FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE BROADWAY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES
THE 2014 LEAGUE EDUCATOR APPLE AWARDS
League Educator Apple Awards to be Presented Tonight
at the Annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards
at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre
Arts Educators from Iowa, Massachusetts, and New York
Honored for Incorporating Broadway Theatre into Curriculum
New York, NY – (June 30, 2014) – The Broadway League, the national trade
organization for the commercial theatre industry, reveals the 2014 League Educator
Apple Award® recipients. The awards acknowledge the efforts of local teachers and
administrators who support programs relating to Broadway or Touring Broadway shows,
promoting further development of theatre education.
For the first time, the Apple Awards will be presented at the National High School
Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) Annual Showcase in New York City tonight, June
30th, at the Minskoff Theatre when 56 finalists from across America will compete for the
coveted Jimmy™ Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an
Actress.
“The Broadway League has bestowed the League Educator Apple Award since 2003 to
recognize educators, administrators, and school district heads from around the country
for their commitment to arts education, and their work in collaboration with Broadway
League member venues that present Touring Broadway shows,” said Charlotte St.
Martin, Executive Director of the Broadway League. “Through these awards, the League
encourages the development of theatre education programs nationally while helping to
build a future generation of theatregoers.”
The League is committed to working with its members to develop new audiences and
model projects by supporting education initiatives across the country. Now in its twelfth
year, the League Educator Apple Awards have honored educators, administrators, and
school district leaders from around the country for their commitment to arts education
and their work in collaboration with League-member venues that present Touring
Broadway shows.
2014 LEAGUE EDUCATOR APPLE AWARDS® RECIPIENTS
The 2014 recipients are Vincent Gassetto, Principal of MS 343 Academy of Applied
Mathematics and Technology in Bronx, New York (nominated by Situation Interactive in
New York, New York); Holly Valentine, Fourth Grade Teacher at Walt Disney
Elementary School in Rochester, New York (nominated by the Rochester Broadway
Theatre League in Rochester, New York); Maureen Binienda, Principal at South High
Community School in Worchester, Massachusetts (nominated by the Hanover Theatre
for the Performing Arts in Hanover, Massachusetts); and Brian Sammons, Third Grade
Teacher at Aplington Elementary in Aplington, Iowa (nominated by Des Moines
Performing Arts in Des Moines, Iowa).
Vincent Gassetto, Principal of MS 343 Academy of Applied Mathematics and
Technology in Bronx, NY
Principal Vincent Gassetto demonstrates an incredible combination of passion and
discipline. His genuine investment in his students' future drives everything he does, and
he has made arts exposure and engagement a priority not only in the classroom, but
also in the education of his teachers and administrators, emphasizing its importance
and impact for students in today’s education. He is being saluted for his collaboration
with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, War Horse,
and others.
Holly Valentine, Fourth Grade Teacher at Walt Disney Elementary School in
Rochester, NY
Holly Valentine is a beloved teacher who has touched the lives of hundreds of students.
It is her passion for the performing arts and her “it’s all about the kids” approach to
education that propels her to the success level and recognition that she has achieved
from her colleagues, administration, parents, but most of all from her former students.
She is being honored for her collaboration with The Phantom of the Opera, as well as
The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and others.
Maureen Binienda, Principal of South High Community School in Worcester, MA
Principal Maureen Binienda is being recognized for her collaboration on "Adopt A
School: The Memphis Project." This school-wide project integrated the arts into every
subject across the curriculum and allowed 1,300 students to see their first Touring
Broadway show, Memphis. Her involvement in the community is remarkable and her
passion for education is unmatched. 80% of her students live below the poverty level
and 12% are homeless. Principal Binienda engaged her school in the “Memphis
Project,” was fully committed to the initiative, and her passion was a major contributor to
its success.
Brian Sammons, Third Grade Teacher at Aplington Elementary in Aplington, Iowa
For the past seven years, Brian Sammons has facilitated a classroom pen pal program
with actress Hayley Podschun. Though his rural Iowa community is 100+ miles away
from the nearest touring Broadway venue, his students have developed a meaningful
connection to Broadway through their ongoing relationship with Ms. Podschun and
participating in class projects inspired by the shows in which she has appeared. The
collaboration was recently elevated when students traveled to Des Moines to meet their
pen pal in person for the first time and to see her perform as Glinda in the national tour
of Wicked.
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The Broadway League, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway
industry. The League’s 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers,
presenters, and general managers who present in nearly 200 markets in North America, 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 on tour across the U.S. and Canada. For
more information, visit www.BroadwayLeague.com, or follow The Broadway League on Twitter
@TheBwayLeague or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BroadwayLeague. BROADWAY.ORG is
the League’s new official on-line headquarters for Broadway in NYC and on tour. Download the
free Broadway.org mobile app for iOS or Android, and the free IBDB mobile app for iOS or
Android.
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The Broadway League annually presents the Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards, one of the most
coveted awards in the entertainment industry, with The American Theatre Wing.
Broadway theatres are filled with an exciting array of new and classic musicals and plays,
providing the perfect experience for every audience. Great seats are available at every price point
and are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices. It's always the perfect
time to see a show. Broadway performs every day of the week at multiple curtain times to
accommodate every schedule.
For further information on the League Educator Apple Awards, contact Rachel Reiner at
212 703 0215 or [email protected].
Press Contacts:
Elisa Shevitz, 212 703 0225, [email protected]
Erica Ryan, 212 703 0221, [email protected]