Today’s Dreams makes Tomorrow’s Stars: Lizzie McGuire talks Broadway Bound Kids

Joining us today is Elizabeth (Lizzie) McGuire, Executive Director and longtime arts leader. She started her career in arts administration back in 2011 as the Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Touch Performance Art, a multimedia company known for its immersive work. During her ten years there, she was also an Artist-in-Residence at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard, where she helped create three original productions. In 2019, Lizzie joined BBK as a Teaching Artist and quickly connected with the organization’s mission. She moved into administration in early 2020 as a Program Manager and, through the pandemic, grew into her current role as Executive Director. With her passion for the arts and experience building creative organizations sustainably, she’s now helping lead BBK into its next chapter. We’re excited to share her story so keep reading to learn more about Lizzie’s journey, leadership, and vision.

HustleMania: Hello Lizzie, thank you for taking the time to sit down with us today, we are very excited to learn more about you. Getting started, what was the personal journey that led you into arts education and ultimately to leading Broadway Bound Kids? Was there a defining moment early on that made you fall in love with this work?

Lizzie: Hello! So great to be able to share about myself and Broadway Bound Kids. My personal journey with ArtsEd has been a great one. I spent 10 years post-college performing as a dancer and also running an immersive circus dance theater company.

I was fully planning for my whole life choreographing, performing and dancing professionally. In 2019, I was asked to fill in for a last minute replacement for a guest choreographer slot at Broadway Bound Kids with the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellowship. I had done some teaching up to that point, but it really was not a big part of my life.

I took the gig, of course! I happened to be in town and it was an easy fit. I attended a training on social emotional learning and the impact of arts education on students.

This was a huge pivot for me, but was led by my previous boss, Hadley Cronk. I see her as one of the great mentors in my life.

Getting that opportunity to see the power of arts education and how it can change kids' lives. It shook my world.

A few months later after that, COVID hit. So all my gigs, my company that we ran, all of our stuff was canceled indefinitely. BBK was kind enough to keep me on as a part-time admin assistant in my first role.

Every few months, my involvement just continued to get deeper. I fell more and more in love with the organization, with the mission. I am one of those people that like once I go for something, I go like a billion percent.

I just threw myself into the work, kept getting promoted and now here I am running the organization! It was a moment where I took a training as a teaching artist, a training on social emotional learning outcomes and how they support young artists developing their skills as artists. As well as human beings in their life and the greater implications of what arts education access can do for a kid. That's what made me fall madly in love with it.

HustleMania: That is an amazing origin story, but is a testament to you as a person and also taking the many skills you have acquired and applying them to new things. Broadway Bound Kids exists to tear down barriers to arts access for NYC youth. What’s one story of a student or a community that encapsulates for you what this organization means in real human terms?

Lizzie: That is such a tough question because there's so many specific students, schools, communities that are like flashing in front of my eyes right now but I think one that is super close to home is a great way to describe the mission.

We at Broadway Bound Kids have a beautiful relationship with many New York City public schools and we bring arts education classes to those schools especially those that don't have established arts programs. With each of those partnerships, there's very real human outcome and a million examples of that. It's why I love my job.

There's the other piece of our work where students come to us for our community theater ensembles. This is outside of our normal school partnerships. After school, they're held weekday nights or in the summer or on weekends.

There was one student that came to us who was in elementary school, her name was Gigi. It was for our community theater ensemble programs, as we call it Broadway Bound Players. They meet every Saturday and they work on creating their own shows and building community. Focusing on learning confidence and harnessing their creativity. In the spring, they perform musicals or shows they wrote, which is empowering.

She came to us super shy and didn’t feel comfortable singing in front of others. It took her some time to find her confidence and to find her place in the arts world. She stuck with the programs and kept working. She comes from a family that does not have access to arts education and without our classes, she would not have had these programs at all.

She has developed into an unbelievably talented singer. Her voice is beautiful. She's not only become an incredible performer, but also as a leader in the classroom. She is incredibly focused. She is incredibly kind.

In the eighth grade, she was the lead Anna, in the show Frozen. She took time to build relationships with everybody in the ensemble.

She was on top of her material, performing her parts with really amazing exploration and creativity and talent. She was taking time to be kind and be supportive of every single person that was sharing the stage with her.

Cut to now, she's a senior, which is wild. She attends LaGuardia High School in NYC, which is arguably the most prestigious arts high school in the city.

