John Kander Receives Special Award From Broadway League

The annual Broadway League Awards, honoring excellence and achievement for touring Broadway, were announced today during the Broadway League’s 2015 spring road conference. First presented in 1992, the Broadway League Awards recognize the contributions of those who have displayed exemplary service to the Broadway industry and are considered innovators of their craft.

The award winners are as follows.

DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
John Kander

LEAGUE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Michael Brand, Dana Brazil, Temah Higgins, Paulette Hopkins

STAR OF TOURING BROADWAY HONOREES
Procter & Gamble, Holly Reeves, Greg and Rebecca Reid

DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD

John Kander, the multiple Tony Award-winning and often-nominated composer, writer, lyricist, arranger, and musical director, was bestowed with the Broadway League’s Distinguished Lifetime Service Award. Mr. Kander is the composer half of the legendary songwriting team Kander and Ebb, with the late lyricist Fred Ebb. For nearly five decades, Kander and Ebb have been one of Broadway's preeminent songwriting teams, and the shows of Kander and Ebb have toured around the world, bringing happiness to so many with their breathtaking scores, brilliant lyrics, and challenging subjects. In addition to The Visit, now playing at the Lyceum Theatre, Chicago is currently playing at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre and on tour, and Cabaret is about to go on tour again.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRESENTER MANAGEMENT
Samuel J. L’Hommedieu Award

Mike Brand, executive director of Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, Michigan, supervises a dedicated staff and oversees planning a diverse season of entertainment in four venues: the Cobb Great Hall, Pasant Theatre, MSU Concert Auditorium and Fairchild Theatre. The Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management — Samuel J. L’Hommedieu Award — was given to Michael Brand for demonstrating excellence in management and leadership.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ROAD MARKETING

Paulette Hopkins, director of marketing at Dallas Summer Musicals, received the Outstanding Achievement in Road Marketing. Under her leadership, Dallas Summer Musicals, which has been entertaining North Texas audiences with live, musical theater entertainment since 1941, continues its long history of successful marketing initiatives. Hopkins is an energetic leader who strategizes unique concepts for each show and works to attract new audiences. Hopkins welcomes and embraces joint marketing efforts and is open to new ideas. Her collaborative spirit has proven beneficial to many organizations, and a new era of collaboration now exists in Dallas-Fort Worth.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

Dana Brazil, director of education of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, is the recipient of the award for Outstanding Achievement in Education and Engagement. She has been instrumental in the successful launch of The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with her far-reaching education and engagement programs. Not only is she pioneering related programming at a new venue, but she is also teaching others and has continued to be a leading force in League engagement activities and initiatives.

GEORGE MACPHERSON ROAD AWARD

Temah Higgins, executive vice president, Broadway Booking Office NYC, was honored with the George MacPherson Road Award. The BBO team provides booking, marketing, logistical, and revenue management oversight for multiple theatrical productions. Higgins has been an active member of the League’s Spring Road Conference for many years and her enthusiastic support and commitment is unprecedented and appreciated.

STAR OF TOURING BROADWAY AWARDS

The Star of Touring Broadway Awards were created to honor board members, government officials, donors and volunteers who have given support to promote and enrich the Broadway Series in their hometowns.

Procter & Gamble — Procter & Gamble's support of Walton Arts Center's Broadway Series has contributed to the ability for the theater to grow and develop into a presenter that is participating in Broadway at the national level. Together, Procter & Gamble and Walton Arts Center successfully partnered to create a new market that was non-existent twenty years ago and brought highly popular and Tony Award-winning plays to Northwest Arkansas.

Holly Reeves — Long-time dedicated member of the board and a diligent fundraiser, Holly Reeves is a proactive and strong supporter of Dallas Summer Musicals, its touring shows and is a vital part of the DSM nonprofit organization. Her crucial and sustaining work has benefited Dallas Summer Musicals in literally all aspects of development, community outreach, and marketing.

Greg and Rebecca Reid — The Reids’ Vincent Legacy Foundation has awarded 22 Vincent Legacy Scholarships to date. The Reids created the scholarship endowment in order to provide youth who demonstrate performing arts promise, strong academic achievement, and good citizenship the opportunity to further refine and improve their creative skills through professional instruction.

A program initiated in partnerships with Kansas City Starlight Theatre, the winners have used their scholarship dollars for all types of performance training — from improv classes at Kansas City Young Audiences to master classes at the Coterie, professional voice lessons, hip-hop classes at Kristi’s Academy of Dance, Team Shakespeare courses, and six-week Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive Program in New York City.