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New York, NY – September 18, 2024 – TDF, the not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone, is pleased to announce the 2024-25 season of our TDF Veterans Theatregoing Program. TDF recently received funding in the amount of $88,000 to support this initiative thanks to the New York City Council and Robert F. Holden, Chair of the Committee on Veterans.

Through this singular program, veterans and their families attend shows on Broadway for free alongside their peers. TDF partners exclusively with NYC veterans' organizations to distribute a limited number of tickets to productions at no cost to their constituents. Post-performance talkbacks are frequently scheduled, and complimentary TDF Memberships are provided to participating veterans so they can continue their theatregoing at greatly reduced cost. TDF founded this program with support from the New York City Council in 2017.

"We're thankful for the ongoing support provided by the NYC Council and its Committee on Veterans. Through their generosity, this program continues to flourish. We’re proud to be able to connect thousands of NYC veterans and their families to the best that Broadway has to offer at no cost to them," said Deeksha Gaur, TDF’s Executive Director. "This city's veterans have dedicated their lives to service, and we are grateful to be able to serve them in return through this program."

Lisa Carling, Director of TDF Accessibility Programs, adds, "Each year, more and more shows are excited to welcome NYC veterans to their theatres. Again and again, the participants in the program tell us that there is nothing as exciting as sharing the experience of live performance with their fellow veterans and family members."

So far for the 2024-25 season, 13 Broadway shows have committed to providing low-cost tickets to TDF for distribution to veterans' group at no cost to the organizations or participants. Program participants will see:

Water for Elephants (10/2/24), Stereophonic (10/23/24), Hell’s Kitchen (10/30/24), The Roommate (10/31/24), Back to the Future: The Musical (11/4/24), Death Becomes Her (11/6/24), The Notebook (11/7/24), A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical (12/4/24), MJ (1/22/25), Wicked (1/29/25), Hamilton (2/9/25), Aladdin (2/23/25), and The Lion King (3/2/25).

For this season, TDF is collaborating with the following organizations who serve or include veterans (with more to follow):

New Organizations: American Legion Post 483

Returning Organizations: ACP (American Corporate Partners); America Works; Bank of America; Black Veterans For Social Justice (BVSJ); Blue Star Families; Bronx Vet Center; Con Edison Veterans, Inc.; CUNY Office of Veterans Affairs; FDNY HQ; Harlem United; Help USA; Hope for the Warriors; HousingPlus; James J. Peters VA Medical Center; Lehman College; Manhattan Vet Center; The Mission Continues; MTA Veterans Employee Resource Group; New York State Division of Veterans' Services; NY Army National Guard Service Member and Family Readiness Resource Center; NYC Department of Sanitation; NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME); Poetic Theater Productions; SAGE Veterans; Samaritan Daytop Village; Samuel H. Young American Legion Post #620; Student Veterans of America (SVA); Transport Workers Union of Greater New York Local 100 Veterans Committee; VA NY Harbor Healthcare System-Brooklyn Campus; Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapter 72; Wounded Warrior Project; RBC; Brooklyn Vet Center; Department of Labor Bronx Career Center; United In Sisterhood; Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3427

Quotes from program participants:

"I am 91 years young and an Air Force veteran of the Korean War. I am very grateful for the opportunity to get out of the house to see a Broadway show because of the generosity of the TDF Veterans Theatregoing Program. They are making a huge difference in this veteran's life." –Don Eisenberg, served during the Korean War 1950-1954

"TDF's Veterans Theatregoing Program has given me incredible opportunities to see brilliant Broadway shows at no cost. As a veteran who loves theatre but often finds ticket prices a barrier, this program brings me immense joy by making world-class performances accessible. The added bonus of talkbacks with the actors after the show takes the experience to the next level and makes me feel like a VIP." –Neath Williams

"TDF's Veterans Theatregoing Program gives veterans an opportunity to reconnect with their community in a way that many of them are unfamiliar with or think is unattainable. The fact that we can attend a Broadway show as a group, with the veterans’ loved ones, makes it a great first step in getting back out there. Thanks to this partnership, I hear from veterans that use their free TDF memberships to attend additional events independently. I continue to be grateful for the TDF Veterans Theatregoing Program and the opportunities they generously provide for our veteran heroes." –Lydia Cotter, Recreation Therapist at VA NY Harbor Healthcare System-Brooklyn Campus

ABOUT TDF: Founded in 1968, TDF (formerly known as Theatre Development Fund) is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone. TDF’s mission is to engage a broad and diverse audience by removing the financial, physical, and invisible barriers to participation in the performing arts. TDF’s initiatives include the TKTS by TDF Discount Booths; TDF Memberships; the TDF Costume Collection; and TDF Accessibility, Education, and Public Engagement Programs. Those Programs include open captioned, audio described, and ASL-interpreted performances; Autism Friendly Performances; the Veterans Theatregoing Program; school programs serving more than 11,000 NYC public school students annually; and partnerships with over 150 NYC community organizations serving 18,000 people in the tristate area. TDF envisions a world where the transformative experience of attending live theatre and dance is essential, relevant, accessible, and inspirational.

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