(New York, November 1, 2007) Rosie O’Donnell, the 13-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, television talk show host, author, film, television, and stage actress will serve as the National Ambassador for this year’s Kids’ Night on Broadway, the annual event during which young people ages 6 to 18 can attend a Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. Tickets for the February events go on sale November 4th at 12 p.m. (ET).

This year’s Kids’ Night on Broadway will take place on February 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 2008 in New York, with pre-theatre events each night including a big kick-off party at Madame Tussauds New York on February 5th! Kids’ Night events will also occur nationwide throughout the year.

Kids’ Night on Broadway is presented by Madame Tussauds New York and the New York Times.

This year’s Kids' Night will have an extra educational component, centered around a free KNOB souvenir Playbill (generously provided by Theatre Development Fund) with a theatre education focus, and free kids Theatre 101 educational and interactive workshops to be held at Kids Nights’ pre-theatre events.

Ms. O’Donnell, a life-long theatre lover and advocate for arts education in schools, commented, “I am thrilled to be associated with this wonderful program, which helps to expose young people to the wonderful world of Broadway theatre. Since its inception, over 200,000 people have participated in Kids’ Night in New York alone, and we look forward to reaching even more families with the message that there is no greater entertainment than Broadway.”

Rosie is also the founder of Rosie’s Broadway Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free instruction in music, dance, and drama, as well as a professional theater experience, to public schools and students from low-income areas. In 2008, Rosie’s Broadway Kids will open the doors to their new home, Maravel Arts Center, a performing arts school in the heart of New York City’s theater district. This year’s KNOB will   help raise awareness for the program: “I passionately believe that an arts education can dramatically enrich the lives of young people,” commented Ms. O'Donnell,  “I feel lucky to be able to share my love of Broadway with kids who live in the city but have never had access to the Great White Way.”

According to a recent League study, sixty-five percent of Broadway theatregoers said that their parents or other adult family members took them to the theatre as a child or teenager. Similarly, having parents or adult family members who attended theatre themselves was also influential on future theatregoers.

“Kids’ Night on Broadway is the most popular audience development program of the League,” commented Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director, The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. “Kids’ Night carries the message that Broadway is an open and accessible experience for both kids and adults. In the 2006-2007 season, children and teens accounted for a record 1.42 million tickets sold in New York alone.”

"We are honored to have Rosie O’Donnell as National Embassador for this year's Kids' Night,” continued Ms. St. Martin. “She has been Broadway’s biggest fan throughout her lifetime, as well as a tireless crusader for theatre education in the schools. We are thrilled that she will be lending her time to shed a bright light on this cherished audience development program, as well as the need for arts in school.”

Rosie O’Donnell

Thirteen-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, television talk show host, author, film, television, and stage actress Rosie O’Donnell will serve as the host of this year’s Kids’ Night.

Ms. O’Donnell knows a great deal about kids and theatre, having followed her heart to the stage. The multi-talented Ms. O’Donnell added Broadway to her repertoire in 1994, when she starred as Rizzo in Tommy Tune’s revival of Grease. In 2001, Rosie followed her heart back to Broadway to star as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical. In 2004, Ms. O’Donnell combined her love of Broadway and '80s pop musical sensation Boy George, and produced the musical Taboo based on his life. She previously appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof. When critics claimed that Broadway was on the decline and the networks threatened to stop broadcasting the Tony Awards®, Ms. O’Donnell, an ardent fan of the theatre, came to the rescue. Not only did she agree to host The 51st Annual Tony Awards (1997), but she also did a weeklong tribute to the Great White Way on her show leading up to the event. The Tonys earned its highest ratings in 10 years, much credit given to Ms. O’Donnell.

Rosie O’Donnell has taken her popularity and put it to good use. As a tireless crusader for children, she established the “Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation,” in 1997. Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $60 million and awarded more than $27 million dollars in grants to over 1,400 child-related non-profit organizations to benefit low-income families across the country. In 2005, Ms. O’Donnell established a fund to provide $3 million dollars to children and families displaced by Katrina, which, among other projects built the first-ever childcare facility in a FEMA housing site, at Renaissance Village in Louisiana. In 2003, Ms. O’Donnell established “Rosie’s Broadway Kids,” a program that provides in school, after-school and summer instruction in musical theatre to the public school children of New York.

She was last seen as moderator on the tenth season of ABC’s “The View.” In May of 2007, "Time" magazine named Ms. O’Donnell one of the one hundred most influential people in the world for their “Time 100” cover story. In October of 2007 she will release her second book called “Celebrity Detox” with Grand Central Publishing. She will also reprise her role as Dawn Budge in FX’s acclaimed series “Nip/Tuck.”

