Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Receives National Education Grant From The Broadway League
$5K Grant Will Enable 30 Students from
Santaluces High School to Attend National Touring Production of LES MISERABLES (May 16-26, 2012)
& Create and Perform Their Own Show
(West Palm Beach, FL – October 7, 2011) For the second year in a row the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has been named a recipient of a National Education Grant from The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry.
These grants support innovative programs that enable students from coast to coast to experience touring Broadway productions as a form of artistic expression and as an educational tool.
The 2011 National Education Grants program bestows $5,000 to 10 presenters of touring Broadway shows across the U.S. for the development or support of education programs associated with touring productions.
Next spring’s Kravis On Broadway presentation of the 25th anniversary production of the legendary musical LES MISÉRABLES (May 16-26, 2012) will be the focal point of this National Education Grant.
Under the instruction of the Drama and Music Directors at Santaluces High School in Lantana – and with the support of Broadway veterans Jacqueline Bayne Gillman (South Pacific, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Ragtime) and Jason Gillman (Legally Blonde The Musical, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie) – 30 musical theatre students will create and produce an original musical theatre showcase exploring the themes of poverty and oppression in LES MISÉRABLES.
The two talented Gillmans will work with the students from the end of March through late May as they create and rehearse Lift Up Your Voice, culminating in performances before fellow students, family and friends at both Santaluces High School and the Kravis Center.
Midway through the rehearsal process, the participating students will enjoy a live performance of LES MISÉRABLES at the Kravis Center, followed by a post-performance discussion with members of the touring cast. This will enable the students to draw inspiration from the professional production and deepen their insights when performing their original production of Lift Up Your Voice.
LES MISÉRABLES will be presented at the Kravis Center for eight performances in May. The other touring shows in the current Kravis On Broadway series include THE ADDAMS FAMILY (November 8-13), HAIR (January 10-15), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES starring George Hamilton (February 14-19) and COME FLY AWAY (March 13-18). Subscription tickets to this series are available by calling (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471. Individual tickets for LES MISÉRABLES go on sale to the public on December 17.
In addition to the Kravis Center, other recipients of The Broadway League’s prestigious National Education Grant in 2011 are the Fox Theatre in Atlanta; the Hippodrome Foundation in Baltimore; Civic Center of Greater Des Moines; the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts in East Lansing, Michigan; the Peace Center Foundation in Greenville, South Carolina; the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis; the Tennessee Perfrming Arts Center in Nashville, the Starz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa and the Palace Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut.
About The Broadway League’s National Education Grants:
Since it was founded in 1996, The Broadway League’s National Education Grants program has awarded $750,000 in grants to support the education efforts of Broadway presenting organizations. The League administers this program with generous additional financial support from Theatre Development Fund.
During the past year, theatre education professionals at organizations that present touring Broadway productions have worked closely with local teachers and community organizations to create activities that engage young people with theatre and enhance their academic experiences.
“We salute our member organizations’ dedication to teaching impressionable young minds tolerance, literacy, peace, tradition, cultural identity, and more via the performing arts,” commented Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League. “Stories told through the pinnacle of plays and musicals not only educate students about the world at large, but exposure to live theatre creates a lifelong habit of theatre-going.”
In addition to the National Education Grants program, The Broadway League also administers similar grants for education programs affiliated with Broadway productions in New York City each year.
Founded in 1930, The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please vist www.broadwayleague.com.
About the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:
Now Celebrating 20 Years of Artistic Excellence and Commitment to the Community, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality; by offering comprehensive arts education programs; by providing a Palm Beach County home in which local and regional arts organizations can showcase their work; and by providing economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County.
The Kravis Center is located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. For more information, please call 561-832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.