The Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s board of directors has promoted the Theatre’s artistic director, Andrew Kato, to producing artistic director. The news of his promotion comes at the heels of much good news for the Theatre, which recently announced a $10 million endowment campaign and will celebrate its 10th anniversary season in 2012/13.
“Due to his exceptional strength as both an artist and a producer, we are giving Mr. Kato a title that more accurately represents his contribution to our Theatre,” said Milton Maltz, founder and chairman of the Theatre’s board of directors. “He is an accomplished leader who has led the growth of the Theatre to become one of Florida’s preeminent professional regional theatres, and he remains committed to performance, production and education through the Theatre’s collaborations with local and national artists.”
Now in his seventh year at the Theatre, Kato has produced more than 35 of the Theatre’s productions. Under his vision, the Theatre has grown to become the state’s largest award-winning regional theatre, serving over 70,000 people annually and more than 7,000 subscribers (up from 2,300 when he started). The Theatre was recently nominated for 25 Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s highest honor for artistic excellence.
Having worked as an independent producer in New York for the last 14 years, Kato continues to serve as a producer for the annual Tony Awards® in New York and has served as executive producer of the last five Muse Awards in West Palm Beach, where he recently received the Council’s Choice Award. Kato’s passion for the creation of new work led the Theatre to create its Emerging Artists Series (EAS) in Musical Theatre Playwriting, made possible through grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fund and the Roy A. Hunt Foundation. Through the series, Kato conceived and directed the award-winning musical Academy for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, which went on to win Best Musical at South Korea’s Daegu International Musical Festival and received its world premiere at the Theatre in 2010
“Our Theatre is a producing organization. We create each of our Broadway-caliber season shows from scratch, and much of the credit goes to our first-class staff who realize the vision of our visiting artists,” Kato said. “I am very proud to continue to lead the artistic vision of this Theatre’s production of classic musicals and dramatic works, as well as the development of new artists through our Theatre and its Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts.”
In only nine seasons, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre has become one of Florida’s preeminent professional theatres, committed to production and education through its collaborations with local and national artists. Currently the state’s largest award-winning regional theatre, the Theatre draws over 70,000 people annually, serves a subscription base of more than 7,000 and has world-class classroom facilities in support of its Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts, which serves hundreds of youth and adults. The Theatre is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres and has earned numerous Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s highest honor for artistic excellence. For more information about the Theatre’s upcoming shows and Conservatory, visit www.jupitertheatre.org or call the box office at (561) 575-2223.
