Broadway League Reveals Recipients of 2026 League Awards
Since 1992, the League Awards have recognized those who have shown exemplary service to the Touring Broadway industry.
The annual League Awards were held during The Broadway League’s 2026 Spring Road Conference as members and partners were honored for their achievements in support of Touring Broadway. Since 1992, the League Awards have recognized those who have shown exemplary service to the Touring Broadway industry and are regarded as innovators in their profession.
This year’s League Awards recipients include: J. Lynn Singleton (Distinguished Lifetime Service Award), Rich Jaffe (Samuel J. L'Hommedieu Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management), Amy Katz (George MacPherson Road Award), Brett Baker (Outstanding Achievement in Road Group Sales), Jennifer DiBella (Outstanding Achievement in Education and Engagement), and John Gilmour (Outstanding Achievement in Road Marketing & Press).
Award presenters included: Lauren Reid, President of the John Gore Organization, presenting the Samuel J. L’Hommedieu Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management to Rich Jaffe; Laura Matalon, Chief Marketing Officer at Hamilton, presenting the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Road Marketing and Press to John Gilmour; Eric Olmscheid, Executive Director of the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, presenting the Outstanding Achievement in Education and Engagement to Jennifer DiBella; Jen Gallagher, Vice President, Touring at Allied Global Marketing, presenting the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Road Group Sales to Brett Baker; Marc Viscardi, Senior Vice President, Account Strategy and Partnerships at BOND Theatrical, presenting the George MacPherson Road Award to Amy Katz; Al Nocciolino, President of NAC Entertainment, presenting the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award to J. Lynn Singleton.
The Star of Touring Broadway honorees include George Alvord, Merle JO Finks, Timi Kaufman, Jack Koraleski, andCarol Massey.
“Touring Broadway remains essential to the future of our industry, connecting audiences across North America to the power of live theatre while supporting communities, jobs, and the next generation of theatregoers,” said Jason Laks, President of The Broadway League. “The individuals honored today represent the leadership, dedication, and innovation that continue to strengthen Broadway on the Road and ensure its continued growth and impact for years to come.”
“Beyond the Curtain: Addressing Today’s Issues to Secure Tomorrow’s Stage” was the theme for this year’s Broadway League Spring Road Conference as more than 950 attendees arrived in New York City, representing approximately 93 markets around the U.S. and 10 different countries. The conference welcomed League members and their staff, including the presenters, producers, general managers, marketing and press directors, education coordinators, and box office and group sales teams who day in and day out make it possible to present Touring Broadway across the nation and around the world. The conference brings the community together to discuss the state of Broadway on the Road, celebrate recent accomplishments, and provide networking opportunities, all while looking ahead to the future.
2026 LEAGUE AWARD RECIPIENTS
DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
Lynn Singleton joined the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC, ppacri.org) as President in 1983, transforming it from near bankruptcy to one of the premier not-for-profit theatres in North America. Over his tenure, PPAC’s number of events has more than tripled and attendance has increased to over 350,000 patrons annually. As a result of Lynn’s vision and successful fundraising, PPAC has been returned to its historic splendor through more than $50 million in renovations and restorations. Significantly, by expanding the stage, Lynn opened the gateway to presenting blockbuster shows such as The Phantom of the Opera, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King, Wicked and Jersey Boys. PPAC has opened 27 national tours since 2008, including The Phantom of the Opera (2013), Les Misérables (2017), and Tina (2022). With Pretty Woman (2021), PPAC opened not only the tour but its own doors after its pandemic closure, announcing that both PPAC and Broadway were back! Having proven PPAC’s impact on the local economy, Lynn successfully advocated to make Rhode Island the second state to expand its film tax credit to include the opening of pre- and post-Broadway national tours. Under Lynn’s leadership, PPAC has received many accolades. The Center has twice been voted the top 3,000-seat theatre in the nation by Performance Magazine. As co-producer and investor with the Independent Presenters Network, PPAC has received Tony Awards for Best Musical for Moulin Rouge! The Musical(2021), The Band’s Visit (2017), Dear Evan Hansen (2016), Kinky Boots (2013), and Once (2011) as well as the Olivier Award for Best New Musical (2020) for Dear Evan Hansen. For these and other contributions, Lynn has thrice been named a “Driving Force” in the Rhode Island business community by Providence Business News and was on Rhode Island Monthly’s list of the most powerful people (2023). Additionally, he received the John Hazen White, Sr. Leadership in the Arts Award (2018), the inaugural City of Providence Renaissance Award for Highest Achievement in the Arts, and was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2023. Since its founding 1988, Lynn has served as President and CEO of Professional Facilities Management, Inc. (PFM, pfmcorp.com), a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary of the Providence Performing Arts Center. Today, PFM has national management, booking, and/or consulting contracts with 9 facilities in 5 states, presenting a combined total of 1,200 national and international cultural and contemporary