Photos: Sean McCourt, Josh Grisetti & More at Partners in Education Expo '09

This week, Nederlander Sales and Patron Services and Camp Broadway® hosted the first "Partners in Education Expo" for educators throughout the New York City and the surrounding areas at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre. The event was designed to provide attending educators with strategies and techniques for using performing arts to enrich learning. 

The Expo included exhibitors from licensing houses, meet and greets with theatre artists, and interactive demonstrations. It also featured information about popular NYC educational attractions and restaurants to help customize fieldtrips. 

Representatives from more than a dozen Broadway shows including Wicked, Billy Elliot, West Side Story, In the Heights, Memphis, Next to Normal, Ragtime, Finian's Rainbow, Rock of Ages, and The Neil Simon Plays were on hand to help familiarize educators with the storylines and the scope of educational possibilities through theater. Additional exhibitors included representatives from the Drama Bookshop, Music Theatre International, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Madam Tussauds, Sh-K-Boom, Ghostlight Records, NYC Metro Parent, Educational Theatre Association, The Broadway League, New World Stages, "Lights on Broadway with Brian Stokes Mitchell, and, of course, Camp Broadway and Nederlander Sales and Patron Services.  

Guest speakers included producer/actor Sean McCourt, Ragtime producer Tom Kirdhy, author Bo Metzler, and NAMI President Janet Susin.  

Sean McCourt created and currently produces "Behind The Emerald Curtain," the popular theatre education experience that is held in the Wicked Lobby on Saturday mornings. Experienced as an actor in Wicked and Mary Poppins, Mr. McCourt will describe how his program provides a unique view at the hundreds of people and millions of details that are all part of the theatre, backstage.

Tom Khirdy, the attorney and one of the lead producers on the current revival of Ragtime, spoke about his attraction to and experiences with the production, and lead a discussion about the positive and powerful impact the show can have on children of all ages due to the always relevant themes of fairness, right vs. wrong, work ethics, and the impact of personal choice.

Bo Metzler, author of the book, "What We Do In The Theatre," will discuss how and why he wrote this book, what it means to him, and how it can be useful to atendees. The presentation will include a Q&A and book signing opportunities.

Janet Susin, President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and co-author of the lesson plans, Breaking the Silence, spoke specifically on the current Broadway hit Next to Normal and how this kind of show can help students develop a clear and accurate understanding of mental health issues. 

In addition, several lucky attendees won tickets to Broadway shows and area attractions, memorabilia, books, artwork and CD's in a raffle drawing.