Dr. Benjamin Schuster Honored with Star of Touring Broadway Award from The Broadway League

Longtime Dayton resident and philanthropist Dr. Benjamin Schuster has been honored by The Broadway League with their 2008 Star of Touring Broadway Award.

The Star of Touring Broadway Award is given annually by The Broadway League (formerly the League of American Theatres & Producers) to an individual who has made a significant impact on touring Broadway in a local market.

This year’s award recognizes the impact of the leadership gift made by Dr. Schuster and his late wife Marian, to help build the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2003. The Schusters played an integral role in the realization of the performing arts center that bears their names by donating $8 million to the project. Their leadership inspired another $115 million in gifts to build the performing arts center that is home to Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, and Victoria Theatre Association.

Over the past five years, the Schuster Center has greatly enhanced the caliber of touring Broadway in Dayton. Without the Schuster Center, Dayton would never have hosted successful runs of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE PRODUCERS, MOVIN’ OUT, Cathy Rigby in PETER PAN, HAIRSPRAY, and MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT. In the near future the list will grow to include Oprah Winfrey presents THE COLOR PURPLE, LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and WICKED. Victoria Theatre Association, the organization responsible for presenting touring Broadway in Dayton, nominated Dr. Schuster for this prestigious award.

The economic impact of these shows playing Dayton is vast – not just for Dayton but also for touring Broadway. Secondary touring markets such as Dayton play an essential role in the success of Broadway tours, and the Schuster Center has changed the stature of Dayton as a Broadway touring market.

Dr. and Mrs. Schuster have provided an incredible legacy for the arts in our community. Longtime residents of Dayton, the Schusters have a 45-year history of philanthropy in the Miami Valley, supporting not only the performing arts, but also medical and educational initiatives. Marian Schuster, often the inspiration behind the couple’s generosity to the arts, passed away in July 2007.

The Award was recently announced at the 2008 Touring Broadway Awards, held during The Broadway League’s annual Spring Road Conference in New York City. Established in 2000, the Touring Broadway Awards are the first national awards to recognize Touring Broadway. Broadway League members, representing more than 240 markets, act as a blue-ribbon panel to select award recipients from their Broadway Series.

The Broadway League, founded in 1930 as the League of New York Theatres, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League’s 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in 240 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and across the U.S. and Canada.