Wayne Brady and Elizabeth Stanley to Take Part in BROADWAY WINE CLUB Virtual Event Hosted by Kate Rockwell

Founders Arvind Ethan David and Nathan Marcus Brown have announced that the new home-delivery wine subscription for theater lovers, BROADWAY WINE CLUB (BWC), has launched a special show-branded collectible wine series, which will feature periodical reveals of bottle designs inspired by beloved Broadway musicals and plays. Beginning with this season's 15-time Tony Award nominated musical Jagged Little Pill, the first two custom offerings, Jagged Little Pinot and Chardonnay (No Fly), are available now at the BWC website, and can be purchased without a membership. Additionally, BWC has partnered with Stellar and Jagged Little Pill to offer the ultimate fan experiences for Jagged Live in NYC: A Broadway Reunion Concert - which reunites the Broadway cast & band of Jagged Little Pill for a live performance in New York City on December 13. The packages are now available to the general public at https://www.broadwaywineclub.com/stellar/.

The club has also set the first of its monthly membership events, offering exclusive interactive access to wine tastings and conversations with winemakers and beloved theater notables - virtually, and in-person when health restrictions allow - plus, special intimate performances by Broadway's brightest talents. The first event, on Monday December 7 at 8:00PM ET, will be hosted by Broadway star and certified sommelier Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls, Rock of Ages), and feature tastings and conversations with Emmy Award winner Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Hamilton, Kinky Boots), and Tony Award nominee Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill, Company).

The first program of its kind to blend a love of wine and theater, Broadway Wine Club offers members quarterly shipments of special exclusive vintages from prestigious, award-winning American wineries, each with a collectible bottle designed by a theater artist. In addition to featuring Broadway creatives and performers through its exclusive bottle designs and interactive events, Broadway Wine Club also supports the theater community by donating $10 of every membership to The Actors Fund, in support of the organization's Covid-19 emergency relief efforts.

"We're so excited to be the first of Broadway Wine Club's new collectible show-branded wines, especially as Jagged Little Pill approaches its livestream concert on December 13," said David's Jagged Little Pill producing partners Vivek J. Tiwary and Eva Price. "Our mission in presenting this on-stage concert event is to bring audiences one step closer to the in-theater environment we all dearly miss during this time of suspension - and that includes the lure of the concession stand, where friends and strangers share their reactions to the performances on stage! Until the Broadhurst doors reopen, what better way to bring fans a full audience experience than to ship a Jagged Little Pinot right to their doorstep, ready to pop open in their living room when that iconic harmonica strikes up?"

The club's launch this fall marked the release of its first exclusive wine, "Ghostlight," from Crocker & Starr. A premier 2013 Cabernet Syrah blend, featuring a special custom label by veteran Broadway art designer Drew Hodges (Hamilton, Moulin Rouge!), "Ghostlight" serves as an important reminder to theater lovers everywhere that this is only a pause for live arts, and 'the light is still on' at every Broadway theater. The Wall Street Journal describes Ghostlight as "a solid, bold offering with flavors fruity and earthy all at once. Put on your favorite cast album and sip away!" Following "Ghostlight," every shipment will include a special collectible bottle of premier wine designed by a Broadway luminary, grouped with customer favorites from the club's select roster of partner wineries whom have earned coveted spots on Wine Spectator's Top 100 lists, and are consistently awarded ratings over 90 points from Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker, and other esteemed critics. Those wineries are: Crocker & Starr (Napa Valley, CA), Meadowcroft Wines (Sonoma, CA), Evening Land Vineyards (Willamette Valley, OR), Arnot-Roberts (Healdsburg, CA), Mark Ryan Winery (Woodinville, WA), and Lawrelin Wine Cellars (Columbia Valley, WA).

The Broadway Wine Club founding team of veteran theatermakers and winemakers includes: Broadway marketer Vic Cairl (Jagged Little Pill, A Christmas Carol), Broadway Producer Tamar Climan (Oklahoma!, Jagged Little Pill), ad agency SpotCo (Hadestown, Mean Girls, Beetlejuice), and publicity team Vivacity Media Group (Rock of Ages, On Your Feet!, Little Shop of Horrors). Wine industry experts on the founding team include Operations Director Scott Kay (Owner of LA restaurant Wood & Vine, Spin the Bottle Wine Studio and Watchtower Vineyard) and Senior Marketing Advisor Pete Harrison (formerly head of Marketing for Global Wine).

