Tony Winner Jbara Hosts Kids' Night on Broadway 'Town Hall Meeting' Event 9/15

Kids brainstorm for Broadway this September! As part of Kids' Night on Broadway during Back2Broadway Month in September, Camp Broadway and members of the Broadway League's Kids Advisory Board are proud to present the first-ever Kids' Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, September 15th from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. The one-hour meeting will be moderated by 2009 Tony Award Winner, Gregory Jbara, from BILLY ELLIOT, who will encourage kids to share their opinions, ideas and experiences on a variety of Broadway related topics. The information collected from the attendees will be shared with the Broadway community to enhance audience development programming.

"I'm delighted to host such an important discussion about Broadway with the next generation of theatregoers," commented Gregory Jbara, 2009 Tony Award Winner for his role in Billy Elliot, "As a father of two, I appreciate the theatre community's desire to have an open dialogue with kids to listen to their ideas."

The Kids' Town Hall will take place at the Times Square Arts Center: Main Event Room located at 669 8th Ave., New York, NY 10036 (between 42nd and 43rd). Kids are encouraged to RSVP by emailing KidsTownHall@CampBroadway.com

On Wednesday, September 16th, Thru The Stage Door and The Broadway League will host an award-winning panel of actors, producers, directors and designers who will talk about the exciting upcoming fall season and take kids' questions about all things Broadway in STAR CHATS: KIDS! Panelists include: Sue Frost (Producer, MEMPHIS), Olga Merediz (Actor, IN THE HEIGHTS), Deanna Cipolla (Actor, BYE, BYE BIRDIE), FOLLES), and Jordan Roth (President, Jujamcyn Theaters).

"Developing and encouraging new audiences is vital to the future of Broadway, and over the last few years, the number of theatregoers under 18 has been growing," commented Jordan Roth, the newly appointed President of Jujamcyn Theaters. "Thought-provoking and entertaining plays and musicals enrich our lives and also inspire new careers. I'm looking forward to meeting our future industry leaders!"

The Star Chat: Kids! panel will take place from 5:30pm to 6:30pm in the screening room at Planet Hollywood located at 1540 Broadway at 45th Street. Kids are encouraged to RSVP by visiting www.kidsnightonbroadway.com/fan. The event is open to ticket-holders for KNOB performances on September 15 and 16, 2009.

Please note: All information and participants subject to change

More information for both events as well as all Back2Broadway events can be found at www.ILoveNYTheatre.com.

Also, on September 15th and 16th Kids go free at Madame Tussauds New York! Log onto www.Kidsnightonbroadway.com for details and to download a coupon!

About Kids' Night on Broadway
Kids' Night on Broadway, kids age 6-18 get to see a participating Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. See terms and conditions. In NYC, KNOB participants can experience the behind-the-scenes magic of Broadway at a free fan festival. Plus, kids eat for less thanks to special family discounts at Times Square-area restaurants, and there are great parking deals. All attendees receive a special KNOB souvenir playbill, provided by Theatre Development Fund. Tickets are still available; see the full list of participating shows and restaurants for September 2009. All information about Kids Night on Broadway and the Kids Advisory Board can be found at www.KidsNightOnBroadway.com and check out FACEBOOK Kids' Night on Broadway fan page.

Back2Broadway Month
To celebrate Broadway overall and to kickoff of the new theatre season, September has become Back2Broadway Month with lots of free, fun events to enjoy, including the Kid's Town Hall, talk backs, concerts, special ticket offers, great dining deals, interactive activities and more. Check out Back2Broadway's event calendar at www.ILoveNYTheater.com.

Gregory Jbara
Greg Jbara won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of "Jackie Elliot" (Dad) in Billy Elliot. Also on Broadway, Mr. Jbara originated the roles of André Thibault in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Drama Desk Nomination), Squash Bernstein in Victor/Victoria and Sohovik in the 1994 revival of Damn Yankees!. In 1997, Mr. Jbara was the second actor to star as Billy Flynn in the Tony Award winning revival of Chicago. LA Theatre credits include: Little Fish, Precious Sons (Garland Award), ...House That Jack Built and First Lady Suite at The Blank Theatre and Felix & Oscar at The Geffen. Upcoming projects include the films Out Of Step and Exit Speed and the faux docu-series "The Other Hef" at Sharenow.com. Other films include: Project 96b (48 Hour Film Project-LA Winner '07), Enchanted, Ira & Abby, In & Out, Jeffrey, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The First 20 Million..., World Trade Center, Out-Of-Towners. TV recurring roles on "Grounded For Life," "That's Life," "The Drew Carey Show," and "All My Children." TV guest starring roles include "Monk", "The Unit," "Twenty Good Years," "Conviction," "Friends," "Century City," "The West Wing," "Without A Trace," "Touched By An Angel," "Crossing Jordan," "Providence," "Ally McBeal," "Malcolm In The Middle," "Frasier," "Family Guy," "American Dad," "Rocket Power," and "Come On Over." Juilliard graduate. Resides in Los Angeles with wife Julie and sons Zachary and Aidan. www.GregoryJbara.com

About Camp Broadway
CAMP BROADWAY® is Broadway's original summer camp for theatre-loving kids. Since 1995, the company has grown into a leader in theatre arts programming, special events, and curricula development as publisher of StageNotes®: A Field Guide For Teachers. Camp Broadway has hosted over 10,000 kids from 50 states and many foreign countries at its annual summer camps in NYC and across America, while providing first-time Broadway experiences to over 200,000 children through its performance workshops and community outreach programs. Camp Broadway was featured on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® telecast from 2001-2008. In 2009, forty campers attended the Tony Award ceremony. Camp Broadway is dedicated to presenting programs that promote life-long learning through the performing arts.

About Thru The Stage Door
Thru The Stage Door, exists to create extraordinary theatre experiences and arts learning tools that educate, ignite curiosity about the artistic process, build new theatre-going audiences and inspire a life-long love for the arts. Co-founded by Broadway veterans Philip Katz and Dori Berinstein, Thru The Stage Door is proud to produce immersive, interactive, cutting edge Online Study Guides for educators, students and families. The Online Guide has been named "The Official Study Guide of Kids Night on Broadway." Thru The Stage Door's Interactive Study Guides have already been completed for White Christmas, West Side Story, Legally Blonde The Musical, Million Dollar Quartet, The Opera Show and the newest Broadway hit Shrek The Musical. Additionally, Thru The Stage Door is the creator of Broadway 101 designed to introduce kids to the world of Broadway from inception through to the Tony Awards. For more information, visit www.thruthestagedoor.com.

About The Broadway League
The Broadway League, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. Visit BroadwayLeague.com. For information about shows in other cities across the U.S. and Canada, visit TouringBroadway.com.

About the Broadway League's Kids Advisory Board
The Broadway League's Kids Advisory Board is an integral part of League programs focused around young audiences. The board will assist the League by serving as a source for information on what kids think about theatre. By engaging directly with young theatregoers, the League can explore how to enhance various industry programs for children and teens, including Kids' Night on Broadway and digital initiatives. This group will help the League learn directly from the experts: kids who love Broadway.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.