The Bushnell Theatre Donate Proceeds from THE LION KING to Haiti

The Bushnell Theatre in Connecticut will collect funds to be donated to the American Red Cross to help the disaster in Haiti, Frank Rizzo of the courant.com reports. The Bushnell, in association with The Reach Foundation, will collect money during intermission of THE LION KING through February 14th. All proceeds donated will go directly to the Red Cross.

Several other theatres will join in the collection effort, including the XL Center in Hartford and The Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford.

As Connecticut's premier presenter of the performing arts, The Bushnell has delighted and inspired audiences for more than seven decades and plays a leading role in the state's cultural life. The Bushnell, a nonprofit organization, is renowned for community programs, as well as being a leading educator and advocate of the arts.

Katharine HepburnWith an annual roster of over 350 events and an annual audience of over 300,000, The Bushnell is a major economic driver for the Greater Hartford region and the State of Connecticut. The number of annual events and attendance has increased by 50% with the opening of the new addition.

The Bushnell presents major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, travel films and children's theater. In 2001, The Bushnell also began presenting off-Broadway, jazz, blues, cabaret and comedy performances as well as concerts and world music events.

The Bushnell is an active supporter of Hartford's diverse performing arts and community organizations. The theater serves as the performance home of Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut Opera and The Connecticut Forum. In fact, three-quarters of The Bushnell's yearly bookable dates are utilized by local arts and community productions. In its role as supporter of the local arts, The Bushnell provides leadership and technical assistance to community and arts organizations, as well as rental discounts of more than $350,000 annually. For more information visit www.bushnell.org.

Founded in 1993, the REACH (Road to Educational Achievement through Choice) Foundation is dedicated to ensuring parental choice in education in Pennsylvania. REACH continually promotes policies that enable statewide parental choice in education, including the well-established and highly successful EITC Program. For more information on the REACH Foundation, visit www.paschoolchoice.org.