickets.

· Limit one entry per person and two tickets per winner.

· Tickets may be purchased with cash ONLY.

· Tickets are subject to availability.

Terms & Conditions: Offer not valid on prior purchased tickets and may not be combined with any other offer. ALL SALES FINAL. No refunds. Not all seats are discounted. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply. Dates, times, prices and cast subject to change without notice. Offer may be revoked without notice. Offer only valid 3/29/2012. Prices include $2 facility fee.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares awards annual grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.