Garth Drabinsky Added to Actors' Equity Do Not Work List

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 6:47pm

Shocking

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:06pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Shocking "

What’s the old saying…”Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…”? 

[David10086]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:18pm

So now we know the answer to the mystery of 'How is this show still going ?' 

When you don't pay your debtors, workers, etc. you can keep it going forever...or until July 17. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:30pm

I can't wait until Broadway forgets what he did, again!

[Larry6417]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:35pm

Surprised?

Nederlander should never have taken the booking.

What next????

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:36pm

They should’ve done this years ago. Like  - oh I don’t know… when he was CONVICTED OF FRAUD AND SENTENCED TO 17 MONTHS IN PRISON. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 7:38pm

blaxx said: "I can't wait until Broadway forgets what he did, again!"

Whaaaaat??? Broadway forgetting someone’s awful behavior and welcoming them back with open arms and celebrating their comeback? Broadway would never!!!

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 10:34pm

Larry6417 said: "Nederlander should never have taken the booking."

They didn't. lol The Shuberts did.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 11:08am

Again, would love to know Bernard Abrams' role in all this, since he is the Producer/Managing Member of the LLC (despite Garth being the sole decision-maker).

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 12:07pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Again, would love to knowBernard Abrams' role in all this, since he is the Producer/Managing Member of the LLC (despite Garth being the sole decision-maker)."

I would venture to guess that his role is that of the figurehead who enables Garth to say that he has nothing to do with the show's finances. Interesting that Bernie's company, which invests in stage productions, does not list Paradise Square among its holdings. 

[zainmax]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 12:30pm

HogansHero said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Again, would love to knowBernard Abrams' role in all this, since he is the Producer/Managing Member of the LLC (despite Garth being the sole decision-maker)."

I would venture to guess that his role is that of the figurehead who enables Garth to say that he has nothing to do with the show's finances. Interesting that Bernie's company, which invests in stage productions, does not list Paradise Square among its holdings."

Fascinating ... where can I see this list?

[Lumiere2]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 12:36pm

Good. This should've happened years ago. Maybe decades. This man should never be allowed to work in professional entertainment again. Just the financial abuse and crimes would be enough, as would be just his social abuses, but all of them combined is rightly enough to bar him from working on Broadway again.

I say if he doesn't personally pay up to cover the unpaid expenses, send the jerk back to prison.

Also, because it hasn't been posted in this thread yet, here's a copy of the letter the Paradise Square cast jointly wrote to the union asking Garth to be placed on the "Do Not Work List":

https://www.playbill.com/article/actors-equity-will-add-paradise-square-producer-garth-drabinsky-to-do-not-work-list

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 1:25pm

zainmax said: "Fascinating ... where can I see this list?"

https://stageventures.ca/

You can click around in there to hunt for Paradise Square, as I did. Here are a couple of additional background items on Bernie. 

 [https://variety.com/2004/legit/news/legitimate-investors-1117910599/

https://nypost.com/2014/10/16/convicted-forger-garth-drabinsky-returns-to-the-stage/

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 2:01pm

HogansHero said: "Larry6417 said: "Nederlander should never have taken the booking."

They didn't. lol The Shuberts did."

It tried out at a Nederlander house in Chicago though, no?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/15/22 at 2:26pm

One of the cast members posted on Tik Tok about not getting paid. I'm surprised they're still showing up and performing at this point. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 4:04pm

Lumiere2 said: This man should never be allowed to work in professional entertainment again. 

Oh, but he will...

 

[David10086]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 6:09pm

I was in business long enough to know that Drabinsky's practices and reputation are no different from other business people in different industries.

I'm not saying what Drabinsky has done is right or ethical by any means - in fact it's despicable. 

But for those who think he 'should never work in entertainment again', and those who boycotted 'Paradise Square' because of his unethical behavior from the past, do this going forward...

Next time you're ready to patronize and spend money at the trendy new restaurant which opened in the hottest spot in town where 'everyone' is flocking to these days, do a little Google research on the owners or LLC. Find out how many 'trendy' restaurants they've owned in the past - and how much money they owe former landlords, former employees, former suppliers, utility companies...and see if you still want to support them and give them your money.  The answer may shock you.

You will also be surprised if you did a Google search on the owners of your favorite new trendy clothing boutiques, hair salons, jewelers, spas, gyms, etc. Before you give them your money find out how many landlords, suppliers and former employees they still owe money. Guaranteed, you're not going to like what you find.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 10:03pm

I’m curious how this was able to go so far before them almost not being able to pay their cast and crew? This is not the first show to close at a loss, so what made this different from In Transit, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Godspell revival, and so many others? How were those shows able to continue on paying their casts and crews, but this wasn’t? 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/16/22 at 11:45pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I’m curious how this was able to go so far before them almost not being able to pay their cast and crew? This is not the first show to close at a loss, so what made this different from In Transit, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Godspell revival, and so many others? How were those shows able to continue on paying their casts and crews, but this wasn’t?"

You have your facts jumbled up. No one wasn't paid. Almost only counts in horseshoes. They wanted to invade the bond to pay people and were told they couldn't. Had they not come up with the money, the show would have been shut down. Other shows you mention did not attempt to shortchange the actors, and no show in history has run so long on non-capitalized OPM. This is what happens when you do business with fraudsters. 

[zainmax]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 4:33pm

HogansHero said: "zainmax said: "Fascinating ... where can I see this list?"

https://stageventures.ca/

You can click around in there to hunt for Paradise Square, as I did. Here are a couple of additional background items on Bernie.

[https://variety.com/2004/legit/news/legitimate-investors-1117910599/

https://nypost.com/2014/10/16/convicted-forger-garth-drabinsky-returns-to-the-stage/"

Website has clearly not been updated in many years, but ok

[zainmax]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 4:35pm

HogansHero said: "Call_me_jorge said: "I’m curious how this was able to go so far before them almost not being able to pay their cast and crew? This is not the first show to close at a loss, so what made this different from In Transit, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Godspell revival, and so many others? How were those shows able to continue on paying their casts and crews, but this wasn’t?"

You have your facts jumbled up. No one wasn't paid. Almost only counts in horseshoes. They wanted to invade the bond to pay people and were told they couldn't. Had they not come up with the money, the show would have been shut down. Other shows you mention did not attempt to shortchange the actors, and no show in history has run so long on non-capitalized OPM. This is what happens when you do business with fraudsters."

What is OPM?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:31pm

zainmax said: "What is OPM?"

Other people's money

Sorry about the datedness of the website. I may have mislead both of us.

[UWS10023]

Posted: 7/18/22 at 2:23am

Gosh, what a sad story.