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Shubert family

January 01, 1970

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. 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

Family edit

The Shubert[1] children:

  1. Lee Shubert (1871–1953), theatre owner/operator, producer. Married to Marcella Swanson (1900–1973). No children.
  2. 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.
  3. Sarah Shubert (1870–1934). Married to Edward Davidow. No children.
  4. Sam S. Shubert (1878–1905), producer, writer, director, and theatre owner/operator; died in a Pennsylvania train accident
  5. 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).
  6. Dora (Debora) Shubert (1880–1951). From her marriage to Milton Wolf (1881–1955), she had a daughter, Sylvia Wolf Golde (1910–1981)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b 1881 passenger list of the Schubert family. "Ancestry. com". Ancestry.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e "Shubert Brothers" pbs.org, accessed August 29, 2009
  3. ^ Kenrick, John.Who's Who in Musicals: Sa-Sm" musicals101.com, accessed August 29, 2009
  4. ^ a b c Jerry Stagg, The Brothers Schubert (1968)
  5. ^ "The Shubert Organization" 2013-02-01 at the Wayback Machine shubertorganization.com, accessed August 29, 2009
  6. ^ Times Wire Services. "The Curtain Falls for J. J. Shubert", St. Petersburg Times, December 27, 1963
  7. ^ "Theatres | Shubert Organization". shubert.nyc. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  8. ^ 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

January 01, 1970
shubert, family, responsible, establishment, broadway, theaters, york, city, theater, district, theatre, industry, united, states, they, dominated, legitimate, theatre, vaudeville, first, half, 20th, century, contents, history, notable, productions, musical, c. 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 They dominated the legitimate theatre and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th century Contents 1 History 2 Notable productions 2 1 Musical comedies 2 2 Revues 2 3 Operettas 3 Family 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory editThe 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 editMusical 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 musicalsFamily editThe Shubert 1 children Lee Shubert 1871 1953 theatre owner operator producer Married to Marcella Swanson 1900 1973 No 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 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 See also editThe Shubert OrganizationReferences edit a b 1881 passenger list of the Schubert family Ancestry com Ancestry com a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a 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 editChach 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 onlineExternal links editLee Shubert at the Internet Broadway Database Official website Shubert Foundation biography Official website Shubert Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shubert family amp oldid 1220384118, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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