She is fully pursuing theater and has continued with our programs. We've built programs specifically for her and her peers.

It is called The BBK Bridge to Higher Education. We launched last summer because they did not have access to college audition prep support. We created a free program that offers coaching for college auditions. She is currently in callbacks for the major theater programs! She will also be performing at our Annual Gala next week, so make sure to come check it out if you are in NYC!

I'm very proud to say that I believe our programs are a big reason why she has become the incredible person she is.

She always had it within her, but we helped provide the access for her to discover it. That what Broadway Bound Kids does!

HustleMania: Wow! That is not only extremely moving but also shows why yourself and your team at BBK are so important for community. You’ve had to navigate both the opportunities and challenges of nonprofit life especially post-pandemic, like the development of your Broadway Bound Benefit Gala. How do you balance creativity with sustainability as a leader and what’s one tough lesson you’ve learned along the way?

Lizzie: Opportunities and challenges of non-profit life post-pandemic were a learning experience for sure. BBK was going through a lot of chemical things where leadership turned over towards the end of the pandemic and we really found our groove as an administrative team.

Our education director, my co-pilot, Samantha Parrish-Khan is an unbelievable educator. She's definitely the best teaching artist I've ever taught with and seen in the classroom. She's unreal.

I am so passionate to be leading the charge of supporting, building the support around our mission and programs.

At the same time, there were post-pandemic opportunities, thank God, in New York City that were created for students to have access towards enrichment. Particularly post-pandemic they needed time to socialize, to be together, to do extracurricular activities. We made new relationships with schools through these incredible city-funded grant programs.

That started our exponential growth. Every single year we've grown and fast!

That growth has been such a gift. I've always known that in order to really function as the arts non-profit that we want to be, that we say we are, we have to match the program's reach and impact with fundraised income so that the burden isn't on the school budget. The funding that a school has, the revenue to build our team and to build our organization. It should be coming from fundraised and developed support.

That is the reason why the Broadway Bound Benefit was born in 2022. When I took over, Sam and I looked at each other and we were like, “what do we do?” It was our fourth year of financial deficit. We were in a really, really tough spot.

Then we said, as any performer would, “let's put on a show!” That's what we know how to do.

We threw a cabaret to fundraise. I think it was approximately $20,000, which was a lot for us at the time. From there, this benefit has grown every year.

That has been my focus, trying to build the framework of sustainable support around our program's reach. Because city budgets, government budgets, as we all know are uncertain.

It has been a huge challenge. The question of balancing creativity with sustainability is a really astute one. It's very tempting to want to jump off the ledge and fly. Especially when the growth has been so exciting every year and we've been able to increase our staff.

We've employed more teaching artists and worked with more students than ever.

Last year, we increased to over 2000 students. With that type of growth, I've had to hold myself back to make sure that I'm always maintaining sustainability.

When we're in this growth phase, the key is not taking too much on too fast, while also being conservatively aggressive about the way that we develop the support. The growth is only real and reasonable, in my opinion, if it can be sustained, no matter the weather.

There have obviously been tough lessons. Luckily we haven't had the types of lessons where we took on too much and now it's not going to happen. The lessons have been more along the line of, what does this feel like for the staff? How is the staff growing to meet the growing demands of our programs and our impact? How do I maintain a healthy balance in the ecosystem that is our reach versus our support? I'm still always learning, and we're still working through challenges daily.

HustleMania: These types of lessons are why you have developed a strong foundation and along with your amazing staff have this continued growth in such a short period of time. If you could flip the script on one misconception about arts education or youth nonprofits, something people often get wrong, what would it be and why?

Lizzie: I think we exist in a city that does generally understand the value of arts education. However, I would say that if I could flip the script on the concept that like what matters most is producing children that then are on Broadway. Sam Parrish and I talk about this all the time.

We are process over product. We are not trying to create a show. Our aim is not to produce children that wind up on Broadway. Not saying that isn’t a goal for our students but the industry of theater and Broadway is a very particular one.

That does not define our worth. What defines our worth is the tools, the community, the self acceptance, the creativity and the empowerment that arts education can offer youth. Especially when it's handled process over product, it's not about talent. It really isn't.

We want all students to participate in our programs and to engage. It has nothing to do with talent at all. It has to do with their need, access and desire to be a part of something. Their own development which is striving for something greater than themselves. That's what I think the real misconception is.

