Renée Elise Goldsberry, John Lithgow and Sarah Jessica Parker Wish New Victory Happy Anniversary

New Victory opened its doors on December 11, 1995, as New York City's first theater for kids and families, paving the way for New York's arts and culture industry to embrace young audiences. In celebration of the last 25 years as a leader in performing arts access for New York City children, friends of the New Victory, including Renée Elise Goldsberry, John Lithgow and Sarah Jessica Parker, among others, wish the theater a Happy 25th Birthday.

"Exposure to the arts helps kids express themselves creatively, and it broadens their perspective on the world. The education efforts of the New Victory Theater are inspirational. The sheer reach and breadth of their work is changing the future of this city and the lives of its young people!" - Renée Elise Goldsberry

"The mission of the New Victory, making theater and performance part of kids' lives, is the best example I can think of, of the power of a simple idea. And that's why the place is always packed." - John Lithgow

"At The New Victory, I've never wanted my time back, ever. I've always enjoyed it as much as my kids. It's nice that the theater is beautiful and historic, but it's what happens in that space where they start to understand that the arts are a possibility in their life-I think that's the stuff that changes lives." - Sarah Jessica Parker

"The New Victory theater itself is one of the three most beautiful theaters I've ever seen in my life and it's filled with some of the most diverse programming in NYC, from opera to dance to acrobatics to shadow puppetry-all for young people. The breadth of the work is astounding." - Alex Timbers

"Surviving 25 years proves that New Victory Theater has become a one-of-a-kind New York institution. During the pandemic, New Victory and New 42 have been vital to NYC schools by keeping the arts alive in virtual classrooms; and they've enhanced the city by helping 42nd Street re-emerge stronger and more equitable than before." - Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer

"We extend our thanks to the New Victory for its ongoing commitment to serving New York City public schools. The interactive classroom, modular lesson plans, instructional videos, and virtual programs will support our teachers and encourage our students to explore new skills and share their own stories through the performing arts." - Maria Palma, NYC Department of Education

Says Russell Granet, New 42 President and CEO, "New Victory is special to New York, and special to me. Like many New Yorkers, New Victory was where my child first experienced live theater, and over the years has come to represent a place where kids are not only welcome, but empowered to be as active, creative and expressive as the performing arts inspire all of us to be. We're thrilled to share this anniversary with New York's vibrant cultural community."

Throughout its birthday weekend, New Victory will debut a free virtual presentation of the Acrobuffos' sold-out spectacle Air Play from December 11-13, 2020. In Air Play, globetrotting clowns Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone elicit gales of laughter as they animate airflow and goad gravity to transform ordinary objects into uncommon beauty. Featuring air sculptures by Daniel Wurtzel (Finding Neverland, Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil) and direction by West Hyler (Cirque du Soleil Paramour, Jersey Boys, How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Air Play debuts on the New Victory YouTube channel on Friday, December 11, at 7pm accompanied by a live chat with creators and performers Bloom and Gelsone, and will remain available until Sunday, December 13, at 5pm.

"Visually stunning with a universal message to find joy and beauty in the world around us, Air Play is a timely gift we want to share with the millions of New Yorkers and artists worldwide who share their love of the arts with us and with each other every day," says Mary Rose Lloyd, New 42 Artistic Director. Air Play was developed, in part, as a project of New Victory LabWorks, the theater's new work development program, and ran on the New Victory stage in 2018.

Lauded for its international fare, New Victory has introduced over two million kids, families and schools to artists, art forms and cultures from around the world. Every performance is paired with rich family engagement activities that inspire kids to create and explore the performing arts. Currently, New Victory is reaching national and international audiences through its free online arts curriculum, New Victory Arts Break. In addition to being available on the theater's website, New Victory Arts Break content is featured in episodes of WNET's "Let's Learn," a daily public television series.

The theater is also celebrated for its education programs, which are free for public schools in New York City during the 2020-21 academic year. Thanks to generous support from institutional and individual donations, New Victory Education will serve more than 500 classroom teachers and 20,000 kids with award-winning performing arts instruction and resources as part of the theater's efforts to bridge the gap in arts funding this year.

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