TEDxBroadway 2019 — A Moment of Reflection

TEDxBroadway 2019 is officially a wrap. This year we welcomed our biggest crowd yet, and it was also one of the warmest I’ve ever stood in front of. Thank you to everyone who came out and contributed to the conversation around “what is the best Broadway can be?”

This is our 8th year running this event, and there was no shortage of passion or ideas brought to the stage by our fabulous and fearless speaker line-up. As I walked around New World Stages meeting new folks and fully taking in the enormity of the day, a few themes stood out to me this year.

Broadway isn’t just an industry; it’s a community.

There are many differences between an industry and a community. Out of all these differences, there is one core difference that stands out: industry connects us by profession, but community connects us by humanity. Theatre has this innate power to bring fellow community members together uniquely and memorably, and that power can never be underestimated.

What unites us all is our desire to be heard.

All themes point in one direction: all voices matter. Whether you call it accessibility, diversity and inclusion, or “a seat at the table,” all everyone wants is to be respected and seen for who they are. The need for representation and connection is part of why we produce this…