Episode 70 - Jordan Roth

Jordan Roth, the Tony Award winning President of Jujamcyn Theaters, is responsible for bringing "Spring Awakening," "Clybourne Park," "Kinky Boots," "Springsteen on Broadway," "Falsettos," "Mean Girls," "Frozen," "Angels In America" and many other hits to Broadway. The youngest president ever of a theater dynasty, Jordan has quickly become one of the most respected producers in the American theater. On this episode of "Little Known Facts" Jordan talks with Ilana about his desire to bring theater to Broadway that inspires and changes lives; indeed, Jordan's gift for bringing together other creatives and cultivating talent has allowed him to bring some of the most powerful game changing plays to the Broadway stage. Jordan shares intimate details about his childhood and what led him to a career focused on  creativity and community. Jordan is a tireless activist for political causes that support people in need from all walks of life -- often working with organizations that support the LGBTQI community. This is a rare look into the life of one of the most powerful members of the theater community.  Jordan Roth is widely recognized as a theatrical innovator, championing new shows that push the boundaries of Broadway and creating unique experiences for audiences. As President of Jujamcyn Theaters, he oversees five Broadway theatres, presenting some of the most influential and successful musicals and plays on Broadway today. Current productions include the Tony Award-winning Best Musicals "The Book of Mormon" and "Kinky Boots," "Springsteen on Broadway" and the upcoming "Frozen" and "Mean Girls." Jordan recently produced "Present Laughter" starring Kevin Kline in his Tony Award-winning performance as well the Tony-nominated revival of "Falsettos" with Lincoln Center Theater. Previous producing credits include the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Best Play "Clybourne Park" and his first production, the long-running "The Donkey Show" Off-Broadway. This spring, Jordan is joining with the National Theatre to bring to Broadway the eagerly anticipated production of "Angels in America" starring Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield.  Combining his love of theatre with his passion for making a difference in our community, Jordan created Givenik.com, a unique service allowing theatergoers to buy discounted tickets and give 5% of their ticket price to the charity of their choice. Givenik.com currently supports over 750 charitable organizations, including God's Love We Deliver. Jordan writes a regular column on Deadline Hollywood with Jeremy Gerard debating issues of the day in theatre and culture. His new online cultural commentary comedy series "The Birds" and the BS with Jordan Roth launches soon.  In a relatively short period of time, Jordan has generated much interest in his vision and accomplishments.  He was honored to be included in Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business 1000," Crain's "Forty Under 40," Variety's "50 Creatives to Watch," The Daily News' "50 New Yorkers to Watch," Time Out New York's "42 Reasons to Applaud New York Theatre," Paper Magazine's "Beautiful People Issue," and Out Magazine's "Out 100" three times. Recently, Jordan was recognized as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.  Jordan graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University with degrees in philosophy and theatre, and received his MBA from Columbia Business School. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Broadway League, Times Square Alliance and the Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation.  Jordan and his husband Richie Jackson live in New York City with their two sons Jackson and Levi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices