Photo: marcuscenter.org
Kendra Whitlock Ingram
Kendra Whitlock Ingram
Kendra Whitlock Ingram, president and CEO for the Marcus Performing Arts Center, believes that forging relationships with Broadway actors and producers, along with presenting quality theater productions, helps Milwaukee gain a reputation as a vibrant performing arts destination.
“It’s really important for someone from the Marcus Center to have that connection to New York,” she added.
Being a Tony award voter allows Ingram to see the best shows on Broadway—and bring them back to Milwaukee.
The 75th annual Tony Awards ceremony, a celebration recognizing excellence in American theater, was held on June 12 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Winners included The Lehman Trilogy for Best Play, A Strange Loop for Best Musical and SIX: The Musical for Best Original Score.
Tony voters consist of nearly 800 full voting members of the Broadway League. Voters are divided into several categories.
Ingram is a road presenter, or a representative of a theater that presents Broadway shows. As a road presenter, she must travel to New York City several times a year to attend performances of every show nominated for a Tony award, which means watching multiple shows over the course of a weekend.
Like other voters, Ingram takes these duties seriously. “It’s somewhat of an honor system, but it’s a system people adhere to,” she said. “Road presenters really help keep these shows alive.”
Broadway Reopens
Although Ingram succeeded Paul Mathews as Marcus PAC president and CEO in 2020, this year marks the first year that she was able to serve as a Tony voter, as Broadway was shut down for 18 months due to COVID-19.
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In late 2021 and early 2022, many New York shows were canceled or postponed due to cast and production members being infected with the virus. “Omicron really took down the business for a couple of weeks,” Ingram added. “This was an unusual year for Tony voting.”
Fortunately, the Marcus PAC has been able to host all of its scheduled Broadway shows this year due to its strict COVID-19 protocols, which included virus testing for cast and crew multiple times a week, mandatory face masks, and audience members having to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Ingram commends them for their dedication. “There are a lot of heroes out there—they have saved the day,” she added. (Note: COVID-19 safety protocols at the Marcus Center have changed. Visit Marcuscenter.org for updates).
The 2022-2023 Marcus PAC season includes productions of SIX: The Musical, Hadestown, Tootsie and Frozen.
"Milwaukee audiences are going to be seeing some of these shows right off Broadway,” Ingram noted.
