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{{Short description|American family influential in theater production}} |
{{Short description|American family influential in theater production}} |
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{{Use American English|date=December 2022}} |
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}} |
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{{multiple image |
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| footer = Brothers (from left) [[Lee Shubert]], [[Sam S. Shubert]], and [[Jacob J. Shubert]] |
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| image1 = Lee Schubert 1908.jpg |
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| image2 = Sam Shubert USA.png |
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| image3 = J. J. Shubert.jpg |
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| ⚫ | The '''Shubert family''' was responsible for the establishment of [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] theaters in [[New York City]]'s [[Theater District, Manhattan|Theater District]], as the hub of the theatre industry in the [[United States]]. Through the [[The Shubert Organization|Shubert Organization]], founded by brothers Lee, Sam, and Jacob Shubert, they dominated the [[legitimate theatre]] and [[vaudeville]] in the first half of the 20th century. |
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{{Copy edit|date=December 2022}} |
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[[File:Herald Square Theatre at night.jpg|thumb|right|[[Herald Square Theatre]] in 1907]] |
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[[File:Shuberttheatre.jpg|thumb|right|[[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)]] in 2006]] |
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[[File:ShubertTheatreBos.JPG|thumb|right|[[Shubert Theatre (Boston)]] in 2008]] |
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| ⚫ | The family's history in America began when Duvvid Schubart ([[Transliteration|transliterate]]d to "Shubert") and his wife Katrina (Gitel) Helwitz left their native town of [[Vladislavov]] in the Russian Empire (now [[Kudirkos Naumiestis|Kudirkos Naumiestis, Lithuania]]) with their eight children, two of whom died after the journey. They arrived in New York City from [[Hamburg]], via England, on June 12, 1881<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/hamburgpl_full/?name=_Schubert&departure=1881-5-27&departure_x=0-0-0&name_x=1_1|title=Ancestry. com|last=1881 passenger list of the Schubert family|website=[[Ancestry.com]]}}</ref> on the ''S.S.'' ''Spain''. They then settled in [[Syracuse, New York]].<ref name=pbs>[https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/shubert_bros.html "Shubert Brothers"] pbs.org, accessed August 29, 2009</ref><ref name=john>Kenrick, John.[http://www.musicals101.com/who8.htm Who's Who in Musicals: Sa-Sm"] musicals101.com, accessed August 29, 2009</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The '''Shubert family''' was responsible for the establishment of |
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Due to their father's alcoholism, the three Shubert sons ([[Lee Shubert]], [[Sam S. Shubert]], and [[Jacob J. Shubert]]) had to give up much of their formal education and instead go to work when they were still children. Lee and Sam sold newspapers outside the [[Bastable Theatre|Bastable Theater]], and David Belasco took notice of Sam and cast him in a small role in a play. Sam became enamored with the theatrical arts and went on to be promoted through a series of managerial jobs in Syracuse theatres, including program boy at the Bastable, assistant treasurer at the Grand Opera House, and treasurer of the Weiting. Lee and Jacob also began working in management roles in local theatres, and by 1900, the trio had acquired ownership of the Grand Opera House in Syracuse and the [[Herald Square Theatre]] in [[Manhattan]].<ref name="pbs" /><ref name=":1">Jerry Stagg, ''The Brothers Schubert'' (1968)</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The family's |
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The three brothers broke the monopoly on the theatre-management industry (represented by the [[Theatrical Syndicate]] under [[Abe Erlanger]] and [[Mark Klaw]]) in the founding of their agency, known today as [[The Shubert Organization]].<ref name="pbs" /> By 1924, they owned 86 theatres in the United States,<ref name="pbs" /> and operated, managed, or booked hundreds more.<ref name="organization">[http://www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/default.asp "The Shubert Organization"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201055554/http://www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/default.asp |date=2013-02-01 }} shubertorganization.com, accessed August 29, 2009</ref> By 1942, they owned, leased, or managed 20 of New York City's approximately 40 legitimate theatres and controlled some 15 in other cities.<ref>Times Wire Services. "The Curtain Falls for J. J. Shubert", ''St. Petersburg Times'', December 27, 1963</ref> By 1953, they had produced 600 shows under their credits and had booked 1,000 shows into their numerous theatres.<ref name="pbs" /> In 1950, the federal government took the Shuberts to court, alleging that their business practices violated antitrust laws. In 1955, the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled that they were subject to and in violation of [[antitrust laws]], so they sold 12 theatres in six cities and gave up the booking business, which, until then, had been the heart of their enterprise.<ref name=":1" /> As of 2024, the Shubert Organization owns 17 Broadway theatres in New York City, including the [[Winter Garden Theatre]], the [[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Shubert Theatre]], and the [[Imperial Theatre (Broadway)|Imperial Theatre]]. They also own two theatres outside of New York, the [[Shubert Theatre (Boston)|Shubert Theatre]] in [[Boston]] and the [[Forrest Theatre]] in [[Philadelphia]]. Additionally, they own and operate two [[off-Broadway]] facilities in New York City, [[Stage 42]] and a 5-stage facility called [[New World Stages]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Theatres {{!