STATE THEATRE APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

(New Brunswick, NJ) -- State Theatre President & CEO Mark W. Jones has announced the appointment of Brian O'Boyle of Cranford, NJ as the State Theatre's Director of Programming. O'Boyle will assume his duties on August 29, 2011. The position of Director of Programming is a new position created to expand the State Theatre's programming and to take it to new heights and replaces that of Programming Manager.

"We are thrilled to have an individual with Brian's experience join our seasoned staff," stated State Theatre President & CEO Mark W. Jones. "As one of New Jersey's premier venues, Brian is the ideal candidate to begin the next chapter in the theater's programming history."

O'Boyle comes to the State Theatre from Metropolitan Talent, where he worked as the marketing director, developing local and national marketing campaigns for touring properties, family attractions, Broadway runs, and concerts. Some of these campaigns included plans for Metropolitan's New York City venues, the Laurie Berkner Band tours from 2005-11, the 2006 North American INXS tour, and the Tony® Award-winning Broadway engagement "Liza's At the Palace," starring Liza Minnelli.

In addition to his work at Metropolitan, O'Boyle has been the owner and manager of the entertainment company Backline Concerts since 2009. At Backline Concerts, O'Boyle negotiated contracts, executed marketing plans, and oversaw productions, box office, and all other aspects of event presentation. One of O'Boyle's major accomplishments for Backline included raising the profile of Union County MusicFest, the largest free music festival in the New York City region. In 2006, MusicFest was a single-stage concert event that drew a few thousand people and by 2010, the festival had grown to four stages, three days, and more than 80,000 fans in attendance.

"As a lifelong resident of New Jersey, I am excited to have been chosen for this position and to join the State Theatre team. I have worked in the entertainment industry for more than two decades and I am eager to use my knowledge to help build on the State Theatre's success in presenting the finest arts and entertainment from around the world," said O'Boyle recently.

Prior to his experience with Metropolitan Talent, O'Boyle worked in marketing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where he was the liaison for advertising agencies in maintaining the venues multi-million dollar annual advertising budget. He also was part of a marketing team that worked on the expansion of Radio City and Madison Square Garden's brands including the presentation of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular outside of NY. He also worked on the marketing plans for a variety of unique one-of-a-kind events including Bette Midler's 30-show run at Radio City, Bruce Springsteen's 10-run show at Madison Square Garden, and the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.  

The State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98. 3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre.