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News Releases 
Children's Theatre Company wins Regional Theatre Tony® Award - First theater for young people to receive Regional Theatre Award; A Year with Frog and Toad nominated for 3 Tony® Awards 
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2003
It was announced today that the Children's Theatre Company will receive the 2003 Regional Theatre Tony® Award. This award, instituted in 1976, honors a regional theater company that has demonstrated and maintained a superior level of artistic excellence and contributed the growth of national theater.
In the 27-year history of the Regional Theatre Award, CTC is the first theater for young people to receive this prestigious award. Each spring, the Tony® Administration Committee selects the institution that will receive the Regional Theatre Tony® Award based on a recommendation by the American Theatre Critics Association.
"What a thrilling tribute to cap off a fabulous season," said CTC artistic director Peter C. Brosius. "First of all, we are so pleased for our amphibian friends, Frog and Toad. And, of course pleased to be a part of a production that has received three Tony® nominations. As for the Regional Tony, we are delighted that this remarkable institution has been recognized, but even more excited that the audience we serve has also been validated by this award".
The Children's Theatre Company's Award Winning Year
This award comes on the heels of a successful 38th season for CTC. Some highlights:
- The 2002/2003 mainstage season included four world premieres: A Year with Frog and Toad, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Once Upon a Forest and Korczak's Children. The Wizard of Oz, the holiday show, broke CTC box office records. And to close the season, CTC revived the treasured classic Dr. Seuss' The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.
- Governor Pawlenty proclaimed April 13, 2003, Children's Theatre Company Day, recognizing the many contributions CTC makes to the entire state of Minnesota, including being the first Minnesota theater to fully produce a production that opened on Broadway and was just nominated for three Tony® Awards.
- This spring, CTC launched its teen programming with STAND: A Festival of Theatre, Art and Personal Re/Action. CTC received significant support for its teen programming from the Wallace-Readers Digest Funds. On April 21, 2003, Cargill, Inc. announced $6.6 million in one-time capital construction grants to arts and culture groups in the Twin Cities, with the largest grant, $2.5 million, awarded to The Children's Theatre Company. It is believed to be the Cargill Foundation's largest gift in recent history. The gift supports a new 288-seat theater that will be programmed primarily for teens and pre-schoolers, and is part of CTC's $24 million capital plan.
- And just recently, The Children's Theatre Company and the Guthrie Theater announced that their joint venture, CostumeRentals, won a $100,000 grand prize in the "National Business Plan Competition for Nonprofit Organizations" sponsored by the Yale School of Management - The Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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| CTC leadership Teresa Eyring, managing director; Ken Piper, board chair; and Peter Brosius, artistic director; pose for the media after accepting the 2003 Regional Theatre Tony® Award in New York City. The award signifies sustained excellence in theater and contributions to the field nationally. CTC is the first theater for young people and family to be honored with this award. Photo: Anita and Steve Shevett. |
"It is such an exciting time at CTC right now," said CTC managing director Teresa Eyring. "We're involved in our first capital campaign, first programming venture for teens, first production to go to Broadway, first invitation to the International Brecht Symposium in Berlin and, now, our first Regional Tony. What's remarkable is that this theater, which has served the entire state of Minnesota for 38 years is still firmly committed to firsts."
A Year with Frog and Toad
In addition to the Regional Theatre Award, the CTC production of A Year with Frog and Toad, presented by special arrangement with Adrianne Lobel and Bob Boyett, was nominated for three Tony® awards: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score. A Year with Frog and Toad, currently produced by Adrianne Lobel and Bob Boyett, is at the Cort Theater on Broadway. Mark Linn-Baker and Jay Goede continue their roles as Frog and Toad, and are joined by original company members Frank Vlastnik and Danielle Ferland.
The world premiere of A Year with Frog and Toad opened the 2002-2003 CTC Season and ran from August 20 - November 2. The production then transferred immediately to the New Victory Theater in New York. A Year with Frog and Toad garnered rave reviews and delighted many enthusiastic audiences in both Minneapolis and New York.
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