Christopher and Veronica Jackson & More to be Honored at TDF's Fall Fundraiser

TDF's annual fall fundraiser Broadway Breakfast will be held at the iconic Rainbow Room on Wednesday, October 28 at 8 a.m. Guests will enjoy a seated breakfast and the venue’s NYC skyline views along with performances by Broadway stars and inspiring stories that celebrate theatre.

The TDF Founders Award will be presented to the Adult Access Initiative. This newly formed collective is an effort from a group of many Broadway producers, including Mara Isaacs, Thomas M. Neff, and Craig Balsam, that seeks to make theatrical experiences accessible for people of all ages with autism, and to include the entire theatrical community in these efforts. The TDF Founders Award honors individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a deep commitment to TDF and its mission, and who embody the organization’s vision of a world where the transformative experience of attending live theatre and dance is essential, relevant, accessible, and inspirational. The Adult Access Initiative has partnered with TDF since 2023, helping to broaden TDF Autism Friendly Performances (AFP), including facilitating special performances of Hadestown, JOB, Just In Time, and Ragtime, and are providing key support for TDF’s 2026-2027 AFP season. 

Christopher and Veronica Jackson will be honored with the Christina Trivigno Advocate Award for their steadfast advocacy within the performing arts community for people with autism. Two years ago, TDF lost a beloved friend and colleague, Christina Trivigno, after a protracted battle with cancer. Not only was Christina fearless in her advocacy for accessibility, but she was also a senior leader in our industry, representing a small number of wheelchair users who have reached the echelons of upper management in the American theatre, modeling for so many what is possible. To honor Christina’s contributions to TDF and to the field at large, the Christina Trivigno Advocate Award is granted each year to an extraordinary artist, activist, or creator in our community.

The 15th season of TDF Autism Friendly Performances (AFP) kicked off with the first-ever AFP of Lincoln Center Theater’s acclaimed, Tony®-winning revival of Ragtime on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The season, which expands to ten AFPs this year, will also feature the first-ever AFP of The Great Gatsby on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Broadway Theatre, as well as returning shows Hadestown on Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Walter Kerr Theatre, Maybe Happy Ending on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Belasco Theatre, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes® on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at Radio City Music Hall, and The Lion King on Sunday, January 31, 2027 at 1 p.m. at the Minskoff Theatre.

With these six productions confirmed through January 2027 and more to come next spring, TDF’s 15th season of AFP promises to bring the most offerings yet.

TDF Autism Friendly Performances launched in 2011 with a performance of Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway. Since then, there have been AFP of Broadway's & Juliet, Aladdin, Buena Vista Social Club, Cats, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes®, Come From Away, Elf: The Musical, Hamilton, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, How to Dance in Ohio, JOB, Just In Time, Kinky Boots, Mary Poppins, Matilda The Musical, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ The Musical, My Fair Lady, New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Our Town, SIX, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The King and I, The Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked.

The program operates under the umbrella of TDF Accessibility Programs. To create an autism-friendly setting, the shows are performed in a welcoming, supportive environment for children and adults diagnosed with autism, sensory and communication disorders, or learning disabilities. Slight adjustments are made to the productions where possible, including the reduction of jarring sounds and strobe lights focused into the audience. In the theatre lobby, there are staffed break areas in case audience members need to leave their seats during the performance. Downloadable resources, including a Visual Narrative with pictures of the theatre and the production, are available in advance on the TDF website. For AFP, TDF purchases every seat in the theatre and makes the tickets available at discount prices exclusively to families, groups, schools, etc. whose members include individuals on the autism spectrum.

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