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Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

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#2

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 10:36am

You can say a lot of things about a lot of people but Mr. Schoenfeld embodied the Broadway spirit. Sure he was "the most powerful man on broadway" but he was also one of the most loved.

We've lost and incredible advocate for Broadway this morning.
#4

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 10:42am

My favorite Gerry Schoenfeld quote (that won't appear in his obituaries):

"The best seat in this house is any seat with an ass in it."

RIP, Mr. Schoenfeld. Thanks for helping see Broadway through some rough patches, thanks for everything you did for A Chorus Line, and thanks for letting us use the Winter Garden for a memorial service for my friend Reed Jones during the early years of the AIDS crisis. I can't tell you what that gesture meant to his friends.

Updated On: 11/25/08 at 10:42 AM

#7

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 10:58am

What a tremendous loss for the Broadway community.

I want to offer profound gratitude for the wonderful things Mr. Schoenfeld has done for the theatre through his decades of work and commitment.

Thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones.
#8

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 11:02am

May he rest in peace. And, may his spirit inspire us all to continue helping Broadway flourish. He was a great man. Someone who will be truly missed.

My sympathies to his family.
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
#9

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 11:03am

I could almost SWEAR I saw him at the Australia premiere last night...was very close with Hugh (who hosted the dedication ceremony of the Schoenfeld Theater in 2005).

A terrible loss...my prayers go out to his family and friends...and to all who love theater.

Anyone else see Clive Barnes getting a cloud all fluffed to kick back with Gerry today?

Miss Lizzy

UPDATE: Friends also at the "Australia" premiere last night confirmed that Mr. Schoenfeld did indeed attend.
Rock of Ages - "Nothin' but a good time!"

Updated On: 11/25/08 at 11:03 AM

#13

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 11:13am

OMG! I'm about to start crying!
I once heard someone describe her (Ruthie Henshall) singing as sounding as though she's trying to swallow a whole meatball slightly larger than her windpipe. (The same person compared Michael Ball's singing to sounding as though he's sitting on a washing machine on spin cycle and Colm Wilkinson's to a man with a paralyzed lip trying to eat cottage cheese.) --- Schmerg_The_Impaler
#14

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 11:15am

He wasn't ill - it was completely unexpected. Im sure if you thought you saw him at an opening or premiere last night, you did.

I am deeply saddened by his passing. He was a great man, always laughing and joking whenever I saw him... and we can thank him for my long time nickname - the Shubert Goddess. He will be greatly missed.
"You're every gay man's wet dream!" ~ MA

If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...

#16

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 11:40am

What a shock. Just last week he had some lovely words to say about Clive Barnes for the Post and now he's gone.
Gerry Schoenfeld was instrumental in bringing classics like A Chorus Line and Sunday in the Park with George to Broadway and was a key player in the career of our beloved Michael Bennett. Despite being thought of as a greedy landlord in recent years, he was one of the last producers willing to take a chance on more experimental work and had an obvious passion for the theatre. He will be missed.
#19

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 12:31pm

Very sad news indeed. He was a champion of Broadway, and very loved by the community. Words cannot express how saddened I am by his passing. A true showman, a class act. Thanks Mr. Schoenfeld for everything you've done for Broadway ... Rest in Peace.
#22

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 1:44pm

Who cares? wasn't he part of those selfish bastards to tacked on the "restoration" fee to the ticket prices? And the audacity of allowing a theater to be named after yourself? What about the Merman, the Verdon, the Fosse or the Bennett. Or even the Kushner for that matter. Geez! I'm all cut up and sympathies and prayers go out to the Schoenfeld family and the Shubert organization.
#23

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:02pm

Who cares?! Are you crazy- Mr Schoenfeld was key to bringing many shows to Broadway. He was an enthusiastic theatre person, as a producer, theatre owner and patron. Just to give you an idea of his legacy go over to ibdb and check out the 80 bazillion shows he helped bring to broadway.

http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=72096

I can't think of anyone who has helped as much as he has. Without folks like Mr. Schoenfeld, people like Merman, Verdon, Fosse and Bennet would have all been unemployed. Tell me then- what cast albums would you listen to? People like you make me so angry, so why don't you crawl back into your little room with your show posters and framed playbills and cry about how you'll never even come close to contributing as much as he did. And why you die- maybe they'll play a Broadway song. From a show he produced.

Updated On: 11/25/08 at 02:02 PM

#24

re: Gerald Schoenfeld, Longtime Head of Shubert Organiztion, Passes Away

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:16pm

As I said earlier, it's no secret that he tacked "restoration fees" onto ticket prices and that under his reign, Shubert Theatres were ridiculously expensive to rent (I'm sure they will continue to be), but he did a lot more good that he did bad. I wouldn't even call "restoration fees" a really bad thing either. Every theatre organization has them now. And this is called show business for a reason.
He did a great deal for the theatre and will be sorely, sorely missed.
By the way, did he spell his nickname Gerry or Jerry? I always assumed it was Gerry, but recent articles have spelt it differently.

Updated On: 11/25/08 at 02:16 PM

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