Kids’ Night Partners With Rosie’s Broadway Kids

This year’s Kids’ Night on Broadway will also help shine a spotlight on "Rosie's Broadway Kids," a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free instruction in music and dance to New York City public schools and students. Eighty percent of students who participate in Rosie’s Broadway Kids are from low-income families. Rosie’s Broadway Kids serves more than 5,100 teachers, students, and their family members at 22 schools. They currently have programs in Harlem, Midtown West, Chelsea, Lower East Side, East Village, Chinatown, and Brooklyn. In 2008, Rosie’s Broadway Kids will open the doors to their new home, Maravel Arts Center, a performing arts school in the heart of New York City’s theatre district (Rosiesbroadwaykids.org, 212.703.7390)

Participating Shows

At press time, there are 26 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows participating in Kids’ Night, including:

Altar Boyz, Avenue Q, Chicago, A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, Come Back Little Sheba, Curtains, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Fantasticks, The Farnsworth Invention, Grease, Hairspray, Is He Dead?, Legally Blonde The Musical, The Lion King, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Spring Awakening, Stomp, Wicked, Xanadu, and The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein

Tickets for specific shows are subject to availability.

Fan Festivals

With the purchase of Kids’ Night theatre tickets, families will be offered tons of free or discounted family fun including Pre-Theater events each night. The Fan Festival kick-off will be at Madame Tussauds New York on February 5 at 3:00 p.m., and will afford young people the opportunity to experience how live theatre is created through special activities hosted by the cast and crew of participating shows. Some activities include special theatrical makeup stations, Broadway dance lessons, karaoke, and many other unique theatre activities. Many Broadway stars will also be on hand to sign autographs in Autograph Alley. Fans also get to tour Madame Tussauds for free.

“We are proud to be involved with Kids’ Night and fully support the mission of the program,” said Janine DiGioacchino, General Manager of Madame Tussauds. “The program allows a younger audience to experience the incredible and unique talent showcased on Broadway, and we are looking forward to kicking off the event in true Broadway style – in the heart of Times Square with live performances and fun for all.”

Events on February 6 and 12 will take place at Spotlight Live and the event on February 13 will be at The Times Center. Check the Kids’ Night website for details www.KidsNightOnBroadway.com.

Dinner and Parking Discounts

Area restaurants will offer family-friendly dinner discounts and a free entrée for each child accompanied by an adult who purchase a regularly priced entrée. Special parking discounts will also be available.

Curtain Speeches

While cast members of participating shows add special fun to the evening with individual post-performance curtain speeches thanking kids for being part of the audience.

Souvenir Playbill

At the theatre, all those in attendance will receive a special souvenir Playbill, entirely written by local adolescents who love theatre, provided by Theatre Development Fund (TDF).

Sponsors

Kids' Night on Broadway is presented by Madame Tussauds New York and The New York Times. Additional support provided by NBC4HD, Theatre Development Fund, Spotlight Live, Camp Broadway, and Rosie's Broadway Kids. Official media partner is Lite FM. Live Broadway welcomes Visa.

For More Information on Kids’ Night Events Nationwide

To purchase tickets, more information or to view the list of discounted restaurants and parking garages, log on to www.kidsnightonbroadway.com or call the Broadway Line (1-888-Broadway). Tickets can also be purchased via Telecharge.com or Ticketmaster (depending on ticket agent), or at the individual theatre boxes.

Kids’ Night on Broadway is also a national program that takes place throughout the winter and spring months when touring Broadway shows come to town. For more information on touring Broadway shows participating in Kids’ Night, visit www.kidsnightonbroadway.com.

About The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., created in 1930 is the official trade association for the commercial theatre industry. The League’s 600-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general throughout North America, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to almost 30 million people in New York and across the US and Canada.

In addition to the annual Kids’ Night on Broadway celebration, The League also created GenerationBroadway.com, an interactive website designed to help parents and educators learn more about the excitement and grandeur of live theatre. Other League audience development programs targeted at young people include the Educator “Apple” awards, recognizing the efforts of schools across the country that promote theatre education, and “Family First Nights,” an initiative that encourages family theatergoing. The League also supports education through grants aimed at developing innovative educational programs relating to the presentation of Broadway shows in New York and on tour.

About Madame Tussauds New York

Madame Tussauds New York is an interactive "must do" attraction that provides guests with unique opportunities to create memories with some of the world's biggest icons. Recent additions include the interactive "Ultimate Subway Series" experience, where visitors can pitch and cheer against each other in a replica of the Mets' and Yankees' dugouts and Rachael Ray's wax figure, where they can see what it feels like to be in Rachael's colorful kitchen. Other recent wax additions include The Notorious B.I.G, David Wright, Brandon Routh as Superman, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Senator Hillary Clinton. Prominently located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussauds New York is open 365 days a year at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.nycwax.com or call (800) 246-8872.

The Tussauds Group merged with Merlin Entertainments Group in 2007, bringing together two of the premier entertainment and attractions companies on the globe. Merlin Entertainments Group is the leading name in location based, family entertainment, which has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. The world's number 2 visitor attraction operator, Merlin aims to deliverable memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13,000 employees.

About The New York Times

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2005 revenues of $3.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, nine network-affiliated television stations, two New York City radio stations and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.