In the midst of navigating the challenges of an unprecedented Broadway suspension due to COVID-19 - which will now stretch over a year, until June 2021- the Broadway Wine Club team recognized that similar trials were being faced by winemakers during this crisis. Over the past several months, there have been admirable nationwide efforts encouraging people to buy produce from small and local farms who usually depend on restaurant contracts to stay afloat (Eater), but less of a spotlight has been given to winemakers who are facing the same challenges. With nationwide restaurant, bar and retail closures - not to mention the pause in tourism causing a drop in winery & tasting room visitors - vineyards across the country are seeing detrimental losses this year, and many remain closed to visitors due to restrictions on indoor service. The Wine Institute says California's wine industry will likely lose more than $4 billion this year because of the pandemic, and a new study by Sonoma State University projects a loss of more than 40,000 wine-related jobs in the state of California alone (NPR). Similarly, the Broadway Theater industry - which employs over 96,000 people on stage and behind-the-scenes - has been suspended since mid-March, leaving thousands out of work and a substantial hit to the city's economy. Broadway contributes over $14.9 billion dollars to the economic impact of New York City on an annual basis - more than all ten of the city's professional sports teams combined - $1.8 billion of that coming from ticket sales alone (Variety). An art form built completely on the power of live connection between artist and audience, performers and theater lovers have had to explore creative new ways to connect with their community online. Broadway Wine Club strives to reconnect communities with messages of optimism, strength, and the will to thrive during uncertain times - while also rising to the moment to offer a safe option during this health crisis, for wine lovers to enjoy some of the best vintages from boutique wineries. The wineries are provided with a new customer base in a time when many restaurants and tasting rooms are empty; theater audiences, who are missing the opportunity to connect with their favorite artists, are offered unique ways to connect virtually with Broadway stars: taste and discuss great wine together and share stories and anecdotes about the theater experiences we all love and miss.

MEMBERSHIP PRICING

Memberships start at $99/quarter, and customers can choose shipments of 3, 6, or 12 bottles. The Red Carpet Club (from $175) is the premiere club and features BWC's quarterly flagship release (which this fall is "Ghostlight," valued at $150 per bottle), combined with exceptional wines from partner vineyards to offer a mix of styles for all palates. The Stage Door Club (from $99) offers exceptional wines at a more accessible price by omitting the flagship release. First, choose your number of bottles (3/6/12), then select your preference of all red, all white, or a mix of both.

$10 of every membership will be donated to The Actors Fund. Cancellations can be made at no extra charge up to 30 days prior to each quarterly shipment. More information at www.broadwaywineclub.com.

JAGGED LITTLE PILL WINES

Jagged Little Pinot - 2018 Evening Land "Seven Springs" Jagged Edition

A special commemorative release in partnership with Broadway's 15-time Tony Award nominated musical Jagged Little Pill! The Seven Springs Pinot Noir is regarded as the varietal that best tells the story of the Evening Land's roots, from the legendary Oregon vineyard site where it was planted in 1984. In the same way that Jagged Little Pill honors the luminous essence and power of Alanis Morissette's original album 25 years later, this bottling hearkens back to Oregon's winegrowing infancy when savoriness, smokiness, and nuance brought curious Burgundy lovers to the region in droves. Both representative of a modern-day flowering of a celebrated legacy, the rhythmic, bold, and exhilarating Jagged Little Pill cast album pairs perfectly with the lively and bright Evening Land Pinot Noir, now under the steady hand of partners Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman, two of the brightest stars in the world of winemaking. Swallow it down...it feels so good swimming in your stomach.

Chardonnay (No Fly) - 2019 Meadowcroft "Los Carneros, Sonoma" Jagged Edition

A special release in partnership with Broadway's 15-time Tony Award nominated musical Jagged Little Pill! The meticulous care of the Sonoma fruit by Tom Meadowcraft is a perfect match for the Grammy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize Award-winning team of creatives behind the musical. The wine and musical share explosive strength and dynamic characters that strike a soul-stirring chord - don't you think? This stunning wine, known for its complex aromas of pear and warm apple pie combine with hints of baking spice, are complemented by subtle toasty oak. It is crisp yet creamy with ripe apple, nectarine and well-integrated nuttiness and a touch of minerality. It isn't ironic that the zeal of creativity is inspired by the rich cultural experience from where Meadowcroft Wines originates. Meadowcroft was rated as a Top 100 Winery in 2019 by Bonfort's Wine & Spirits. There's no black fly in this chardonnay, but it does have a funny way of sneaking up on you - and into your heart.