Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 1999

Release # 226-99

Contact: Sunny Mindel/Jennifer Chait (212) 788-2958
Kim Serafin (NYC 2000) (212) 788-2000
David LeShay (TDF) (212) 221-0885 ext. 223


MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES "tkts2k" -- AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION TO REDESIGN THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND'S tkts BOOTH FOR THE MILLENNIUM

International Competition Seeks Architects to Redesign Times Square's Symbol of Broadway

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined NYC 2000 Chairman Ron Silver and John F. Breglio, Chairman of the Theatre Development Fund (TDF), to announce tkts2k -- an international competition among professional architects and designers to redesign the popular tkts booth in Times Square for the new Millennium. The winner will be announced in December.

The competition, a project of NYC 2000, the official New York City Millennium Committee, is sponsored by Theatre Development Fund, the nation's largest not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts. The competition will be administered and coordinated by Van Alen Institute Design Competition. This competition will be open to architects, landscape designers and graphic designers from around the world.

"In the spirit of the new Millennium, today we're announcing "tkts2k" - an international competition to redesign the tkts booth in Times Square," Mayor Giuliani said. "For more than 25 years, tkts has come to represent one of New York City's greatest assets -- the theatre -- offering discount tickets to millions of New Yorkers and tourists from all over the world.

"New York City is the Capital of the World and there is no better place to celebrate the new Millennium than right here at the Crossroads of the World," the Mayor continued. "When the tkts booth first opened in June 1973, many people felt that Broadway Theater, like Times Square, was past its prime. Today both are symbols of the renaissance throughout the City. Times Square has not only contributed to four consecutive years of record tourism for our City and a return of businesses to this area, but it has brought two consecutive years of record attendance and profits to Broadway. Last year alone, New York City set an all-time record during the Broadway theatre season, with a total attendance of 11.7 million people and gross receipts of more than $588 million.

"I want to thank the Theatre Development Fund - the country's largest not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts, and Ron Silver and NYC 2000 for helping to organize this competition," the Mayor concluded.

Theatre Development Fund Chairman John F. Breglio said, "tkts has become a symbol of Broadway theatre to an entire generation of theatre-goers around the world. As a trademark, tkts is perhaps one of the country's most successful graphic designs and has clearly served the theatre-going public, the theatre community, TDF and The City of New York for over a quarter century. However, the booth needs to be redesigned to reflect the needs of both the public and the architectural landscape of Times Square. The challenge being issued today to the architecture and design community worldwide is to create a design that thoroughly reinvents or reinterprets a structure as durable and as effective as the present booth."

NYC 2000's Chairman Ron Silver said, "The Mayor and the NYC 2000 Committee are pleased to have tkts2k Design Competition as part of the City's Millennium celebration. For more than 25 years, Theatre Development Fund's tkts booth has been Times Square's centerpiece, serving the theater-goer and theatre community. Today's Times Square bustles with creative energy and as an actor, I know that tkts has been responsible for keeping many shows alive. We look forward to the results of this competition and to starting the new Millennium with a new tkts Booth."

The eligibility for tkts2k International Competition is open. Designers from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture and graphic design are encouraged to enter. The registration fee is $50 and the deadline for submissions is October 14, 1999. A prestigious jury of respected designers, architects, artists, civic and public figures will judge the submissions. The jury results will be announced in December, 1999 as part of the New York City Millennium celebration.

To register and receive a competition packet, please contact the Van Alen Institute at (212) 924-7000, x18; e-mail at vanalen@vanalen.org or consult its website, http://www.vanalen.org. Competition packets will be mailed out in late June.

The Theatre Development Fund tkts booth in Times Square opened for business on June 25, 1973, with the cooperation of The League of American Theatres and Producers at a time when Broadway theatre tickets sales were low and Times Square was considered an unsafe neighborhood. tkts opened its ticket windows with the mission to augment theatre ticket sales, to attract new audiences, to reinforce the theatre-going habit and to bring more theatre-goers into the Times Square area. Since that first day in 1973, tkts has sold over 36 million tickets at discount prices, returning over $700 million in revenue to hundreds of stage productions. Using tkts as a model, TDF was responsible for helping to develop booths in Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, London and Sydney.

Theatre Development Fund (TDF), now in its 31st year of service, fulfills its mission to foster creativity in the theatre by supporting new works of artistic merit and to broaden the audiences for all the performing arts. Each year TDF sells more than 2.5 million tickets at discounted prices -- to an audience of New Yorkers and visitors that might not otherwise be able to afford the unique experience of live performance. In addition, TDF sponsors 20 innovative programs including in-depth arts education projects, information services and special programs for the deaf or otherwise physically challenged theatre-goers. Each year with The League of American Theatres and Producers, TDF co-presents Kids' Night on Broadway and Teachers' Night on Broadway.

NYC 2000, the official New York City Millennium Committee, was established through an Executive Order by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani to ensure New York City's Millennium celebrations are befitting of the world's financial and cultural center. Comprised of a dynamic group of business and community leaders, and chaired by actor Ron Silver, NYC 2000 will showcase the best New York City has to offer before an international audience on New Year's Eve 2000 and beyond.

www.ci.nyc.ny.us


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