On Tuesday, November 18, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, in conjunction with the Apollo Theater Foundation, Sesame Workshop, and the Center for Communication, will present “Sesame Street: Made in NY” at the world famous Apollo Theater. This panel discussion will feature the creative team behind television’s longest running children’s program as they discuss their experiences producing “Sesame Street” in New York City. The panel is free of charge and is presented in collaboration with Career Day at the Apollo, part of the Apollo Theater’s Education & Community Outreach Program.

“Sesame Street: Made in NY” will provide students and interested New Yorkers with first-hand accounts of what goes into creating the beloved children’s series including the development of the series’ educational curriculum and the secrets to forty years of success. The discussion will be moderated by Commissioner Katherine Oliver with a Q&A session to follow. Panelists include:

Carol-Lynn Parente – Executive producer, Emmy-award winner

Dr. Rosemarie Truglio – Vice President of Education and Research

Joey Mazzarino – Emmy-winning writer, puppeteer, director

Kevin Clash – Performer for Elmo, Emmy-winning performer, producer and director

 Sonia Manzano – Performer for Maria, Emmy-winning writer

“Our local entertainment production industry employs 100,000 New Yorkers and contributes $5 billion to our economy each year,” Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting said. “As we attract new production business to the City and create new jobs through the ‘Made in NY’ incentive program, we are working to ensure that a diverse group of New Yorkers have access to these positions, through programs such as this panel and our ‘Made in NY’ Production Assistant Training Program - a series of free, full-time, month-long training programs developed with Brooklyn Workforce Innovations.” For more information, visit http://www.nyc.gov/film.

The panel begins at 6:30pm. Doors open at 6pm.  Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

RSVP to message@film.nyc.gov by Friday, November 14th.  This event is presented in collaboration with Career Day at the Apollo, part of the Apollo Theater Education & Community Outreach Program.

About the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting
As the first film commission in the country, the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is the one-stop shop for all production needs in New York City. The agency markets the City as a prime location, provides premiere customer service to production companies and facilitates production throughout the five boroughs. To learn more, visit www.nyc.gov/film.

About the Apollo Theater
Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul and hip-hop. Based on its cultural significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit www.apollotheater.org for more information.

About the Apollo Theater Education and Community Outreach
The Education and Community Outreach Program extend the Apollo Theater Foundation’s commitment to enhancing the life of the community and further its mission as a community resource. Through a variety of programs designed to engage children, adults, schools, families, artists and community-based organizations, the education and community outreach activities build on the Apollo’s rich history as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Harlem community.

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that changed television forever with the legendary “Sesame Street.” As the single largest informal educator of young children, local “Sesame Street” programs produced in countries as diverse as South Africa, Bangladesh and India are making a difference in over 120 nations. Using proprietary research to create engaging and enriching content, Sesame Workshop produces programs such as “Dragon Tales” and “Pinky Dinky Doo.” In addition, multimedia needs-driven initiatives provide families tools for addressing such issues as children’s health, military deployment and emergency preparedness. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop’s educational research and creative content for children around the world. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Center for Communication
Center for Communication is an independent forum founded in 1980 and dedicated to bridging the gap between aspiring media professionals and the media industry. Each year the Center presents up to fifty free seminars and workshops in New York City, featuring outstanding leaders in the fields of journalism, publishing, film, television, advertising and digital media who join with us to educate a wide and diverse audience from over 185 Tri-state area colleges and universities.  Programs also appear on the www.cencom.org and the Center’s television show “Media City” on NYC TV. Past speakers include Sidney Lumet, Doug Liman, Mike Figgis, Oliver Stone, Lee Daniels, Tim Gunn, Al Gore, Bill Moyers, Sy Hersh, Jon Stewart, Maureen Dowd, Edward Albee, Stephen Colbert, David Chase, and the late Sydney Pollack.