A lot of parents wonder, does my kid have to be talented to participate in arts education? Absolutely not. I love our students that move on to go to school for completely other things, finding totally different careers. What they experienced in BBK supports them in the way that they communicate, their work ethic, discipline and the way that they believe in themselves. That's what really matters.

The mindset that you don't think a student would benefit from arts education just because you haven't heard them sing like Mariah Carey, that is not the focus. What matters here is people joining this community and becoming empowered with it.

HustleMania: What you describe is equipping youth with tools that can be applied in all aspects of life no matter what field. You are building better humans! Looking ahead, what’s a big, bold ambition you have for Broadway Bound Kids? Maybe something people might not expect, and what’s the first step you’re taking to get there?

Lizzie: What's my bold ambition? I want to make a fund where we don't have to rely on school budgets in order to serve our partners. That we can go to a school and say, we got this. It's a $10,000 residency and all you have to do is apply.

You don't have to do anything else. We don't have to see what the city budget looks like or write a grant. It's already here and ready to execute.

I know that is bold goal. I think that's a long distance goal. What's cool is we are already growing. Our free programs which we call in-house. Those community theater ensembles we run separately from school partnerships.

Those have grown significantly every year. The programs are after school and kids are coming to us. We are finding funding for them. That’s very exciting for us.

It is becoming sustainable. I think another long-term goal is we find the funding that will back us to do the same kind of activity with school partners. We can say to them, “we are able to offer this to your community and you don't have to worry about the money at all.”

The first step I'm taking to get there is developing relationships with individuals and entities that actually will sustain their support. Those that are willing to acknowledge the power of arts education and are willing to put their money where their mouths are. It will help us continue to grow because we have those connections.

We have the ability to offer exceptional programs. We have a wonderful relationship with the New York City public school system, the DOE and really great relationships with principals.

We just need to continue our mission to find the philanthropic, sustainable backers, that are willing to help us build.

HustleMania: With everything that BBK has accomplished in a short amount of time, these goals don’t sound so far off. It is due to yourself and amazing staff, providing these opportunities for youth to move ahead and creating awareness. With your Gala coming up on Feb 2nd, tell us all the ways people can get involved and support this wonderful organization?

Lizzie: The Gala is coming February 2nd at City Winery in NYC, which is NEXT WEEK! The biggest way folks can get involved is two ways. Number 1, if you are in NYC and available, buy tickets and show up! Number 2, you can donate to our cause. We have many ways you can do so and will appreciate that support. You can learn about them on our website https://www.broadwayboundkids.org/

Tickets are still available, although they are moving fast, so hurry up! Come see what we're all about. There's going to be students, teaching artists, staff, performances, and remarks. There's going to be incredible Broadway guest stars. A really electrifying experience.

It's going to be a killer show, a really fun evening. A very low pressure way of learning more about our community to see all the players and all the magic that we do. We are also having our first ever VIP Pre Show Cocktail Party which is a great way to get to know other supporters in our community.

This year’s Gala is called Empower State of Mind. Which encapsulates our show and mission as one. We have a specific fundraiser going for it. Our goal is $50,000. We are already getting close, which is so exciting but we need more support.

No amount of support is too small to help us get there. We're raising funds specifically for our free programs and if we are able to achieve our goal, we will be able to continue providing these amazing opportunities to youth in NYC who are passionate about the arts.

HustleMania: Lizzie, this sounds like it’s going to be some night. I know we will be there from the VIP Pre Show Cocktail Party until the closing curtain. We wouldn’t miss it and encourage anyone who is able to buy a ticket. As you said above we want to encourage anyone who is looking to support other ways to check out your website as well. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Lizzie: We are so excited for this year, not only all the new things we will be showcasing in the show, but applying everything we have worked to hard to accomplish that have become the fingerprint of Broadway Bound Kids. We look forward to sharing the experience with our long time supporters as well as all the new that will be joining us. You will be able to be a part of an organization where you see your support applied directly to community and the power that goes along with that. Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me.

HustleMania: We can thank you enough for all you have done so far for the youth of NYC and the awareness you have created. Everyone at Broadway Bound Kids can be proud to know they have created a movement that is building fast. Thanks again to you all!

Visit their website: www.broadwayboundkids.org
Instagram: @bwayboundkids