Laura Benanti To Host TDF's BROADWAY BREAKFAST Fundraiser

Tony winner Laura Benanti will host TDF's annual fall fundraiser Broadway Breakfast for the second year in a row. Set for Wednesday, October 28 at 8 a.m. at the iconic Rainbow Room, the event will celebrate the 15th season of TDF Autism Friendly Performances. The honorees will include Christopher and Veronica Jackson and the Adult Access Initiative, as well as newly named recipient NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, who will accept the Victoria Bailey Impact Award on behalf of the City Council.

The Victoria Bailey Impact Award acknowledges the dedication and vision of TDF's former Executive Director, Victoria Bailey, and is given each year to an individual or organization that furthers TDF's mission. TDF has received funding from the New York City Council Autism Initiative since its launch in 2016, helping to grow the TDF Autism Friendly Performances program from four annually to ten this season.

As previously announced, 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, and the TDF Founders Award will be presented to the Adult Access Initiative, a collective 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.

The 15th season of TDF Autism Friendly Performances (AFP) kicked off this summer with the first-ever AFP of Lincoln Center Theater's acclaimed, Tony-winning revival of Ragtime on Sunday, July 26, followed by Hadestown on Sunday, August 23. 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 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 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.

The funds raised at the TDF Broadway Breakfast will provide vital support for the not-for-profit's wide range of Accessibility, Education, and Community Programs that ensure the performing arts are accessible to all.