You've Got to Have Friends

Roundabout is fortunate to have a special group of supporters, many of whom have been involved with the company since its early days as a fledgling not-for-profit theatre. James and Carla O'Rorke are part of this group, and through their support and passion for the organization, they've played a large role in Roundabout's success.

Jim and Carla have been members of Roundabout's Chairman's Circle for fifteen years, and have seen it grow from a small number of individuals into a group more than 700 strong. Jim notes, “The thing we like best about being in the Chairman's Circle is the way in which all of the events, and the membership itself, are conducted. It's so pleasant and comfortable, not formal or stuffy. Of course the productions are wonderful, but it's really Todd and his staff that make it all worthwhile.”

The O'Rorke's friendship has spanned major transitions for Roundabout, including the opening of the original Laura Pels Theatre, which they supported with a gift in 1995. They also participated in the relocation to Roundabout's now permanent mainstage of American Airlines Theatre. In 1997, because of the rising values of real estate, Roundabout's landlord at the Criterion Center in Times Square invoked a demolition clause requiring the company to vacate the building within two years. Luckily, the vacant Selwyn Theatre on 42nd Street was available, and Roundabout was deemed the perfect tenant by New York City and State as part of the revitalization of 42nd Street. Jim and Carla knew how important this new permanent home was to Roundabout, and made a significant contribution to the Campaign to turn the Selwyn into Roundabout's beautiful American Airlines Theatre. In fact, Jim felt so passionately about this project that he offered both his services and those of his firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, on a pro bono basis to negotiate the building's lease with the State of New York.

The O'Rorke's philanthropic support of Roundabout stems from a deep appreciation of the theatre. Born and raised in New York, Jim's memories of his teenage years include spending Saturdays in Manhattan at play publisher Samuel French, Inc., where he and his friends would go to read plays. In the evening, they would head to their theatre of choice to buy standing room tickets for that night's performance. Jim also took part in his high school's drama program, under the direction of H. Bertram Keller, an English teacher who had a tremendous influence on his life. To recognize Bert's influence on his lifelong love for the theatre, Jim and Carla named a dressing room in his honor at the American Airlines Theatre.

Carla has a long-time attachment to the arts as well. During her college years at the University of Pennsylvania, she was involved with the Pennsylvania Players, where she concentrated mostly on set design. She also has plenty of experience in the not-for-profit world, having worked as an event planner early in her career for both the Museum of Modern Art and the Heye Foundation Museum of the American Indian. She is currently a member of the Yellowstone Art Museum's National Council in Montana, and is an artist herself with an interest in watercolor painting.

The O'Rorkes favorite Roundabout activity is the Friends of Roundabout Playreading Series. Just recently, Jim decided that the best way to celebrate his 70th birthday would be to attend the reading of Enemies, A Love Story, starring Tovah Feldshuh and Matthew Arkin. “I am always so impressed by the fact that so many high-power actors will take the one day they have off during the week to do a reading. The way they donate their time is wonderful,” notes Jim when asked what makes this donor-only series so special.

As Roundabout looks towards the future, the O'Rorkes continue to remain exceptional friends of the theatre. Executive Director Julia Levy sums up Roundabout's relationship with the O'Rorkes by saying, “One of the great pleasures of my job is meeting truly special people like Jim and Carla, who care so deeply about supporting the cultural community in New York and in Montana. Jim and Carla have always been there for Roundabout, offering their financial support and encouragement through the good times and the not so good times– that means the world to Todd and me. They will always be very, very special members of the Roundabout family.”

For information on joining the Chairman's Circle or supporting Roundabout, please CLICK HERE or call Julia Lazarus, Director of Individual Giving, at 212.719.9393.

Beyond the Velvet Rope

On Monday, March 19, 2007, over 500 Roundabout donors, friends and artists came together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of Studio 54 with a dazzling night of music and fun. Once the home of the world's most famous disco, Studio 54 has since been returned to Broadway in the care of Roundabout. For one night only at our Spring Gala, the worlds of Broadway and disco converged in an original musical revue created by director Kathleen Marshall and musical director David Chase with Broadway's brightest stars singing the disco hits of 1977.

The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre was presented to the institution that was key to the resurrection of Studio 54: The City of New York. We were proud to present awards to both Kate D. Levin, of the Department of Cultural Affars, who accepted on behalf of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and Council Member Dominic M. Recchia, Jr., who accepted on behalf of the New York City Council and Speaker Christine C. Quinn.Led by the efforts of Gala Co-Chairs Lois Robbins-Zaro and Steven Schroko, our supporters helped us raise more than $1.2 million for Roundabout's Musical Theatre Fund in one thrilling, star-studded night. These important funds will help ensure the future of Roundabout's musical workshops, readings and full-scale productions for years to come.

CLICK HERE to view Photos From the Gala! 

Promoting the Arts,
Investing in Communities:
Roundabout honors
for their commitment to theatre and education

Beginning in 1992, Roundabout Theatre Company has had the good fortune to receive generous financial support from JPMorgan Chase. The company has provided funding for the full range of Roundabout programming, including production support, education, and theatre restoration. Since their first gift to us 15 years ago, we have counted their contributions as among the most vital to our efforts.

JPMorgan Chase's philanthropic giving extends throughout the world. However, that doesn't mean they overlook local needs. “Investing in communities is a long-standing tradition of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation in the Northeast Region and New York State. Each year we thoughtfully select key programs and organizations that meet critical needs in the communities where we do business,” says Kimberly B. Davis, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. In order to contribute to community development, the company devotes a substantial portion of its yearly giving to youth education to promote literacy, build capacity within public schools, address the needs of underserved student populations, and engage students in the arts. Their support of Roundabout's Education Program helps to accomplish all of these goals through our artist residencies in New York City public school classrooms, career and college development programs, curriculum models that promote literacy and integrate theatre into schools' core curriculum subjects, and discount tickets for students and teachers to attend matinees of Roundabout productions (often students' first experience at a Broadway show). This spring, thanks to help from JPMorgan Chase, hundreds of public school students from the tri-state area will attend our production of the musical 110 in the Shade.

The company has also provided leading production support for 110 in the Shade. Musical productions are high-cost and high-risk undertakings, and they require us to rely heavily on contributions from institutions like JPMorgan Chase. Reviving classic musicals constitutes an important part of our mission, and they have helped us achieve a great success with their support for last year's The Pajama Game, our biggest hit of the season and the 2006 Tony Award® winner for Best Revival of a Musical. The Pajama Game played at the beautiful, state-of-the-art American Airlines Theatre, which was restored seven years earlier with the help of JPMorgan Chase's leading support for the renovation project.

Now in our 41st season, we at Roundabout can clearly see all that JPMorgan Chase's extraordinary support has made possible for us. We applaud the major role they have played in advancing New York's cultural institutions.

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