Nonprofit gives students opportunity to see Broadway show 'Six' for free
TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) -- An exciting program that sends public school students to Broadway shows for free is back in operation after a hiatus due to the pandemic.
The idea is to introduce the students to the magic of live theater and show them what makes that experience different than watching movies or TV.
T.D.F is the same nonprofit group which runs the popular T.K.T.S. booth where you can buy discount tickets to Broadway shows in Time Square.
Now, great deals can be found there, but the the opportunity entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon is talking about is even better.
An afternoon at "SIX" proved to be a perfect 10 for students from Harvey Milk High School on the Lower East Side.
"It was very action packed, and there was like a lot of energy: very good positive vibes that the cast bought to us, also the audience as well," student Celio Calle said.
These students and almost 1,000 more just like them came to the Lena Horne Theatre to see the musical for free, as part of a program run by T.D.F.
"We had a class before this, like different classes talking about the entire cast and just going through what everything was going to be about, I feel like you have a little bit more background information so you have a little bit more about what to expect," said high school sophomore Lucas Charles.
This marked the first time some of these students had ever been to a Broadway show.
"It was a lot of energy, a lot of positivity, a lot of excitement," high school senior Devonte Romero said.
Students had a chance to meet the stars and share the experience with their teacher.
"To get them passionate about anything is such an incredible opportunity and such a wonderful thing as a teacher to witness firsthand," teacher Diandra D'Amico said.
"SIX" is about the six wives of British King Henry VIII.
"I love the way they showed female rage and at the end, they all got together, it was really beautiful and I loved its message," sophomore Sofia Collado said.
Social media influencer Mireille Lee texted Sandy Kenyon to say it's "empowering" and "SIX" was "great for young girls especially."
That's a sentiment echoed by high school junior Martie Martinez.
"The meaning behind it, beautiful...I got three pieces of confetti, and I'm going to keep it forever," Martinez said.
The idea behind "The Introduction to Theatre" program is to get folks in the habit of seeing a live show.
"You get to actually experience it unlike TV when you're just watching it, you feel the energy in the room," sophomore Daniel Ortiz said.
Sandy Kenyon reported back that it seemed to be a mission accomplished and additional video can be found on his Instagram page.
Sandy has covered entertainment stories for quite a while but standing at the lip of the stage facing this young crowd and getting showered with all that confetti reminded him how exciting this beat can be.
READ MORE | Sandy Kenyon goes to back to school to judge speaking competition
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
