Commercial Theater Institute Announces 2016-17 Season

Tom Viertel, Executive Director of Commercial Theater Institute (CTI), has announced the 2016 - 2017 Season. CTI is the theatre industry's leading training and professional development program and covers a wide range of topics featuring over 100 of the most distinguished industry professionals as lecturers and panelists including many Tony Award®- winning producers. CTI programs include a 14-week program that explores producing in-depth, a 3-day intensive introduction to producing and half-day or one day workshops on specialized topics. More to be announced!

"For over 35 years, CTI has offered fun and informative programs for future producers and investors. The 2016-2017 season will once again provide participants with an opportunity to learn and network with each other and many of Broadway's top professionals. It's a wonderful chance to get started or to keep moving forward," said Mr. Viertel. "This is one of the most magical things you can do in life."

For details and schedules of all CTI programs, call 212.586.1109 or visit www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com

Follow on Twitter @CTIPrograms and facebook.com/CommercialTheaterInstitute.

FALL 2016:

The Power of Negative Thinking: Learning from Failure

Wednesday, November 2: 7pm - 5pm

A one-on-one interview session between Jeffrey Seller, the producer of the Broadway mega-sensation Hamilton, and Drew Hodges, founder of SpotCo, one of the Broadway's leading advertising agencies. This is an opportunity to learn from the man whose production is redefining musical theater and achieving unprecedented success.

The Vocabulary of Producing

Friday, November 18: 10am - 5pm

This session will define the main terms that regularly crop up in the course of producing and running a show including legal, financial, advertising, technical and touring vocabulary.

SPRING 2017 PROGRAMS:

CTI 14 Week Program

Mondays from January 16 to May 1

This discussion-based and interactive course will provide you with a well-rounded understanding of the ins-and-outs of producing, introduce you to cutting-edge developments in commercial theater, and offer indispensable networking opportunities. By application only, limited to 27 participants.

Marketing (Two Day Seminar)

Thursday, March 9 - Friday, March 10: 10:00am to 5:00pm

This two-day course brings together top marketing executives as well as specialists in emerging digitAl Fields to give you a state-of-the-art understanding of how to sell a Broadway Show.

Legal Aspects of Producing (CLE)

Wednesday, March 29 - Thursday, March 30: 6:00pm to 9:15pm

The Entertainment Arts and Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, in collaboration with the Commercial Theater Institute, will host this annual intensive CLE seminar.

Vocabulary of Producing

Wednesday, April 5 - Thursday, April 6: 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Taught by professionals from every walk of theatrical life, this is a chance to clear up your uncertainties and make sure you know what you're talking about. This course is being offered as a one-day session in the fall and over two evenings in the spring.

Three-Day Intensive

Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23

This program - held each spring for over three decades - gives you a comprehensive overview of producing for the commercial theater and is renowned for its networking opportunities.

The Development Process

Friday, May 5: 10:00am to 5:00pm

This one-day seminar gives you an understanding of union contracts for readings, labs, festivals, and regional productions, how to budget their costs, and who to invite into each stage of the process. We explore the pros and cons of each developmental option to help you choose the best next steps for your show.

Investor Relations/How to Pitch

Friday, May 19: 10:00am to 5:00pm

This one-day seminar will take you through the process of finding co-producers, creating the materials you need to convince them to join your project, and producing the events that will get investors interested.

Who Gets What

Wednesday, May 31: 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Producers need to develop financial plans and standards before they begin raising money. This half-day intensive reviews the industry standards in these areas, as well as some of the more innovative approaches.

Small Productions - NEW COURSE

Friday, June 9: 10:00am to 5:00pm

This full day course will explore how and where to mount a small production, how to find the resources to make tiny budgets go far, and how to find an audience.

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THE COMMERCIAL THEATER INSTITUTE (CTI), now in its 36th year, is a project of The Broadway League and Theatre Development Fund (TDF). The nation's only formal program that specifically trains commercial theatre producers, CTI provides resources and guidance to individuals interested in the various paths one can take towards creating commercial productions for the stage. For details and schedules of all CTI programs, visit www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com or call 212.586.1109. Facebook: become a fan of CTI and follow on Twitter @CTIPrograms.

Tom Viertel has produced a wide range of plays and musicals on and off Broadway, in London and on tour for more than 30 years. Shows include: Penn and Teller: Back on Broadway, Hairspray, The Producers, A Little Night Music, Young Frankenstein, Leap of Faith, The Norman Conquests, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Company, Little Shop of Horrors, The Weir, The Sound of Music, Smokey Joe's Café, Angels in America, Oleanna, Love Letters, Driving Miss Daisy, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and many others. He has won the Tony Award six times and the Oliver Award twice. With his partners, Richard Frankel, Steven Baruch, and Marc Routh, he is a co-owner of Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's supper club. Mr. Viertel is a member of the Tony Management Committee and the Broadway League's Board of Governors. He is Chairman of the Board of The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, America's foremost development center for new theatrical work, in Waterford, Connecticut. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE (Charlotte St. Martin, President), founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. The Broadway League has recently added a new category for International membership to collaborate with professionals from around the world who produce and present Broadway quality theatre. The Broadway League annually co-presents the Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards®, one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry. For more information visit BroadwayLeague.com, or follow The Broadway League on Twitter @TheBwayLeague and on Facebook at Facebook.com/BroadwayLeague. Download the free Broadway.org and IBDB mobile apps from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts, was created in the conviction that the live theatrical arts afford a unique expression of the human condition that must be sustained and nurtured. It is dedicated to developing diverse audiences for Live Theatre and dance, and strengthening the performing arts community in New York City. Since 1968, TDF's programs have provided over 90 million people with access to performances at affordable prices and have returned over $2.5 billion to thousands of productions. Best known for its TKTS Discount Booths, TDF's membership, outreach, access (including its Autism Theatre Initiative) and education programs - as well as its Costume Collection - have introduced thousands of people to the theatre and helped make the unique experience of theatre available to everyone, including students and people with disabilities. TDF honors include a 2011 Mayor's Award for Arts and Culture, a 2012 Tony Honor for Excellence for its Open Doors Arts Education Program, a 2012 New York Innovative Theatre Award for its support of the off-Off Broadway community, a 2013 Lucille Lortel honor for "Outstanding Body of Work" in support of the Off Broadway community, a 2016 "Friend of Off Broadway" honor from The Off Broadway Alliance and New York City's 2016 TITLE II ADA Sapolin Public Service Award. For more information about everything TDF does, please visit www.tdf.org.

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