Overview

• Tony Award–winner Wendell Pierce formally endorsed the Caesars Palace Times Square casino bid and emphasized its promise for workforce inclusion and arts equity.
• The New York Coalition of Legacy Theatres of Color Fund, launched as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will deploy a $10 million commitment to boost production, marketing and visibility for theatres like the Billie Holiday Theatre and The Negro Ensemble Company.
• Participating legacy theatres will gain not only direct grants but also access to childcare services, student and medical debt relief, rental assistance and priority job placements through monthly theatre labor fairs.
• Caesars Palace Times Square is vying to convert 1515 Broadway into a casino, hotel and Broadway theatre as part of New York’s plan for three new city gaming licenses.
• Major Broadway organizations including the Broadway League, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, IATSE and The Shubert Organization have opposed the proposal over concerns about increased congestion, traffic, crime and potential impacts on the city’s tax revenue.