The Woman Behind the Tony Awards

The 2010 Tony Awards, the most coveted awards for achievement in the theatre, will be broadcast this Sunday night from 8:00 to 11:00 pm on CBS. The show will be hosted by Sean Hayes, who is now starring in Promises, Promises and is well known for his role on “Will and Grace.” The Tony Awards will feature performances from many of the top shows on Broadway and offer viewers the chance to sample this season’s theatre offerings without leaving home.

Scarsdale resident Jan Svendsen has been behind the scenes producing the show for the past 11 years in her role as the Chief Marketing Officer of the Broadway League. Svendsen is excited about the show on Sunday and encourages all Scarsdale residents to tune in. Here is her story:

Where did you grow up and how many years have you lived in Scarsdale?

I grew up in Los Angeles, then lived in London and Oslo and moved to Scarsdale in 1989.

What is your official title and role on the Tony Awards?

I am the Chief Marketing Officer for the Broadway League (producer of the Tony Awards and trade association for the Broadway industry) and this is my 11th Tony Awards. I help to produce the show by running all the marketing, advertising, promotions, sponsorships and media relations.

How many years have you worked for the League? And how did you end up there?

I have been working on Broadway for 11 years. I was 'recruited' to work here after a career at Ogilvy Advertising.

Describe what you do to put the show together?

It takes a Village to produce a primetime network live special like the Tonys. There are hundreds of casts and crew from the nominated shows. There are hundreds of folks that work at White Cherry Entertainment, our production company and hundreds more from Radio City Music Hall, CBS and behind the scenes. In addition to the Tonys, our executive producers, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirschner have produced some of the biggest shows on TV such as Super Bowl Halftime shows, Democratic conventions, Obama's Inaguration, the Emmys, The American Music Awards, The County Music Awards and many more!

What do you enjoy about it?

I think the Tonys are really the most "entertaining" award show on TV. The Oscars are all about celebs. The Golden Globes are all about 'drunk celebs'. The Emmys are about the awards. The Grammys are about some unique performances. But the Tonys...they have the BEST entertainment and it is very diverse. From rock like Green Day to Sinatra. And we have some of the biggest names in Hollywood performing such as : Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johannsson, Katherine Zeta-Jones, Jude Law and many more!.

What are the highlights of this year’s show?

Big stars … lots of musical numbers and a performance by Green Day! And my personal favorite ...a performance from the cast of Glee (yes, I confess, I am a "gleek")

If readers can only go to a few shows this year, which ones would you recommend?

There is such diversity on Broadway these days so it really depends upon what you are into and whatever that is...you are likely to find it on the boards this year. I love "all my children" so I can't really say which show is my favorite, but I will tell you that certain shows have made an indelible mark in my life, such as: Rent, Next to Normal and Hamlet, to name a few.

How can people save money on Broadway tickets?

When one compares going to theatre and going to a sporting event the prices aren't really that different. There are many programs that we run to encourage folks to come to the theatre that provide discounts, such as: Kids Night on Broadway in the winter and Back2Broadway in the fall.

Anything else you want to add?

I love my job. I love the theatre. And I love being able to help others experience the world of Broadway. I love stepping out of my office door into the heart of Times Square and feeling that incredible energy and vibe. I love sitting in my seat before a show and feeling that sense of anticipation. And most of all, I love the feeling of being connected that one experiences in the theatre...connection to the actors, the music, the story, the other audience members....yeah, that is really the defining thing for me ... that feeling of 'connection'!

Watch the Tony Awards on CBS
Sunday Night June 13, 2010
8 PM – 11 PM
Visit: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html