Raise You Up days are always some of our favorite days…
Our Raise You Up Community Youth Program provides homeless and at-risk young people with a day of shadowing professionals in all areas of the theatre world. It’d be an understatement to say that a lot goes into putting on a stage production, but the public often only has the chance to see the final product. Raise You Up gives young people a look at what goes on backstage, in the box office, in the marketing and press rooms, as well as onstage to give them a holistic look into the science of a show. At the end of the day, attendees see it all come together by catching a show that night, followed by a talk-back with the cast!
Raise You Up gets its name from a number in Cyndi’s Tony Award® winning Broadway show Kinky Boots. So, naturally, we’ve partnered with the show to create a youth program that empowers homeless and at-risk youth in New York City and around the country to learn about and immerse themselves into the career opportunities that exist in the theatre industry. We’re currently in our third year of the program, and it’s only getting better.
On Thursday, May 21, we were joined by a dozen young people and the Hetrick-Martin Institute for a day-long experience with Kinky Boots in New York City. Here are a few images from the day:
Young people learn how to sell a show with Kinky Boots’ marketing team.
A participant gets fitted for a bald cap by the hair and makeup team.
Looking fabulous!
Perfect way to end the night!
As Kinky Boots has gone on tour, we’ve hit the road with it – bringing Raise You Up to cities across the country. In the past year, we’ve partnered with local youth organizations in Nashville, Detroit, and Houston to give young people the full theatre experience and help connect them with opportunities in their hometowns.
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