Industry Pro Newsletter: Broadway Cares Distributes $3.2 Million, Lortel Awards Dates Announced

From Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS distributing $3.2 million to food programs nationwide to financial updates and future plans at 54 Below, the theater community continues to navigate challenges while supporting artists and audiences alike. We also look ahead to key dates for the Lucille Lortel Awards, explore a Stage Mag spotlight on THE SOUND INSIDE at Capital Stage, and share a moving PBS feature on Ukrainian theater uplifting children during wartime.

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Industry Trends

Broadway Cares Sends $3.2 Million to Food and Meal Delivery Programs Across the Country

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded a record $3,207,500 to 158 food pantries, meal delivery services, and congregate meal programs across the U.S. on February 10, 2026. The grants, funded by the theater community and donors through the #RedBuckets campaign, support food access for people affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses in 38 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. This distribution marks the first round of the organization’s 2026 National Grants Program. Additional grants for health services and emergency assistance are planned for spring and summer.

Broadway/New York

How 54 Below Is Confronting Financial Challenges; Richard Frankel Discusses the Future

Managing Director Richard Frankel says cabaret venue 54 Below is facing financial challenges but remains hopeful about its future. Rumors about the space being marketed for lease were denied by the venue, which is instead negotiating a lease extension through 2027. As a nonprofit, 54 Below reported a negative net income in 2024 and increased liabilities, though Frankel says 2025 looks closer to break-even. The venue is exploring revenue through streaming, private events, $15 ticket initiatives, donations, and an annual benefit concert to support operations.

Dates Set for 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards

The 41st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards ceremony will be held Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM at NYU Skirball. Nominations are scheduled for announcement on Wednesday, April 1, with a Nominees’ Breakfast at Signature Theatre April 15. Special Award recipients include Lifetime Achievement honoree Mia Katigbak and Playwrights’ Sidewalk recipient William Finn. Tickets go on sale beginning April 7 at tickets.nyu.edu or at the Skirball box office. The awards honor excellence in Off-Broadway theater.

Regional

Stage Mag Spotlight: THE SOUND INSIDE at Capital Stage

The Stage Mag spotlight highlights Capital Stage’s production of The Sound Inside. Stage Mag is a fully interactive digital show program service that showcases cast headshots, bios, sponsors, advertisements, and links for ticket purchase. It allows inclusion of interactive features like audience polls and BroadwayWorld news. The platform also offers tools to build digital programs with photos, videos, and social media for various production types. Audiences can access program content easily via QR code or web link.

International

Video: PBS Highlights Ukrainian Theater Bringing Joy to Children Amidst War

PBS NewsHour’s arts series CANVAS featured a segment on a children’s theater in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where young people continue to learn and perform despite four years of war. The video highlights how theater offers discipline, joy, and a creative outlet for children living under constant threat of bombardment. The coverage emphasizes the role of the arts in providing moments of normalcy and emotional relief amid ongoing conflict, showing children engaging in theatrical activities even with war overhead.

Missed our last few newsletters?

February 9, 2026 - Equity vs. Spotlight, Washington Post Layoffs, and Broadway Bares News

This week’s newsletter brings together stories of accountability, advocacy, and adaptation across the theatre world. We cover artists and organizations responding to public scrutiny, including Lauren Gunderson’s statement following her appearance in the Epstein files and the Washington Post’s elimination of its chief theater critic role. Elsewhere, new initiatives and events push forward, from Broadway Bares gearing up for its next benefit and Katharine Quinn launching a Broadway-focused marketing agency to Broadway showtunes finding new life on the ice. The issue also examines ongoing debates over access, transparency, and infrastructure, from Equity’s dispute with Spotlight in the UK to closed-door discussions about Portland’s Keller Auditorium.

February 2, 2026 - More Staff Shake Ups at the Kennedy Center, New York’s Awards Season Takes Shape

We open this week with Colleen Dilenschneider’s look at the rise of localism and what it means for cultural organizations navigating tighter schedules and higher barriers to participation. On the awards front, key dates are set for the Tonys, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle, alongside a call for nominations for BroadwayWorld’s Stage Recording Awards. Elsewhere, we cover shifts in Broadway opening-night traditions, major benefit events, regional programming pauses, leadership changes, and a significant format change for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End.

January 26, 2026 - Performers Push Back on ‘The Show Must Go On’, Williamstown Will Produce in 2027

Inside, you’ll find practical guidance for performers, timely conversations about safety, labor, and financial realities on Broadway, and a celebration of the often-unsung artists who keep shows running. We also look beyond New York to regional theaters rethinking their futures, another Kennedy Center cancellation, and an international announcement bringing a popular screen property to the London stage.

BroadwayWorld Resources

BroadwayWorld Stage Mag - A Fully Interactive Show Program

The digital solution to your show program needs - want to see what's possible? Check out the Stage Mag's for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and for The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)! Then start building your own at stagemag.broadwayworld.com.

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