performances and attractions annually. PFM’s 2,700-seat theatre in Durham, North Carolina was named Theater of the Year (2018) by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA), a leading trade organization for the live entertainment industry. A member of The Broadway League, Lynn received their Samuel J. L’ Hommedieu Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management (2004). As a member of the League’s Government Relations Committee, Lynn helped craft and lobby for the passage of the Save Our Stages legislation, resulting in the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG) program. Lynn is a voting member of the Tony Awards. After being nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical Category (1999) for Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby, he received an Emmy Award for Best Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program for A&E’s presentation, also starring Ms. Rigby.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESENTER MANAGEMENT
Samuel J. L’Hommedieu Award
Rich Jaffe,CEO of Broadway Across America and CMO of the John Gore Organization, has been promoting live entertainment for more than 30 years with a broad background in commercial entertainment, non-profit regional theater management, and ticketing technology. Today, Rich oversees Broadway Across America's presenting and venue operations business, bringing Touring Broadway to more than 45 markets in North America. Additionally, as CMO, Rich leads all marketing and communications for the company as well as oversight of the company's nationally syndicated weekly television program, The Broadway Show. Rich joined BAA in 2010 to lead Broadway In Boston, overseeing BAA's Broadway presenting business and venue operations in the Boston market. Prior to joining BAA, Rich was part of the leadership team at one of the country's premiere regional non-profit theaters, Trinity Repertory Company. Prior to Trinity Rep, Rich founded and launched the ticketing industry’s first web-based sales analytics company, Live Audience Business Solutions (LABS), introducing yield management principles to the live entertainment industry with clients such as Radio City Entertainment, Big Apple Circus, Disney Theatricals and Dodger Theatricals. Rich began his career spending a decade with MSG/Radio City in various roles, including Marketing Director overseeing family entertainment, concerts, boxing, college basketball, tennis and institutional branding for Madison Square Garden. Rich is proud to be a member of The Broadway League, serving on the Board of Governors, Intra-Industry and Audience Engagement committees and is the current co-Chair of the Business Development Committee.
GEORGE MACPHERSON ROAD AWARD
Amy Katz began her Road Press Agent career in 1995, as publicist for the original tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Tour highlights: original tours of RENT, Billy Joel & Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, Gloria Estefan’s On Your Feet!, Disney’s Aladdin and Frozen. Previous positions: Executive Vice President of Marketing at Troika Entertainment and Associate Director of Press at Manhattan Theatre Club. Amy holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ROAD GROUP SALES
Brett Baker is celebrating his 23rd year with ATG San Francisco. He began his career as a Group Sales Associate and now leads all group and corporate sales for the San Francisco market, while also spearheading the launch of ATG Group Sales for ATG Entertainment in New York. Over the course of his career, Brett has played a key role in launching several pre-Broadway engagements, including Wicked, Legally Blonde, and Beautiful, as well as major national tours such as Hamilton, Hedwig, and Jersey Boys. A marine biologist turned group sales expert, Brett is also proud to serve on the planning committee for the 2026 Spring Road Conference.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ROAD MARKETING & PRESS
John Gilmour is currently the Tour Press Rep for the National Tours of Hamilton and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Previously, he worked at TMG-The Marketing Group/Allied Live/Allied Touring where he led the marketing and press efforts for the national tours of The Book of Mormon, Motown the Musical, Mamma Mia!, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, In The Heights and Avenue Q, among others. John holds dual degrees in General Business Management (Eli Broad College of Business) and Theatre with a dance specialization from Michigan State University; he is certified in Elementary Labanotation by the Dance Notation Bureau. Additionally, John is a YouTube Content Creator @GaymeBoyz and co-founder of Choose Your Own Game Night, an events and gaming company.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Jennifer DiBella is a nationally recognized creative leader working in the intersection of arts, education, and community. She currently serves as Director of Education at Roundabout Theatre Company, where she has worked since 2005. Education at Roundabout reaches over 40,000 people annually through school partnerships, workforce development, and community engagement programming. Under her leadership, the department received the AATE Lin Wright Special Recognition Award. Jennifer holds a MA from NYU and a BA from Wagner College. She serves on the Board of Directors for the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, the Audience Engagement Committee for The Broadway League, and the JobsFirstNYC Policy Committee. She also serves as the co-chair of the Board of the Rutherford Special Education Parents Advocacy Group. In 2011, Jennifer was proud to receive the Dina Rees Evans Theatre in our Schools Award.
STAR OF TOURING BROADWAY AWARDS
The Star of Touring Broadway Awards honor board members, government officials, donors, and volunteers who have provided support to promote and enrich the Broadway Series in their hometowns.
