Mike Rosenberg, President and CEO, New York City Center: Good morning. All right, my name is Mike Rosenberg, and I am the president and CEO of New York City Center. And I am honored to welcome you to this historic building — Manhattan's first performing arts center and still proudly owned by the City of New York. Yeah, we can clap for governments owning arts organizations and buildings. It's a great thing. Now, we here are profoundly and passionately committed to our mission of more than 80 years, which is presenting the most extraordinary dance and musical theater; it’s inviting artists from around the world to share their perspectives; and its inspiring students of all ages through education and community engagement programs.
And this fall, on this very stage, we'll have the musical “In the Heights” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes. Now, in case you don't know, that is a musical that celebrates the people and culture of Washington Heights, one of the great neighborhoods in the greatest city in the world. Now, on behalf of our dedicated staff, our community of artists and our board of directors, we are excited to partner with Mayor Mamdani and TDF to make the arts more accessible to all because here at City Center, we believe, just like the mayor does, we cannot be the cultural capital of the world if the people cannot afford a ticket. All right, I'm gonna get out of the way. Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Mamdani.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. Or should I say, “Oh, what a beautiful morning.” It is a privilege to be here as the first mayor to have ever played Curly in an eighth-grade production of “Oklahoma!” on the Upper West Side. I want to say thank you to Sam Tutty and the students for that incredible performance. Can we have a round of applause for them again? I'm glad to know that I'm in good company and enjoying a slice of pizza for breakfast. And I want to thank every New Yorker who has worked to make the incredible art and culture of our city accessible to all. And I am so happy to be here alongside leaders both inside and outside of our City government. We have Michael Rosenberg, the president and CEO of New York City Center. Thank you again for kicking us off and for hosting this event. We have TDF executive director, Deeksha Gaur. And the members of the Cultural Institutions Group for making today's announcement possible. I want to thank all of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds members here today. I want to thank my partners in government that are here with us. We have Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams, the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries [and] International Relations. And we have the elected officials who are hosting us in their district; we have Assembly Member Tony Simone and the one and only Council Member Gale Brewer. And lastly, I want to thank leaders within our administration, our deputy mayor for Economic Justice, Julie Su, our commissioner for the Department of Cultural Affairs, Diya Vij; our chancellor of New York City Public Schools, Kamar Samuels; our commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development, Sandra Escamilla-Davies; and our commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Rafael Espinal.
Now, New York City has long been synonymous with the lights, music and spectacle of Broadway. This is where the star-to-be arrives with three bucks, two bags and the dream. But if they can make it here, they can make it anywhere. We want to keep that opportunity to dream big alive, not just to hopeful out-of-towners but also to those growing up right here and across these five boroughs. So, to the students behind me and across from me, who have taken some time out of their precious summer days to be here with us. I have one more request for you: start spreading the news. I was debating whether or not to sing it, and I got intimidated by your performance. So, I went with the whisper. Thank you to the Ying Yang Twins for inspiration.
Beginning today, City Hall, in partnership with the Theater Development Fund, is opening a lottery of more than 2,000 free tickets for high schoolers to seven marquee Broadway shows right here in New York, New York. This is justice for the theater kids who have watched City Hall roll out lotteries for major sporting events all summer long, and ask, “Why not me?” If you are a high school student anywhere across the five boroughs, you are eligible to enter this lottery. To do so, head to on.nyc.gov/broadway. The lottery will remain open from today through next Monday, August 17 at 10 a.m.
And every single student who enters, whether or not they win, will automatically receive a free two-month Theater Development Fund membership. This membership will give them access to significantly discounted tickets between $20 and $40 to shows, concerts and dance performances on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the city. And it will also grant them free admission to some of our city's most iconic cultural institutions, including Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Museum, the New York City Ballet and the New York City Center, where we stand today. There are so many kids growing up in our city for whom Broadway feels as if it is a world away, like something that only belongs to other people.
