Capezio backs Best Choreographer in WhatsOnStage Awards, Ticketing titans and other sponsors weigh in

Capezio, the international ‘Icon of Dance™’ for over 126 years, has signed up to a two-year deal to sponsor ‘Best Choreographer’ at the WhatsOnStage Awards, the only major UK theatre prize-giving decided across all categories by the public.

Capezio has a long history of collaborating with dancers and performers at all levels across all disciplines. The sponsorship of the WhatsOnStage Awards, now entering their 14th year, marks Capezio’s first backing of a UK prize specifically for Musical Theatre. The company already generously supports ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance through its work with English National Ballet and sponsorships of Can You Dance?, XS Latin and Lee Payne.

Maddy Gladman, Sales & Marketing Director for Capezio commented: “Salvatore Capezio opened his first shop near the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York and began by repairing theatrical shoes for the Met. In the years that have followed, Capezio products have danced across Broadway and the West End.

“We’ve provided special order dancewear for casts including The Lion King, Billy Elliot, A Chorus Line, The Addams Family, Wicked, Chicago and Mamma Mia!, while performers who have sworn by our products include Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse, Liza Minelli and Tommy Tune. So it feels very apt to honour that history by sponsoring the WhatsOnStage Awards, such a great celebration of musical theatre and more specifically, the choreographic geniuses that put together the big numbers in the big shows.”

Capezio London, the company’s flagship store is spread over two floors on Endell Street in the heart of Covent Garden. The store boasts an extensive range of dance apparel covering women’s, men’s and children’s dancewear.

Ticketing titans weigh in, New and long-serving sponsors add support

In other sponsorship news, we have a quartet of UK ticketing heavyweights backing the 2014 WhatsOnStage Awards: leading ticket agents Ticketmasterand The Ticket Factory, are new to the Awards; while Tickets.com, the ticketing technology and marketing services provider, and self-regulatory body STAR(the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers), are sponsoring for a second consecutive year.

Other previous sponsors who continue to generously lend their support include: leading advertising agency Dewynters, which has sponsored the WhatsOnStage Awards since their inception; actors’ union Equity; design agency Feast Creative; play publishers and licensers Samuel French; sound equipment suppliers Autograph; lighting equipment and service suppliers White Light; and the ultimate West End longrunner Les Miserables (which recognises the great ensemble performances amongst new productions), as well as the WhatsOnStage Awards Official Hotel Partner, Radisson Blu.

We also welcome several other new sponsors: Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatricals Europe, licensers of myriad musical theatre productions; IT systems provider Managed Networks; Postcards from Pete, the brand-new postcard app (perfect for capturing and sharing your curtain call and stage door moments) from UK Mail; theatre programme and brochures publisher John Good; and Official Media Partner, The Big Issue Magazine. We are also supported by WhatsOnStage’s new US-based owners TheaterMania.com, Inc, and TheaterMania’s sister, cloud-based ticketing company, OvationTix.
The WhatsOnStage Awards would not be possible without these many arts-loving organisations – please do click here to find out more about them, their products and services – as well as our wonderful Theatregoer Sponsors.

Get involved, get invited

There’s still time to become a Theatregoer Sponsor yourself. The Launch Party is an industry-only, by-invitation event. Private sponsorship packages – priced £550 VAT – include two invites to the Launch Party at Cafe de Paris as well as VIP tickets and post-show party passes to the Awards Ceremony and Concert at a major West End theatre next February. For more information on Individual Supporter Packages and to book by 4 December, click here.

The 2014 WhatsOnStage Awards shortlists will be unveiled and final voting opened at a star-studded Launch Party at London’s Café de Paris on Friday 6 December. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE BY 31 NOVEMBER!

Online voting continues at www.whatsonstage.com until 31 January. Results are announced and trophies presented at the WhatsOnStage Awards Ceremony and Concert on Sunday 23 February at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre, home of The Book of Mormon. Tickets are now on sale.

THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS