THE THEATRE MUSEUM PRESENTS: THE IMPACT OF JEWISH CULTURE ON BROADWAY THEATRE
Broadway Producer Stewart F. Lane Chaired Panel Discussion on the Jewish Impact on Broadway
Legendary Composer-TV Personality-Comedienne Joined Panel

On Monday, April 14th, 2008, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Times Square Information Center in the heart of Manhattan's Broadway theatre district, The Theatre Museum's Chairman of the Board of Trustees and four-time Tony Award winning producer Stewart F. Lane led a panel discussion exploring the influence that Jewish culture has had on Broadway, from its beginnings to the present. Joining Mr. Lane were television and radio personality, Joe Franklin, singer/songwriter/comedienne Dr. Susan Horowitz, and renowned composer Charles Strouse. This eclectic group of theatre and entertainment experts lent their insight, expertise and unique personalities to a discussion that was certainly as lively and entertaining as it was informative.

The evening began with a warm welcome by Helen M. Guditis, President of The Theatre Museum. She presented Stewart F. Lane, who introduced the panelists and started the discussion. The near-capacity audience delighted at stories of Fanny Brice, Sammy Davis, Jr. and other Jewish theatrical pioneers, both on stage and off. The evening finished with a dialogue between the audience and the panelists in a spirited question-and-answer session that included questions about such diverse topics as the impact of "black-listing" Jewish performers in the 1940s and "why all the good Christmas songs were written by Jews." The remarks and opinions also touched on concerns common to immigrants, whether in show business or not, as they became part of mainstream American society. Many audience members stayed after the panel disbanded to further talk about the topic with the panelists and amongst themselves. The evening successfully brought together all aspects of Jewish theatrical history in a concise and entertaining fashion.

A brief video with highlights of the evening's discussion will be available through the Theatre Museum's website shortly.

The panel discussion was a part of Immigrant Heritage Week 2008: a citywide celebration that honors the experiences and contributions of immigrants in New York City. Established by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2004 and coordinated by the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, Immigrant Heritage Week is a rich collection of free or low-cost programs that build cross-cultural understanding between diverse New Yorkers.