We are together today to prove differently, to make it possible for kids from Sheepshead Bay to Morrisania, no matter how much money their parents make, to enter that different world, to experience that magical moment when the lights go down, the curtain goes up and they're transported on the journey of a lifetime, one they will carry with them for decades to come. From the plays of ancient Greece to the public gardens of Mughal India to Shakespeare's Globe Theater, history teaches us that the best art has always been made accessible to working people.
That conviction has long lived in New York City too. In 1942, City government purchased this building in a foreclosure auction. Instead of selling it to developers, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia proposed that the city transform it into a center for music, dance and theater for the working people who call this city home. On New York City Center's opening night in 1943, tickets were sold for just a dollar as opposed to the Metropolitan Opera's average of $10 per ticket. What a time.
We believe, just as Mayor La Guardia did nearly 85 years ago, that government holds a fundamental responsibility to make people's lives better. We will do so by building new homes, by making groceries cheaper, by keeping people safe on our streets and by making wonder and joy — something that every New Yorker can know. Thank you all so much. Now please join me in welcoming the executive director of TDF, Deeksha Gaur.
Deeksha Gaur, Executive Director, Theater Development Fund: Did you know that when a group of people sit in a room together, experiencing a performance, their hearts sync up and beat as one? Hi, my name is Deeksha Gaur. I'm the executive director of Theater Development Fund, or TDF to our friends, a nonprofit that has been championing affordability and access on Broadway and across New York City's performing arts scene for almost 60 years. Driven by a core belief that experiencing art leads to healthier individuals and stronger communities, TDF has distributed close to 70 million free and deeply discounted tickets to New Yorkers and visitors to our city. We do this through our iconic TKTS booths in Times Square and Lincoln Center; through our autism-friendly, open-captioned and audio-described performances; and through our membership program that is open to artists and arts workers, to union members, city employees, nurses, educators and so many more. And most importantly today, through our programs with young people.
Mayor Mamdani, I think often of the stories that you have shared about being a teenager in New York and looking for fun, unique and affordable things to do — including the arts. I've always found that to be so inspiring because those kinds of experiences are what strengthen our bond with our community and help us engage empathetically with others. They also make us joyful, and therefore hopeful and courageous too. There has never been a more important time to make sure young people get access to the arts, which is their birthright as New Yorkers. And we are honored that this administration has made their joy a citywide priority.
Thank you, Commissioner Vij, Deputy Mayor Su and of course to you, Mayor Mamdani, for turning the spotlight on two things that TDF cares deeply about: the live performing arts and the young people of New York City. We are here today on behalf of all our colleagues in the field, from Broadway to our cultural partners, who are standing by to throw open their doors to our city's youth and to the young of New York City. Welcome. We can't wait for you to take over our spaces — actually, your spaces. We hope this is the beginning of your lifelong relationship with the arts. Thank you. And now I'd like to introduce Deputy Mayor Julie Su.
Deputy Mayor Julie Su, Economic Justice: Thank you so much, Deeksha and the whole TDF team for making today possible. Our priorities of economic justice and affordability are deeply aligned with TDF's mission. Under our mayor, we are making sure that every lever of City government is used to make this city a place that New Yorkers can afford to live and know that they belong, where you can dream and make those dreams real. And the mayor has ensured that arts and culture were included because art is how a city dreams out loud, how we reckon with our past, imagine our future and see our stories in that of others.
And I'm joined here today by other members of the Economic Justice Team: the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Rafael Espinal who supports TDF's amazing programs for teens, and Commissioner Vij of the Department of Cultural Affairs. With these two champions by my side, I am proud to say that New York City is the largest municipal funder of arts in the nation.
