Furman, who was also a producer of the Tony-nominated The Drowsy Chaperone and the 2008 revival of West Side Story, will be presented with the Whitehead Award March 15 at the Glass House Tavern in midtown Manhattan.
Tony-winning In the Heights creator and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda will present the honor. Furman produced In the Heights Off-Broadway at 37 Arts and on Broadway, where it was named Best Musical in the Tony Awards. She is the co-producer of Miranda's hip-hop comedy group Freestlye Love Supreme. She also produced the Broadway productions of Sly Fox and Fortune's Fool.
Furman will be celebrated for her "outstanding achievement in commercial theatre producing."
Broadway League executive director Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement, "Jill Furman's role as a new producer when she created theatre magic with In the Heights is a testament to her dedication and tenacity. It is exciting to see talented women producers make their mark on Broadway, and no doubt her accomplishments will inspire many more young women to pursue producing for the commercial theatre."
A joint project of The Broadway League and Theatre Development Fund, CTI — the nation's only formal training program for commercial theatre producers — was founded in 1981 by the late Frederic B. Vogel. The five-decade long career of the late Robert Whitehead inspired this award; previous recipients include Stuart Thompson, Dori Berinstein, Benjamin Mordecai, Dennis Grimaldi, Kevin McCollum, Randall L. Wreghitt, Marc Routh, Liz Oliver, Eric Krebs, Anne Strickland Squadron, David Binder and Nick Scandalios.