Broadway League honors ASU Gammage executive director with leadership award
2023 Broadway League Leadership awardees (left to right) Sue Frost (Member of the Year), Paul Libin (Lifetime Achievement) and Colleen Jennings-Roggensack (Distinguished Service). Courtesy photo
Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, vice president for cultural affairs at Arizona State University and executive director of ASU Gammage, is one of three recipients of the 2023 Broadway League Leadership Awards.
These awards recognize the outstanding efforts of league members from across the board and their commitment to producing and presenting live theater for Broadway and touring Broadway.
The awards were presented this month during the league’s annual meeting.
Jennings-Roggensack received the Distinguished Service award. The other honorees include Sue Frost, founding member of Junkyard Dog Productions (Member of the Year award), and Paul Libin, president of Circle in the Square Theatre and Theatre School (Lifetime Achievement award).
“Through my former experience working in trade associations, I know it is the hard work and dedication of the members that bring upon an association’s success, but never in my history have I seen members work as hard as our league members who volunteer their time and efforts in bringing Broadway to the forefront of live entertainment,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.
According to the most recent studies produced by the league, Broadway productions sold 12.3 million tickets in the last season, and 95% of theater goers said they plan to attend another Broadway show in the future.
Jennings-Roggensack serves as co-advisor to ASU President Michael Crow on the advisory council on African American affairs and is Arizona’s only Tony voter. She was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Council on the Arts from 1994–97, and also served three years as the president of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.
She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including 2021 Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women, 2021 City of Tempe Arts and Culture Community Impactor, 2019 Valley Leadership Woman of the Year, National Society of Arts and Letters Medallion of Merit, the Broadway League's Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management and Arizona's Governor’s Arts Award.
"It's an honor to be recognized by the Broadway industry and peers,” Jennings-Roggensack said. “I am grateful to the Broadway League, colleagues, and our loyal patrons at ASU Gammage who make our mission of connecting the community to live theater possible."
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