I want to reinforce something that the mayor said, that when Mayor La Guardia opened this theater in 1943, it represented more than just a place to come and watch the opera; it represented a movement to commit the city and the country to the arts. When the country was plunged in the Great Depression, there were plenty of people who said it was not the time to support artists. They said we're in a national crisis; culture should take a back seat. That it was no time for frivolity. But FDR thought otherwise. Instead, he opened Federal Project Number One to support artists and musicians and playwrights. Here in New York City, murals went up in our schools, hospitals and post offices. Concerts came to life in our parks and our theaters. Poetry flourished, photography thrived and sleek posters infused the nation with a renewed sense of spirit. At the heart of the New Deal was a fierce belief that art is not optional but essential; that culture is not a private luxury for the few but a public good for all. And with today's announcement — nearly nine decades later — we are keeping that belief alive.
We know that access to the arts from a young age could open the door to a lifelong passion. And that the markers of a great and dynamic city are not just in GDP but in performances that make you cry with empathy; in plays and novels that push the public debate; in museums that make you in awe of what our fellow humans can do; and in concerts that bring crowds to their feet. The jobs that power these sectors must also be good jobs that are accessible to everyone. From musicians to hairstylists to ticket sellers, our city's unions are doing that work every day. I recently talked to Clifford, a ticket seller, who told me that his union job that provides secure pay, predictable hours and benefits changed his world. Good jobs change lives. And we are committed to growing them across our great city.
We were proud to put a record $323 million in funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs and establish the Cultural Stability Fund to support cultural institutions facing hard times. That vision that Roosevelt championed, that LaGuardia enacted and that New Yorkers cherished remains alive and well in our city today. These free and low-cost tickets are just one way we are investing in the young people of the city, in memories they will never forget and in the dreams of the next generation of this city's great cultural workers and artists. And with that, I am so proud to introduce another champion of this work, Deputy Speaker Dr. Natansha Williams.
Dr. Nantasha Williams, Deputy Speaker, City Council: Good morning. I just want to say before I start, I'm like super excited to be on the stage because every year I come to City Center to watch Alvin Ailey. I grew up in dance school. And so, I'm, like, wow, this stage is so big. It doesn't look this big from the audience. So, super excited to be here. And I really want to thank the mayor for his partnership and his commitment to affordability; I really think him focusing on affordability across many sectors is truly gonna make our city great. Just wanted to thank my other colleagues in government: Assembly member Simone and of course, my colleague in the Council, Gale Brewer. Executive Director Deeksha and New York City Center's President Michael. And all the partners — I see so many of the cultural institutions in the audience — hello guys, I love you so much. Thank you for your partnership.
So as deputy speaker and chair of the City's Council on Cultural Affairs, I believe that every young New Yorker should have the opportunity to experience the incredible arts and culture our city has to offer. We call New York the cultural capital of the world, you've heard it today, but that only means something — as Michael said — if actual New Yorkers can access it. For a young person like me going to Broadway for the first time, it can be transformative. It can spark a new interest, inspire a future career — I really thought I was gonna be on Broadway; that's another story. I'm like, “Politics is kind of acting.” Or simply create a memory that stays with them.
That is why I'm so excited that this initiative goes beyond providing more than 2,000 free Broadway tickets; it also includes that free membership. Students will have continued access to affordable theater and cultural institutions throughout our city. And as someone who represents Southeast Queens — yes, I did spend a lot of time in the city, as we call it, from the outer boroughs — and I'm excited and thrilled that students will get the opportunity to come to the city. But I'm really excited that there are many institutions that are a part of this initiative like the ones in my district. So, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, other Queens organizations like Flushing Town Hall, the Louis Armstrong Museum, MoMA PS1 and others. So, this is across the city. Our cultural institutions belong to all New Yorkers, especially our young people. So, to our high school students: enter the lottery, use your membership, see a show, visit a museum and experience everything the city has to offer. You never know what that first experience might inspire. Thank you.
Question: I know this is an initial rollout of 2,000 tickets, but what are your plans for expansion? And if you want to talk a little bit more— I know there's been some writing about, I guess, the role of a lottery system with equity, which is one of your kind of core tenets. So, do you want to speak a little more about how that is used that way? And we can experience and expect more of this, because with how many, maybe the chancellor can speak to how many theater kids there are in the city, and 2,000 tickets. And unlike the World Cup, it doesn't end. So, I don't know if there are plans to add more.