}} Shubert Organization |url=https://shubert.nyc/theatres/ |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=shubert.nyc}}</ref> They also managed the [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theatre]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] until 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Paul |date=2012-09-20 |title=New bookers for D.C. National |url=https://variety.com/2012/legit/news/new-bookers-for-d-c-national-1118059489/ |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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The three Shubert sons ([[Lee Shubert]], [[Sam S. Shubert]], and [[Jacob J. Shubert]]) had to give up much of their formal education and instead work when they were very young. After being introduced to the world of theatre, the three brothers broke the monopoly on the theatre-management industry (represented by the [[Theatrical Syndicate]] under [[Abe Erlanger]] and [[Mark Klaw]]) in the foundation of a rival agency, [[the Shubert Organization]].<ref name=pbs/><ref name=john/> |
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| ⚫ | Jerry Stagg identifies Lee Shubert as the key partner in the business, telling of how he built the most successful theatrical empire in history. Stagg characterizes the trio as vulgar and uneducated but acknowledges that they made a personal monopoly amassing millions of profits in the process. Entertainment and popular taste were the goals, rather than the enhancement of the dramatic arts. The Shuberts opened new theatre districts in many major American cities, employing thousands of people over the years. By 1924, they controlled 75 percent of all American theatres, producing 25 percent of all plays. In response, their actors created [[Actor's Equity]] as a labor union to counterbalance the Shuberts' power. When the [[Great Depression]] caused the [[bankruptcy]] of the Shuberts' corporate empire in 1933, their advisors urged them to retire and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Instead, the Shuberts sustained their business by pouring their own money into the venture. Thus, according to Stagg, the Shubert family almost single-handedly kept legitimate theatre alive in America.<ref name=":1" /> |
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Among the organization's [[Manhattan]] holdings are the renowned [[Winter Garden Theatre]] (at 1634 Broadway), the [[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Sam S. Shubert]] (at 221 West 44th Street), and the [[Imperial Theatre (Broadway)|Imperial Theatres]]. By 1924, they had 86 theatres in the United States. By 1953, they had produced 600 shows under their credits and had booked 1,000 shows into their numerous theatres.<ref name=pbs/> By the 1920s, they owned, operated, managed, or booked over 1,000 theatres nationwide.<ref name=organization>[http://www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/default.asp "The Shubert Organization"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201055554/http://www.shubertorganization.com/theatres/default.asp |date=2013-02-01 }} shubertorganization.com, accessed August 29, 2009</ref> |
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In 1942, they owned, leased, or managed 20 of New York City's approximately 40 legitimate theatres and controlled some 15 in other cities.<ref>Times Wire Services. "The Curtain Falls for J. J. Shubert", ''St. Petersburg Times'', December 27, 1963</ref> As of 2009, the Shubert Organization owns seventeen Broadway theatres in New York City, as well as the Shubert Theatre in [[Boston]], the Forrest Theatre in [[Philadelphia]], and manages the [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theatre]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name=organization/> The organization also owns and operates the 5-stage Off-Broadway facility, [[New World Stages]]. |
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| ⚫ | Jerry Stagg identifies Lee Shubert as the key |
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==Notable productions== |
==Notable productions== |
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==Family== |
==Family== |
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The Shubert<ref name=":0" /> children: |
The Shubert<ref name=":0" /> children: |
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#[[Lee Shubert]] (1871–1953), theatre owner/operator, producer. Married to '''Marcella Swanson''' (1900-1973). No children. |
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#Sarah Shubert (1870–1934). Married to Edward Davidow. No children. |
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#[[Lee Shubert]] (1871–1953), theatre owner/operator, producer. Married to Marcella Swanson (1900–1973). No children. |
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#[[Sam S. Shubert]] ( |
#[[Sam S. Shubert]] (1878–1905), producer, writer, director, and theatre owner/operator; died in a Pennsylvania train accident |
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#[[Jacob J. Shubert]] ( |
#[[Jacob J. Shubert]] (1879–1963), producer, director, and theatre owner/operator. From his first marriage to Catherine Dealy, he had a son John Jason Shubert (1908–1962). |
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# |
#Dora (Debora) Shubert (1880–1951). From her marriage to Milton Wolf (1881–1955), she had a daughter, Sylvia Wolf Golde (1910–1981) |
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==See also== |
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* [[The Shubert Organization]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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* Chach, Maryann. ''Shuberts present, one hundred years of great American |
