Hippodrome President Receives Top Award in Broadway Management

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Ron Legler, President of The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center and Jack Eldon, Vice President of Domestic Touring and Regional Engagements at Disney Theatrical Productions at the 2023 Spring Road Conference. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

Ron Legler earns “League Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter/Management” from The Broadway League

Ron Legler, President of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center (FMPAC), home of the historic Hippodrome Theatre, is the proud recipient of The Broadway League’s 2023 League Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management (aka the Samuel J. L’Hommedieu award). The prestigious award was presented to Legler at the 33rd Annual Spring Road Conference in New York City on Wednesday, May 17 in recognition of his demonstrated excellence in management. The award is the highest honor that can be given to an executive of a performing arts center affiliated with touring Broadway.

Legler is a 28-year industry veteran who recently celebrated his ninth year as president of the FMPAC in Baltimore. His earlier career included milestones such as nearly a decade of leading group ticket sales for Broadway productions and serving as president of the Florida Theatrical Association and Orlando’s Downtown Arts District and vice president of the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Since moving to Baltimore and leading the FMPAC, Legler has consistently grown the Hippodrome’s subscriber base, initiated impactful Maryland legislation on behalf of the theatrical community and led the charge on a $21 million project to redevelop a 10,000-square-foot flexible performance and events center at the FMPAC called the M&T Bank Exchange, which is slated for a grand opening in October 2023. The Exchange will host some “soft opening” events leading up to the grand opening and will open their booking calendar in July 2023. 

Since 1992, the League Awards recognize those who have displayed exemplary service to the Touring Broadway industry and are regarded as innovators in their profession. This year’s conference welcomed a record-breaking 850 attendees to New York City representing approximately 150 markets around the U.S. and Canada. Legler was celebrated among League members and their staff of presenters, producers, general managers, marketing and press directors, education coordinators and box office and group sales teams — all of whom help make it possible to bring Broadway to North American cities all year long.

“I am blown away by this extreme honor and proudly share this award with everyone on our hardworking team at the Hippodrome,” said Legler. “I am so grateful to my esteemed colleagues and the work we accomplish together, including bringing the magic of live theater to hundreds of thousands of people in the great state of Maryland.  There is nothing like seeing Broadway in the heart of downtown Baltimore!”

For more information about the 2023 League Awards, visit broadwayleague.com. To learn more about the FMPAC and upcoming performances at the Hippodrome Theatre, visit BaltimoreHippodrome.com.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands.  Led by 18-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon and Hamilton. Current and past productions include Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Cats, Chicago, Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge! and To Kill A Mockingbird.

About The Broadway League:
The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. Our 700-plus members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to more than 30 million people in New York and more than 200 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

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