Mayor Mamdani: A theater kid, I think, is subjective. This is but one example of what is going to be a long term commitment to the arts, to culture and to ensuring that every New Yorker sees themselves in arts and culture. And I think it's 2,100 tickets that are free for any high schooler across New York City. But as you've heard all of us say, anyone who applies to this lottery will then get that free membership for the next few months. And that's a membership that can really expand your sense of the city and of the world.
I mean, you just heard Deputy Speaker Dr. Natasha Williams speak about the Louis Armstrong Museum. It is an incredible museum. I only saw it after I became the mayor. And this is one of the places where any high school student who applies for this lottery could now go to see for free. And that's what's so exciting is that the arts are also a portal to a world that you never even knew existed, let alone one that you thought had room for you. And we're always going to be speaking to our deputy mayor, to our DCLA commissioner, to our MOME commissioner, to everyone who helps to lead this work inside City government and all the partners outside as to how we can make it easier for kids to grow up with a sense that Broadway is for them as well.
Question: I guess, what is your plan to increase arts funding and access — not here at the City Center — but within schools all around the city? Not just at specialized schools or art specific schools, but to ensure that there is — every kid in New York City can learn an instrument, have a librarian in their library and then also perform in a play. I don't know if the chancellor wants to hop on. He's hiding in the back.
Mayor Mamdani: I'll just underline one thing that the deputy mayor said and then pass it over to the chancellor for additional details. We were proud to work with the Council to deliver more than $320 million in funding for DCLA and for arts institutions, that's a record amount of funding. And the reason we wanted to do that is even in a moment where we faced a $12 billion fiscal deficit, it is always a moment to invest in the arts. And we also created, for the first time, a stabilization fund for cultural institutions that were experiencing either unexpected or an emergent need, because we also know that since the pandemic, especially with the cuts from the federal government, there are a number of cultural institutions that are struggling today, and they need help to just keep their doors open. So, I'll pass it over to the chancellor.
Kamar Samuels, Chancellor, New York City Public Schools: Yeah, super exciting to be here and super excited to talk about the arts, because we know that public schools play such an important role in terms of ensuring that our kids know our city. For someone like me who moved here and grew up in the Bronx, I was amazed when I came to my first Broadway experience, and we want to make sure that schools ensure that all of our students are having that experience.
And so, I also have our arts director, Paul Thompson, here, who is a part of ensuring that our principals make sure that they have the knowledge and the skills to engage with our arts residents, because that's a huge part of ensuring that every child has an experience in elementary school art. And one of the cool things that I was talking to our folks at TDF about is ensuring that — what if we ensure that every New York City Public School kid in middle school had a Broadway experience, right? That is something that we're seriously thinking about, but really ensuring that arts is a huge part of our kids' lives and that they know our city is one of the things that we are truly committed to.
Question: I'm wondering, was there a Broadway show that you saw as a kid that inspired you? For me, it was “Annie” at the Martin Theatre. How about you?
Mayor Mamdani: I remember seeing “In the Heights” for the first time and being blown away because Broadway is something that you typically think of as a portal to another world; and yet when I went to go see “In the Heights,” it was a world that I knew, but to see it on stage, to see it with the depth, the fluency, the talent [and] the art, it was incredible. Still sometimes wake up singing 96,000. And I think that I want that experience for every New Yorker. I want them to be able to see a world they didn't know and sometimes to see themselves as well. I mean, I remember also watching “Fela!” the musical. That was an amazing experience, you know, to see an African icon and his life on stage right here in Midtown. It was a beautiful thing.
Question: Mr. Mayor, it's great to see you take part in the announcement for this program. We don't usually see somebody of your caliber standing here in front and center. So, thank you for that. But I did want to ask, is this a one-time-only program or is it going to be continued in subsequent years?
