Celebrating the audacious women who infuse the East End with life, work, and prosperity, Schneps Media’s Power Women of the East End awards shine a spotlight on these relentless forces shaping the region’s vibrant landscape.
In a ceremonial gesture resonating with significance, Bonnie Comley, the luminary behind BroadwayHD, was presented with the distinguished 2023 Power Women of the East End Award by none other than Victoria Schneps. Adding to this triumphant moment, Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright bestowed upon Comley a prestigious Citation Award from the state of New York. Schneps Media’s Power Women of the East End platform, a true embodiment of valor, recognizes these trailblazing women whose endeavors collectively contribute to the tapestry of progress, vitality, and business dynamism that characterizes the East End of New York’s Long Island. This coveted award stands as a testament to the exceptional achievements of leaders who sculpt, erect, and underpin the lives of East End’s inhabitants and guests.
A visionary par excellence, Bonnie Comley holds the mantle of founder and CEO of BroadwayHD, an award-winning subscription streaming service renowned for its comprehensive array of full-length Broadway spectacles and theatrical presentations. Comley’s remarkable journey has culminated in the coveted acknowledgment of three Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and two Drama Desk Awards for her profound impact on stage productions. Her stature is underscored by her association with The Broadway League, her role as President of the Board of The Drama League, and her pivotal voting role within The Recording Academy. This storied journey was further enriched when Comley received The Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2022.
Emerging as a beacon of innovation, Comley was hailed as a Top Silicon Valley Entrepreneur to Watch in 2021. Her creative endeavors have encompassed the production of over 50 films, resulting in a splendid collection of nine Telly Awards and a W3 Award. The year 2016 stands as a historic milestone, etching Comley and BroadwayHD into the annals of achievement with the Guinness World Record for the First Live Stream of a Broadway Show. The laurels continued to shower down, with BroadwayHD securing the coveted 2020 Global Business Excellence Award for Outstanding Innovation and Outstanding Product/Service. Notably, Mayor Latoya Cantrell of New Orleans paid homage to Comley in 2022, bestowing upon her the Keys to the City, a testament to her relentless dedication in preserving and championing live theater through BroadwayHD.
Comley’s star-studded journey also encompasses her selection as an Industry Leader in the prestigious Cynopsis Women in Media Class of 2020. The luminous accolades continued in 2019, as Charlotte St. Martin, the illustrious President of The Broadway League, presented Comley with the distinguished Woman of Achievement Award from the WP Theatre.
In recognition of her philanthropic endeavors, the Broadway theater community has bestowed Comley with a litany of honors, including The Actors Fund Medal of Honor, The Drama League Special Contribution to the Theater Award, The Paul Newman Award from Arts Horizons, and The Theater Museum Distinguished Service Award. Beyond the realm of theater, educational institutions have celebrated Comley’s accomplishments, with The Distinguished Alumni Award from Emerson College, The Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Massachusetts, and membership in the esteemed business Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma.
Bonnie Comley’s legacy finds manifestation in various educational spaces, such as the Music Theatre Program at Boston University, the Musical Theatre Society Room at Emerson College, the Comley-Lane Theatre at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and The Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley Stage, an integral part of the Booth Arts Complex in Boston.
Under the capable stewardship of Victoria Schneps, Schneps Media annually presents the Power Women of the East End Awards, an homage to these remarkable women. Ms. Schneps, the visionary behind the inception of The Queens Courier newspaper in 1985, has meticulously expanded her media realm, now renowned as Schneps Media. Presently, Schneps Media stands as a formidable business entity, encompassing a vast network of over 91 community newspapers, magazines, news outlets, and social media hubs that blanket regions like New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Philadelphia, and Palm Beach.
