Helder Guimarães. School Girls on Broadway. The Heart. | Center Stage with Patrick Pacheco

Patrick Pacheco sits down with Helder Guimarães, the Portuguese-born sleight of hand magician whose one-man show The Hope Theory is now playing Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage Two. Directed by EGOT winner Frank Marshall, the show weaves together personal storytelling and illusion to explore immigration, belonging and the nature of hope, drawing on Guimarães' own experience arriving in America in 2007. Then senior producer Roberto Araujo goes inside two of the season's most anticipated productions: School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Jocelyn Bioh's sharply funny Broadway debut about colorism, beauty standards and belonging at a Ghanaian boarding school, with playwright Bioh and cast members DeNée Benton, Patina Miller and Jasmine Amy Rogers; and The Heart, the new Roundabout Theatre Company musical that follows a single heart over 24 hours, from the worst day of one family's life to the best day of another's, with cast and creative team members sharing what the story of organ donation and generosity has given them. Follow CUNY TV: Facebook:   / cunytv   Twitter:   / cunytv   Instagram:   / cuny.tv      / @cunytv   LinkedIn:   / cunytv   Find more from CUNY TV at https://tv.cuny.edu Recording Date: 09/17/2026 First Air Date: 10/09/2026 Guest: Christopher Ashley, Director, The Heart Denee Benton, Actor, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Ms. Heidi Blickenstaff, Actor, The Heart Anne Eisendrath, Music and Lyrics, The Heart Ian Eisendrath, Music and Lyrics, The Heart Helder Guimarães, Magician + Storyteller, The Hope Theory Joaquina Kalukango, Actor, The Heart Kait Kerrigan, Book and Additional Lyrics, The Heart Patina Miller, Actor, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Jasmine Amy Rogers, Actor, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Center Stage with Patrick Pacheco is a half-hour series on CUNY TV that pulls back the curtain on the world of theater. Hosted by Emmy-winning journalist, author and cultural commentator Patrick Pacheco, the show goes beyond opening nights and marquee names to explore the artistry, craft, and community behind every production. From Broadway to Off-Broadway to all the theater in between, Center Stage offers viewers an intimate, informed, and access-driven look at one of the most vital art forms in New York and beyond. Watch more at https://tv.cuny.edu/show/centerstage/ Subscribe to the Series Playlist: https://bit.ly/3Ujd7kM Subscribe to the CUNY TV channel: https://bit.ly/2GmGb13 CNST01003