The New 42nd Street Honors J.K. Rowling at Annual Gala

The New 42nd Street honored J.K. Rowling with its New Victory Arts Award at its annual gala on Saturday, May 12. Rowling was honored in absentia for her work in bringing children to the arts and vice versa.

The event, which will provide critical support to the nonprofit's award-winning arts education and youth employment programs, included a strolling supper at the New Victory Theater. The centerpiece event was a day-long performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Lyric Theatre.

This year, the New 42nd Street celebrates 15 years as the largest provider of live performance and arts education to New York City schools. Founded in 1990, the organization revitalized seven historic theaters on 42nd Street. The nonprofit annually brings 40,000 students of all ages to the New Victory Theater to experience a variety of art forms, cultures, and experiences, and, through the New 42nd StreetYouth Corps, provides mentoring, paid employment, and life-skills education for 100 high school and college-age NYC students through jobs in the arts.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is based on an original story by Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. Featuring a script from Thorne, Tiffany directs the production, which opened April 22 and has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Play.