Variety has announced its third annual Broadway event, “Legit! The Road Back to Broadway,” presented by City National Bank, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. PT/ 12 p.m. ET as a series of virtual conversations in the Variety Streaming Room. The Actors Fund will be the recipient of Variety and City National Bank’s joint donation.
This year’s panels and keynote include new voices from Broadway, featuring playwrights Jeremy O. Harris (“Slave Play”), Matthew López (“The Inheritance”) and Katori Hall (“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”) moderated by Variety’s Gordon Cox.
Alia Jones-Harvey (“Ain’t Too Proud” and “American Son”), Tom Kirdahy (“Hadestown”), Kevin McCollum (“Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Six”) and Carmen Pavlovic (“Moulin Rouge: The Musical”) will discuss what needs to happen to ensure a successful re-opening of Broadway. The roundtable will be moderated by City National Bank’s Erik Piecuch, a senior VP and team leader with the bank’s Entertainment division.
Joining the event will be some of Variety’s prestigious “10 Broadway to Watch” recipients including the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (Britton Smith), Jocelyn Bioh, Camille A. Brown, Michael R. Jackson, Brian Moreland, Kate Navin, Cody Renard Richard, Ephraim Sykes, Shaina Taub and Schele Williams. Variety’s Jenelle Riley moderates the group of rising talent.
“Broadway’s importance to our culture has never been clearer,” said Michelle Sobrino Stearns, Variety‘s group publisher and chief revenue officer.” “We all lament its temporary absence, and Variety is committed to helping speed its return. This year’s virtual event will cover Broadway’s power and vitality from all angles – from the creative community to producers and the up-and-coming talent who are shaping modern theater.”
“Broadway is dealing with challenges like never before, but the resilience of this community is truly inspiring,” said Piecuch. “City National has a long history of supporting Broadway artists and organizations, and we’re proud to be here for them during this difficult time. We look forward to participating in Variety’s ‘Legit! The Road Back to Broadway’ event and discussing the important issues facing the industry today.”
The virtual event is free to attend, but registration is required. Register here: variety.com/roadtobroadway