* Chach, Maryann. ''Shuberts present, one hundred years of great American theatre'' (Harry N. Abrams, 2001). |
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* Hirsch, Foster. ''The Boys from Syracuse: The Shuberts' Theatrical Empire'' (Cooper Square Press, 2000). |
* Hirsch, Foster. ''The Boys from Syracuse: The Shuberts' Theatrical Empire'' (Cooper Square Press, 2000). |
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* Liebling, A.J. Profile, 1939. '''The Boys from Syracuse'''. ''The New Yorker'' [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1939/12/02/profile-2] |
* Liebling, A.J. Profile, 1939. '''The Boys from Syracuse'''. ''The New Yorker'' [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1939/12/02/profile-2] |
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[[Category:American theatre managers and producers]] |
[[Category:American theatre managers and producers]] |
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[[Category:Business families of the United States]] |
[[Category:Business families of the United States]] |
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[[Category:Wikipedia categories named after American families]] |
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[[Category:Jewish-American families]] |
[[Category:Jewish-American families]] |
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[[Category:Lithuanian Jews]] |
[[Category:Lithuanian Jews]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:30, 28 October 2024
The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of Broadway theaters in New York City's Theater District, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. Through the Shubert Organization, founded by brothers Lee, Sam, and Jacob Shubert, they dominated the legitimate theatre and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th century.
History
[edit]
The family's history in America began when Duvvid Schubart (transliterated to "Shubert") and his wife Katrina (Gitel) Helwitz left their native town of Vladislavov in the Russian Empire (now Kudirkos Naumiestis, Lithuania) with their eight children, two of whom died after the journey. They arrived in New York City from Hamburg, via England, on June 12, 1881[1] on the S.S. Spain. They then settled in Syracuse, New York.[2][3]
Due to their father's alcoholism, the three Shubert sons (Lee Shubert, Sam S. Shubert, and Jacob J. Shubert) had to give up much of their formal education and instead go to work when they were still children. Lee and Sam sold newspapers outside the Bastable Theater, and David Belasco took notice of Sam and cast him in a small role in a play. Sam became enamored with the theatrical arts and went on to be promoted through a series of managerial jobs in Syracuse theatres, including program boy at the Bastable, assistant treasurer at the Grand Opera House, and treasurer of the Weiting. Lee and Jacob also began working in management roles in local theatres, and by 1900, the trio had acquired ownership of the Grand Opera House in Syracuse and the Herald Square Theatre in Manhattan.[2][4]
The three brothers broke the monopoly on the theatre-management industry (represented by the Theatrical Syndicate under Abe Erlanger and Mark Klaw) in the founding of their agency, known today as The Shubert Organization.[2] By 1924, they owned 86 theatres in the United States,[2] and operated, managed, or booked hundreds more.[5] By 1942, they owned, leased, or managed 20 of New York City's approximately 40 legitimate theatres and controlled some 15 in other cities.[6] By 1953, they had produced 600 shows under their credits and had booked 1,000 shows into their numerous theatres.[2] In 1950, the federal government took the Shuberts to court, alleging that their business practices violated antitrust laws. In 1955, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they were subject to and in violation of antitrust laws, so they sold 12 theatres in six cities and gave up the booking business, which, until then, had been the heart of their enterprise.[4] As of 2024, the Shubert Organization owns 17 Broadway theatres in New York City, including the Winter Garden Theatre, the Shubert Theatre, and the Imperial Theatre. They also own two theatres outside of New York, the Shubert Theatre in Boston and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. Additionally, they own and operate two off-Broadway facilities in New York City, Stage 42 and a 5-stage facility called New World Stages.[7] They also managed the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. until 2013.[8]
Jerry Stagg identifies Lee Shubert as the key partner in the business, telling of how he built the most successful theatrical empire in history. Stagg characterizes the trio as vulgar and uneducated but acknowledges that they made a personal monopoly amassing millions of profits in the process. Entertainment and popular taste were the goals, rather than the enhancement of the dramatic arts. The Shuberts opened new theatre districts in many major American cities, employing thousands of people over the years. By 1924, they controlled 75 percent of all American theatres, producing 25 percent of all plays. In response, their actors created Actor's Equity as a labor union to counterbalance the Shuberts' power. When the Great Depression caused the bankruptcy of the Shuberts' corporate empire in 1933, their advisors urged them to retire and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Instead, the Shuberts sustained their business by pouring their own money into the venture. Thus, according to Stagg, the Shubert family almost single-handedly kept legitimate theatre alive in America.[4]
Notable productions
[edit]Musical comedies
[edit]- Chinese Honeymoon (1902)
- Winsome Winnie (1903)
- The Babes and the Baron (1905)
- The Dancing Duchess (1914)
Revues
[edit]- Pioneer Days (1906) featuring Indians, cavalry, baby elephants, and chorus girls, directed by Lee Shubert
- The Passing Show (1912–24), annual musical revue, rivaling Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies.