Mayor Mamdani: This is the beginning. And what I mean by that is that we are going to keep asking the question of how we can be working together, and how we can ensure that it is oriented towards all of our children, right? Nobody loses in this lottery because everybody wins this membership. Some also win 2,100 free tickets on top of that. But whether it's this lottery or it's other ways, we are going to continue to both invest time and resources to make the arts something at the fingertips of every New York City student.
[Crosstalk.]
And before you go, if I could also invite Assembly Member Simone, Dr. Nantasha Williams and Council Member Brewer. If they want to share what the Broadway musical was that made it for them.
Assembly Member Tony Simone: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I grew up in blue-collar Queens of Maspeth, and I didn't even know what Broadway was, and I didn't see my first Broadway show until I was in college. Although I can't recall which was the first show, I remember my husband now, my boyfriend at the time, Jason, saying, “You've never been to Broadway? We have to go to Broadway more.” And seeing “Angels in America” and seeing how it reflected something that I am and what I grew up with and what I saw around me, and it moved me.
So, I hope this program will move a child in this city to see himself or herself on stage. I also wanted to be an actor too. My father, he just recently passed away, he said, “You're acting, kind of, right now as a politician.” I told my father, “I'm not acting, I mean what I say.” And he goes, “I am just kidding with you. I love you.” And I'll leave it at that. But thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak because this is going to be an amazing program and I'm going to fight for funding in Albany too to make sure every kid in this city can afford to see themselves on stage and maybe also one day act.
Dr. Williams: My mom took me to see “Cats.” And like, I remember slightly falling asleep, because it's long, but I remember the costumes. So, I would say that was my first Broadway play, but I feel like most memorable was “The Lion King” after that.
Mayor Mamdani: Do we have Gale Brewer who is here with us? Oh well, we lost her. She's off to see a play. Broadway News, please.
Question: I was encouraged when the chancellor mentioned that there is a hopeful expansion to younger kids as well, because we know that early exposure is important. But when you speak about Broadway especially, I'm very grateful and excited to hear about all of the support for cultural institutions like City Center. Is there a plan to support a cultural institution of Broadway that is not a cultural institution, [a] building or organization, and to support the commercial theater that brings so many people to the city and really is of all New Yorkers?
Mayor Mamdani: Just to make clear, you're asking if there's a plan to support commercial theaters beyond the CIGs. That's something that we'll bring back to the team. We'll have that conversation. Thank you.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: I wanted to ask you about the Elizabeth Street Garden situation. Can you just explain why you didn't try to go to the state lawmakers who may have power to actually move housing forward on that site and how you square — I know you've talked about building housing on every available city-owned lot, and yet here's this situation where that's put to the test and you don't do that. And then I have a second question about the push for a $3 city bike cap. Are you interested in making that program more affordable? I know you're an avid user of the program yourself.
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, I'm a “Bike Angel,” I think is the term. Though I haven't won enough points to recoup anything. Sorry, there's a $3 push you were saying? I mean, we are always interested in making Citi Bike and cycling in general more affordable, but I'll take that back to the team. And then on the first question, I think a lot of this comes back to the fact that the first deputy mayor of the former administration, Randy Mastro, took steps that rendered it nearly impossible to move forward on the fulfillment of a vision of building housing at the Elizabeth Street Garden. And we have a continued commitment to building housing everywhere that we can, and that is also why, as we take steps to resolve this case with the developers of that original site, we are going to be building 180 homes not too far away, as well as more even at 100 Gold Street.
Question: I wanted to ask you about the meeting that you had earlier this week with the rabbis. I just wanted to see if you would be open to sharing feedback that you got from them and your thoughts and feelings after the meeting and how you think it went.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you for the question. You know, I had a candid and productive conversation with rabbis representing a wide swath of New York's Jewish communities and affiliations, and I appreciated hearing from them. My door will always be open to every Jewish New Yorker, and that is a door that is open not only to a conversation, but also to a commitment of what it actually looks like to deliver on the ideal of a city where not only is everyone safe, but everyone belongs, everyone is made to feel as if this is their home. And our administration has been taking steps over the last many months of enacting that, whether it looks like increasing funding for hate crime prevention programming by more than 800 percent, or expanding our City's Office to Combat Antisemitism to its largest ever size, while developing a first-in-the-nation municipal response to combating antisemitism.
