PHILADELPHIA – Walnut Street Theatre has been awarded a generous PNC Arts Alive grant which will fund the “Back to the Show!” program. The grant enables Walnut Street Theatre to provide a limited number of $10 tickets for mainstage performances this season to increase access to live theatre for community members, with special outreach efforts to those who have been most affected by the pandemic.
The “Back to the Show!” $10 tickets will be made available for every mainstage performance, going on sale beginning one month before the start of each production. As such, these discounted tickets have been released for the opening show of Walnut Street Theatre’s 213th Season, BEEHIVE – THE ‘60s MUSICAL, which runs until October 31. There is a limit of two tickets per production per household to ensure that a wide array of audiences can take advantage of the discount. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or at the box office.
“We are excited and grateful to be partnering with PNC Arts Alive this season to extend our reach to more audiences than ever,” Walnut Street Theatre President and Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard remarked. “After a challenging year for many, the ‘Back to the Show’ program will help us ensure that more members of our community can access and enjoy the artistry and thrills that only live theatre can provide.”
PNC Arts Alive, an initiative of the PNC Foundation, challenges arts organizations to expand audience participation and engagement. This is a prestigious grant award; only about 40 organizations in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region are selected for support annually in recognition of their bold thinking around increasing arts access and engagement, Walnut Street Theatre among them.
“We’ve long recognized just how vital the arts and cultural sector is to our community. The PNC team is once again excited to support the arts and cultural organizations in the Delaware Valley,” said Joe Meterchick, PNC regional president for Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern New Jersey. “The arts and culture strengthen the local economy and have the power to bring people together. Taking the time to support—and be a part of art—has never been more important for our region.”
THE 2021-22 SEASON
The Walnut has opened its 213th season with BEEHIVE - THE '60s MUSICAL, a celebration of that era's powerful female voices whose music stands the test of time – including Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner. Running now through October 31, the show is a song-filled journey told from the perspective of six women coming of age during the ‘60’s, beginning with their first Beehive Dance through a decade of change.
WALNUT STREET THEATRE
Walnut Street Theatre is America’s Oldest Theatre and the most popular theatre company in Philadelphia. As a producer of live theatre, many of the artists on the stage, in the orchestra and behind the scenes are from the Philadelphia area. As a non-profit institution, the Walnut is recognized nationally for bringing affordable theatre and diverse stories to more subscribers than any other theatre company in the world. In addition to its five Mainstage productions, popular Walnut Street Theatre for Kids Series, and Independence Studio on 3 Series, the Walnut’s education and outreach programs bring live theatre to over 100,000 students, teachers, parents, and kids every year. 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107–5195 | 215-574-3550 VISIT US AT WalnutStreetTheatre.org
PNC ARTS ALIVE
PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year initiative of PNC and the PNC Foundation dedicated to supporting visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways. The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. For more information, visit www.pncartsalive.com