Operettas
[edit]- The Blue Paradise (1915), and other Sigmund Romberg musicals
Family
[edit]The Shubert[1] children:
- Fannie Shubert (1868–1928). From her first marriage to Isaac Isaacs, she had three sons: Jesse Isaacs (1893–1904), Larry Shubert (1894–1965), and Milton Isaacs Shubert (1901–1967). Her second husband was William Weissager.
- Sarah Shubert (1870–1934). Married to Edward Davidow. No children.
- Lee Shubert (1871–1953), theatre owner/operator, producer. Married to Marcella Swanson (1900–1973). No children.
- Sam S. Shubert (1878–1905), producer, writer, director, and theatre owner/operator; died in a Pennsylvania train accident
- Jacob J. Shubert (1879–1963), producer, director, and theatre owner/operator. From his first marriage to Catherine Dealy, he had a son John Jason Shubert (1908–1962).
- Dora (Debora) Shubert (1880–1951). From her marriage to Milton Wolf (1881–1955), she had a daughter, Sylvia Wolf Golde (1910–1981)
References
[edit]- ^ a b 1881 passenger list of the Schubert family. "Ancestry. com". Ancestry.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e "Shubert Brothers" pbs.org, accessed August 29, 2009
- ^ Kenrick, John.Who's Who in Musicals: Sa-Sm" musicals101.com, accessed August 29, 2009
- ^ a b c Jerry Stagg, The Brothers Schubert (1968)
- ^ "The Shubert Organization" Archived 2013-02-01 at the Wayback Machine shubertorganization.com, accessed August 29, 2009
- ^ Times Wire Services. "The Curtain Falls for J. J. Shubert", St. Petersburg Times, December 27, 1963
- ^ "Theatres | Shubert Organization". shubert.nyc. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ Harris, Paul (2012-09-20). "New bookers for D.C. National". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
Further reading
[edit]- Chach, Maryann. Shuberts present, one hundred years of great American theatre (Harry N. Abrams, 2001).
- Hirsch, Foster. The Boys from Syracuse: The Shuberts' Theatrical Empire (Cooper Square Press, 2000).
- Liebling, A.J. Profile, 1939. The Boys from Syracuse. The New Yorker [1]
- McNamara, Brooks. The Shuberts of Broadway: a history drawn from the collections of the Shubert Archive (Oxford University Press, 1990).
- Poggi, Jack. Theatre in America--The Impact of Economic Forces, 1870-1967 (1968)
- Sanjek, Russell. American popular music and its business: From 1900 to 1984 (3 vol. Oxford UP, 1988).
- Stagg, Jerry. Brothers Shubert (Ballantine Books, 1968) ISBN 978-0-345-21789-9
- Westover, Jonas. The Shuberts and Their Passing Shows: The Untold Tale of Ziegfeld's Rivals (Oxford University Press, 2017)
- Vickery, Anthony. "Did the Shuberts Save Broadway? The Corporate Producers." in The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theatre Producers ed. by Laura MacDonald and William Everett, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) pp. 69–82.
- "Shubert Brothers" in Encyclopedia of World Biography (Gale, 1998) online
External links
[edit]- Lee Shubert at the Internet Broadway Database
- Official website Shubert Foundation biography
- Official website Shubert Archive