Local Business Spotlight AMT Theater

This Patch article is sponsored by AMT Theater.

Local businesses are the heart of our communities. Patch had a chance to talk with Tony Sportiello, Artistic Director, of AMT Theater.

Patch: Tell us a bit about your business or organization:
Tony Sportiello: AMT Theater is the brainchild of Producer Al Tapper ("Broadway: The Golden Age") and Artistic Director Tony Sportiello. The goal is to create a regional theater right in the heart of Manhattan's theater district; creating new shows and new musicals, doing children's theater, cabaret, festivals, readings, film and more. It is a haven for actors, writers, directors, technicians, stagehands and audiences, as we seek to create exciting new work and become an integral piece of the Broadway community. Stay in touch as our seasons unfold and come be a part of our great experiment!

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?
Tony Sportiello: 2.5 years

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?
Tony Sportiello: AMT has essentially two goals. One is to move a show onto Broadway - not because Broadway is the absolute definitive mark of excellence in theater, but because if you're a professional, you want to be at the top. You want to be in the World Series, the Super Bowl, to win an Academy Award. It gives you something to strive for and it pushes you to extraordinary lengths. So yes, we want to move a show onto Broadway, but we also want something perhaps even more significant. Our second goal is to make a difference in people's lives. We want to do new shows, to encourage innovative writers and directors and to do children's shows, which get young people involved at an early age. Another aim is to work with other professionals outside of the country, like our amazing artists of Guadalajara, Mexico. AMT will serve as an inclusive theater to the people in our immediate area, to draw on their energy and solicit their opinions, because without our audience, we are nothing.

Patch: What's the most common piece of advice you give to customers?
Tony Sportiello: One step at a time!

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?
Tony Sportiello: Watching art being created!

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?
Tony Sportiello: We are a small group of wonderfully hospitable theater professionals that want to give back to the community.