Having performed on local stages herself, the goal of newly appointed Popejoy Hall Director, Fabianna Broghese, is to give local teens an opportunity to see Broadway shows.
Popejoy Hall’s Development Director and head of “Broadway for Teens”, Maryellen Missik-Tow, said that the program is a philanthropic effort. The previous year was the program’s first. This past May, it sponsored 80 students and 10 teachers to see Hamilton, Missik-Tow said.
The program is funded through The Excellence Fund – an endowment that started with a donation of $100,000 in 2016. Alongside the fund, donations can be made by directly purchasing a ticket for a high school student or donating to Popejoy Hall. The cost of the 90 Hamilton tickets was $10,000, Missik-Tow said.
“I love this philanthropic process because it’s not about the money, it’s about giving the opportunity to kids to see the beauty of theatrical art,” Missik-Tow said. “Especially to those who otherwise wouldn’t have.”
Highschoolers from both Albuquerque and Cuba public schools were brought to see Hamilton, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. Over the 2023-2024 season, Popejoy hopes to bring over 200 teens from Title 1 schools to see showings on campus, Missik-Tow said.
Popejoy’s board of directors will release an application for all Title 1 schools within New Mexico to apply for eligibility for the program, Missik-Tow said.
“Our goal is to further our mission – bringing the art of theater to New Mexico, allowing people who wouldn’t have a chance to see a Broadway show in New York see it here,” Borghese said.
BillyJack Davidson is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com.
BillyJack Davidson is a beat reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached on Twitter @BillyJackDL
