The 10:15 AM ribbon cutting of the third New York City TKTS outlet will feature appearances by Bensonhurst native and Tony Award nominee Kerry Butler of Broadway's Xanadu, and the cast of Forbidden Broadway Dances With the Stars!
Playbill.com has learned that the first 250 ticketbuyers at the new TKTS Downtown Brooklyn booth will get a $25 TKTS gift certificate redeemable on their next TKTS visit (valid from July 11-Dec. 31, 2008).
Also on hand at the ceremony at the TKTS Downtown Brooklyn booth (on the ground floor of 1 MetroTech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue) will be Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Kate D. Levin, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblywoman Joan Millman (52nd Assembly District, Brooklyn, NY) and City Council Member David Yassky (33rd District).
The cast of Forbidden Broadway will perform songs from this summer's edition of the long-running, award-winning hit.
TKTS Downtown Brooklyn will offer Broadway, Off-Broadway, music, dance and Brooklyn performing arts events at discounted prices to Brooklyn residents and visitors. TKTS offers same-day evening and next-day matinee tickets at discounts of up to 50 percent off.
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| The banners outside the Brooklyn TKTS booth. |
"We're thrilled to be able to serve the residents, workforce and visitors in Brooklyn with a new TKTS booth," stated Victoria Bailey, TDF's executive director. "The growth in downtown Brooklyn has been tremendous in the past few years. We are confident that the convenience of the MetroTech location will encourage all of Brooklyn's theatre lovers to enjoy more plays, musicals and dance performances, as well as help create a new audience for live performances both in Manhattan and Brooklyn."
"Brooklyn is now recognized as one of the cultural jewels of New York City," stated Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. "I'm thrilled to see the curtain finally rise at the new Downtown Brooklyn TKTS booth. Brooklynites, as well as thousands of tourists, will now be able to purchase discounted tickets for Broadway shows and various other performances in Brooklyn — thanks to TKTS making it more convenient and affordable to visit the Great White Way. To Theatre Development Fund and MetroTech BID—a huge Bravo!"
Assemblywoman Joan Millman, who represents Downtown Brooklyn, stated, "Today's announcement is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and represents a true collaborative effort between the business community and government. When the BID's Mike Weiss and I began this quest many years ago, we were confident that we could help bring Broadway just a little closer for residents and visitors to Downtown Brooklyn. Now that it's finally here, I have no doubt that this TKTS booth is going to be an extremely successful addition to our Downtown Brooklyn community."
Victoria Aviles, President of the MetroTech BID Board, stated, "Downtown Brooklyn has become one of New York City's most important business communities, and MetroTech is at the heart of this neighborhood's success. Having a TKTS booth here in MetroTech will not only be hugely convenient for Broadway fans who visit, live and work here, but it clearly shows that Downtown Brooklyn is the place to be in New York City!"
"We're excited that the new TKTS booth will be selling tickets for many of our Brooklyn performing arts organizations," said Ella J. Weiss, President of the Brooklyn Arts Council. "With a TKTS booth conveniently ensconced in downtown Brooklyn at MetroTech, many of our borough's performing arts organizations will be able to serve a larger constituency and build new audiences."
TKTS is a project of Theatre Development Fund (TDF), a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts. TDF has two other TKTS Discount Booths: a new Times Square TKTS Booth will reopen this summer within the newly renovated Duffy Square (it is temporarily located outside the NY Marriott Marquis); and the Lower Manhattan TKTS Booth is located at South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets.
Since TKTS first opened for business 35 years ago on June 25, 1973, over 50 million tickets have been sold at discount prices to millions of New Yorkers and visitors who, without TKTS, may not have been able to attend live performances.
Those admissions represent nearly $1.4 billion in revenue returned to thousands of productions.
Since 1968, TDF's combined programs have filled over 73 million theatre seats and returned over $1.6 billion in revenue to theatre, dance and music organizations. In addition to TKTS, TDF's membership and voucher programs touch the lives of nearly 100,000 theatregoers who might not otherwise be able to enjoy the unique experience of live theatre. Each month, over two million people visit TDF's Web site, www.tdf.org, to learn more about the performing arts in New York City.
