(New York, NY – February 21, 2008) What, exactly, does a theatrical producer do – and how do you get to be one? For anyone interested in the business behind the show, the Commercial Theater Institute (CTI) will once again offer its annual three-day intensive training program, "Producing for the Commercial Theatre.” This unique program is designed to help foster the next generation of commercial theatre producers and is open to anyone interested in producing or co-producing on or Off-Broadway, on the road, or investing in commercial productions. Past speakers have included Jujamcyn theatre owner and Producer, Rocco Landesman (Jersey Boys, The Producers);
General Manager Nina Lannan (The Color Purple, Billy Elliot: The
Musical); and Producer Kevin McCollum (Avenue Q, Rent).

For 27 years, the Commercial Theater Institute has been the preeminent apprentice program for anyone interested in learning about commercial theatre and has attracted over 5,000 registrants. Presented by The Broadway League and Theatre Development Fund, hundreds of graduates of the program have gone on to produce successfully on and off Broadway.

Spread over three days with over 24 hours of lectures, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, attendees will receive the hard, factual information required to get a show on stage. Workshop leaders are drawn from a pool of commercial theatre’s most respected producers, general managers, theatre operators, press and literary agents, theatrical attorneys, and others. These industry professionals cover the business essentials of topics such as creative development, marketing, management, non-profits, legal issues, and the challenges of producing on and off Broadway.

Both Friday and Saturday will end with a wine and cheese reception where participants are encouraged to network with the guest speakers.

The fee for the three-day workshop is $435 with a $100 discount for those registering by March 14th. For more information or to register for the CTI seminar, visit www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com or contact the CTI office at (212) 586-1109.

CTI is a program of The Broadway League and Theatre Development Fund.  It was founded by the late Frederic B. Vogel in 1982, and is now led by Jed Bernstein, President of Above the Title Entertainment and former President of the League.

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The Broadway League, founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and across the U.S. and Canada. www.broadwayleague.com

Theatre Development Fund, the largest not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts in the United States, was established in 1968 to foster works of artistic merit by supporting new productions and to broaden the audience for all the performing arts. Since then, TDF has played a unique role in strengthening New York City performing arts. TDF combined programs have filled over 70 million theatre seats; provided subsidy support to over 800 plays, including 28 Pulitzer Prize honorees; and returned over $1.5 billion dollars in revenue to theatre, dance and music organizations. In partnership with the Times Square Alliance and the Coalition for Father Duffy, TDF is currently constructing a new TKTS ticket booth as part of the revitalization of Father Duffy Square. More about TDF and its programs may be found at www.tdf.org.