Question: I wanted to ask you: yesterday's Siena poll came out; the governor and her rival, Blakeman, are only 10 points different. I wanted to get a sense from you if you plan to either help the governor while she campaigns — you had very good favorability ratings in that same poll — and what that might look like. Also, next week when you're actually on vacation, the pied-à-terre hearing is going to be happening for the Council. I wonder if you plan that perfectly for that, and also wondering — Trump this week said that he is looking at ways for the federal government to get involved when it comes to pied-à-terre. What do you think about your maybe bestie or not, frenemy at this point, getting involved?
Mayor Mamdani: I think I'll leave it to the president to share his own opinions on it. I continue to believe in the importance of a surcharge on secondary homes worth more than $5 million as well as our ability to implement that surcharge. And just to go back to the importance of it — we're here today talking in some ways about art, but in other ways also about affordability. And the importance of a tax on a secondary home worth more than $5 million is that it raises half a billion dollars, and that is money that makes our streets safer. It makes our schools stronger. It makes the city the world-class city that we all love and know as our home. And I'm looking forward to all of the improvements that we can deliver with that revenue.
And then, Kelly, the first question, yes, I do support the governor in her reelection, and I will be making that support clear at every opportunity that I have. And I also think there is a very clear choice here between Governor Hochel and Bruce Blakeman. Yesterday, I was standing with Governor Hochul as she announced that she was going to invest more than $7 million in funding to ensure that there are no unaccompanied minors without legal defense in our city. The Trump administration had made a decision that would strip these minors of their legal defense. Now, if a New Yorker looks at what ICE is doing and they want to see more of it, they should vote for Bruce Blakeman, who has created his own militia in Nassau County. If a New Yorker looks at what ICE is doing and is shocked by the inhumanity and the cruelty that is in the very heart of that agency's operation, then they should vote for Governor Kathy Hochul.
My vacation timing — it was not about this hearing.
Question: Court Watch NYC is going to release the results of its research into the number and nature of arrests in the city. I'm not asking you to comment on their findings; they haven't been released yet, but you are in regular communication with the police commissioner. Are you confident that she is executing your vision for policing in New York City?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, I would not have someone serving our city if I was not confident in what they were doing, and I look forward to the release of these findings. Do you know when they are being released?
Question: 12 noon.
Mayor Mamdani: Okay, so then we'll be sure to look over them, and I appreciate all of these different initiatives that are all looking towards the same thing, which is how to deliver safety and justice in our city, and that continues to be a focus for us.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: I wanted to ask you about the drop in reading scores. The UFT president, Michael Mulgrew, has criticized the way the DOE has implemented its literacy program, NYC Reads. He says unless the city makes some changes, he's going to pull teacher support for that program. And then my second question is about the pied-à-terre hearing. Given the fact that there's this ongoing lawsuit, are you comfortable with your administration officials testifying in that hearing? Because likely everything they say will be pulled for that lawsuit.
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I have confidence in our administration officials being able to navigate what are often concurrent obligations, both whether it be to a hearing or to an existing lawsuit. I was asked earlier about Elizabeth Street Garden, and I said the other day that there are few things more certain in New York City than death, taxes and Randy Mastro suing this administration, and that is, again, where that lawsuit is coming from when it comes to the pied-à-terre lawsuit. And then on your first question, I continue to be confident in NYC Reads. And it is developed with the real findings of what's been effective across the country in mind. And we know that it is a critical thing that we equip our public school students with. We look forward to being in conversation with the UFT as we look to not only build upon the successes of the last few years, but to go beyond that.
###