Tina Landau, Alton Fitzgerald White, and More Set for 2017 TEDxBroadway

Speakers have been announced for TEDxBroadway 2017, set to take place March 21 at New World Stages. This year, the event will boast a new format and a new focus: "Let's Talk."

Speakers for this year will include Tina Landau, writer, director, and teacher whose work includes directing and conceiving The Spongebob Musical; Alton Fitzgerald White, a singer, actor, and dancer who broke Broadway records with 4,308 performances as King Mufasa in The Lion King; Desmond Upton Patton, an assistant professor at the Columbia School of Social Work and a faculty affiliate of the Social Intervention Group (SIG) and the Data Science Institute (DSI); Rachelle Pereira, a cofounder of EQUALibrium Group, a leadership and communication consulting firm dedicated to nurturing and building Powerful Modern Leaders; Lester Vrtiak, who manages the Sing for Hope Pianos program, the country's largest recurring public arts project of artist-designed pianos placed throughout the parks and public spaces of NYC’s five boroughs each summer; and Jon Albert, the founder and president of Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation. More speakers will be announced later.

"For the first five years, we've asked speakers and the audience to approach the day with one central question in mind, 'What is the BEST Broadway Can Be?,'" said Damian Bazadona, TEDxBroadway co-organizer and founder of Situation Interactive, in a statement. "Making Broadway the best is still at the core of why we do this event and we’re committed to that. But, this year, we’re going to strengthen that resolve by really opening up a meaningful dialogue with all in attendance throughout the day."

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

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