George Alvord has always had a love for the theater. He grew up in New Jersey and his father directed off-Broadway shows, many of which George performed in as a child. In college, he taught theater and stagecraft at a prestigious girl’s school in Kansas City, MO. He also toured with Starlight Theater in Kansas City as a chorus member. Little did he know this childhood love would lead to his dedicated, unwavering service as a board member for the Orpheum Theatre Group, lending his time and talents to Memphis’ premier performing arts organization for four decades. George moved to Memphis in 1982 to develop a Food Service Division for Dobbs House which would launch a lengthy career feeding people all over the world. George was named President of the Americas for Gate Gourmet, the new parent company of Dobbs Houses, and oversaw the feeding of airline passengers in 39 countries. On 9/11/2001, he was instrumental in helping the FBI locate the terrorist cell that was responsible for the attacks by sharing the company’s well-kept records of applications for employment. After resigning in 2004 from Gate Gourmet, he led a group of investors to purchase Lenny’s Sub Shop chain. His tenure as an Orpheum Theatre Group Board Member began in 1984 when his boss asked him if he would like to serve on the Orpheum Board as his community service project. When George walked into the Orpheum for the first time, he remembers a bulldozer and a big mess. But this was now part of his job, so he embraced it. Since that day, George’s commitment to the Orpheum and its employees has never waned. George served as Chairman of the Memphis Development Foundation (now Orpheum Theatre Group) and worked tirelessly during the theatre’s 1996 stage expansion to ensure that blockbuster shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon could come to Memphis audiences. Through his years of service, George was able to combine his love of people, food and the theater. He provided many Lenny’s Philadelphia cheesesteaks to Orpheum Auction Galas over the years. George considered himself very blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the Orpheum. It brought him great joy.
JO Finks is a longtime VIP donor, board member, and passionate arts advocate whose generosity and leadership have made a lasting impact at ASU Gammage. A supporter since 2003, with a connection to the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed theater dating back to her first visit in 1971, JO has championed ASU Gammage as a season subscriber, donor leader, and member of the 50th Anniversary and Return to the Stage boards. Her support spans annual and estate giving, endowments, sponsorships, and donor engagement, with a special commitment to Cultural Participation programs serving children, schools, military families, and underserved communities. She has also been a strong advocate for broadening audiences and creating more inclusive community experiences, encouraging initiatives such as the annual PRIDE NIGHT celebration, now entering its third year and continuing to grow in popularity and impact. A steadfast believer in the power of theater to connect, heal, and inspire, JO’s continued dedication strengthens artistic excellence and expands access to the performing arts for generations to come.
Based in Moweaqua, Illinois, Timi Kaufman has spent decades bridging the gap between rural communities and the magic of live performance. Her company, Timi’s Tours, is a cornerstone of the St. Louis touring market and an important partner of The Fabulous Fox. By removing the barriers of distance for rural patrons, Timi consistently ensures that Touring Broadway remains accessible to all. From the streets of St. Louis to Times Square, Timi Kaufman represents the tireless spirit of advocacy that keeps the national touring industry thriving.
Jack Koraleski spent over 43 years at Union Pacific in Omaha, Nebraska, holding a range of leadership positions, including Chairman, President, and CEO, before his retirement. Currently, Jack is Chair of the Omaha Performing Arts Board of Directors and Vice Chair of the OPAS Foundation. He is also a Trustee of Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha and has served on a variety of community boards including Heritage Omaha, Creighton University, The University of Nebraska Foundation, and Nebraska Methodist Hospital and Foundation. He is the past Chair of the Bridges Investment Fund, and a former director of Martin Marietta. Jack received his undergraduate and MBA from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) College of Business and is a current member of their National Advisory Board. Over the years, Jack has been recognized for his leadership and achievements with the UNO College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award, UNO Citation for Alumni Achievement, ICAN Advocate for Women in Leadership, and the Methodist Hospital F. E. Borchers Award for Community Service. Jack and his wife Stephanie reside in Omaha. They have four children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild and attend Broadway shows at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha regularly!
Carol Massey has served on Dr. Phillips Center’s Board of Directors since 2012, providing more than a decade of thoughtful leadership and strategic guidance to the organization. A longtime supporter of the performing arts, Carol has subscribed to Broadway Across America at Dr. Phillips Center since 2016, continuing a passion for Broadway that began long before the arts center opened its doors. For Carol, attending touring Broadway productions is more than an evening of entertainment - it is a shared experience that celebrates creativity, connection and community. Beyond her Broadway support, Carol and the Massey family made a leadership contribution to the continued growth of Dr. Phillips Center through The Harvey & Carol Massey Foundation. Massey Services has also provided significant sponsorship support to the organization. Together, these contributions have helped build and expand access to arts education and community initiatives, ensuring the performing arts continue to inspire future generations.
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