Purchase, NY, 2/3/2026: Purchase College, State University of New York’s Broadway Technical Theatre History Project will present the Twelfth Backstage Legends and Masters Award to Bonnie L. Becker on Monday, April 27, 2026 at 7 p.m. at The Performing Arts Center, Recital Hall Theatre, located at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. This free event is open to the public and will be recorded for future viewing.
Bonnie joins previous Backstage Legends and Masters honorees Artie Siccardi (2012), Arnold Abramson (2013), Fred Gallo (2014), Gene O’Donovan (2015), Pete Feller, Sr. (2016), Joseph B. Forbes (2017), Alyce Gilbert (2018), David Rosenberg (2019), William M. (Michael) Mensching (2023), Bill Gorlin (2024), and Michael Wyatt (2025).
For over 30 years Bonnie L. Becker has been working on Broadway as a stage manager. The list of Broadway productions Bonnie has worked on include BOOP! The Musical; Bad Cinderella; Legally Blonde; On the Town; Billy Elliot: The Musical; School of Rock – The Musical; Bombay Dreams; Thoroughly Modern Millie; and the Scarlet Pimpernel, among many others.
“Bonnie has taken a number of very large and complicated Broadway productions from the rehearsal room to the stage and demonstrated time and again that she has what it takes to make this possible,” said Dan Hanessian, Associate Professor at Purchase, who launched the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project in 2011. “Stage managers are often the unsung heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes in our industry without the level of recognition and thanks they deserve. Bonnie is a perfect example of the kind of person this award was created for and we are very excited that she will receive it in April,” Hanessian concluded.
Currently the Director of the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project and an Associate Professor in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College, Hanessian has been training up-and-coming technical directors and production managers in the Design/Technology Program for over 30 years.
About the Backstage Legends and Masters and the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project
“Backstage Legends and Masters,” which was founded by Dan Hanessian, is an annual public presentation spotlighting individuals who have been central to the realization of Broadway productions for many years, but are not typically provided recognition through the Tony or Drama Desk awards. Each year, an individual is selected by a panel of distinguished professionals who represent a variety of Broadway production specialties.
“The goal of the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project is to create a living history of the shops and technical personnel who have played a role in the realization of Broadway productions,” Hanessian explained.
This information will be available to the public in a centralized database. The project will also include a visual history and timeline of the shops. For more information, contact Dan Hanessian at dan.hanessian@purchase.edu or (914) 251-6854.
About the Theatre Design/Technology Program at Purchase College
Housed in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts, the professional training program emphasizes studio and classroom training, all under the guidance and support of established theatre industry professionals. Many of the program’s alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk awards, among other honors. Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all Tristate venues, and with countless touring productions. After the common freshman-year curriculum, students may choose to concentrate in scenic design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, costume technology, stage management, or technical direction/production management.
About Purchase College, SUNY
A top 10 public school, according to U.S. News & World Report, Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Today, Purchase College, SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the college, visit www.purchase.edu.
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