Broadway Bound Kids: Creating Stars On and Off the Stage

Broadway Bound Kids is empowering young performers through creativity, collaboration, and transformative theater experiences.

For students at Broadway Bound Kids (BBK), the stage is much more than a place to perform—it's a place to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and discover their own voices. Through its Community Theater Ensembles program, BBK provides young people with high-quality performing arts education while creating a welcoming community where creativity and collaboration flourish.

During the 2025–2026 program year, BBK served 100 students in grades four through twelve, providing hundreds of hours of theater instruction led by professional teaching artists. Students participated in three distinct ensemble programs tailored to their age and experience, culminating in eight performances, including three fully produced musicals, all presented to sold-out audiences.

The Broadway Bound Players expanded to two simultaneous sections for the first time in the organization's history, reflecting growing demand for accessible arts programming. Younger students strengthened their theater skills while creating original performances before taking the stage in two productions of Seussical Jr.

Older students in the Broadway Bound Workshop deepened their artistic abilities through collaborative leadership opportunities and ultimately presented a full production of Hairspray, while participants in the Broadway Bound Academy explored advanced acting techniques and classical theater, culminating in an original adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by an all-female cast.

Beyond the performances themselves, the program continues to make a profound impact on students' personal growth. Post-program surveys found that more than 96% of participants reported increased personal responsibility and preparedness, while 100% said they learned to appreciate and listen to varying points of view through the collaborative process of theater.

The program is also opening doors for future success. Every graduating senior participating in the Community Theater Ensembles has been accepted to college, with more than half pursuing performing arts or arts education programs. Several of these students have been part of Broadway Bound Kids since the fourth grade, demonstrating the lasting influence of sustained arts education.

Serving students from all five boroughs of New York City, many of whom face financial barriers to accessing arts opportunities, Broadway Bound Kids continues to expand its reach while maintaining a supportive environment where every student can thrive.

By supporting programs like Broadway Bound Kids, the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation is helping ensure that young people have opportunities to develop creativity, confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills that will serve them well both on stage and throughout their lives.